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Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sometimes it is not how many baskets you make, but when you make them. Certainly that was the case for Bucknell senior John Griffin in the Bison's season-opening 55-52 win Saturday night over Albany.
With Albany ganging up on the preseason All Patriot League pick all night, Griffin managed only one field goal and scored just 6 points. But four of those six came on the only two occasions Bucknell was not ahead on the scoreboard, giving the Bison the lead on each occasion.
The first came when Griffin hit the first of two free throws before the game even tipped after Albany freshman Al Turley was hit with a technical foul for dunking during pregame warmups. Griffin made both shots to start the Bison on what became an 8-0 run to open the game. The other three were more dramatic, coming with 1:06 left to play from just outside the three-point arc 35 seconds after Albany had taken its only lead of the game. A defensive stop and a Justin Castleberry pull-up jumper later and the Bison had iced what surprisingly was just their second opening game win in the past seven seasons.
In between the opening free throws and the big three, Griffin managed just a single free throw against an Albany defense that was hell-bent on keeping him off the scoreboard.
"Griffin was a guy we were very concerned about. He showed why he is a senior leader and their best player with the shot he hit at the end," said Albany head coach Will Brown, whose scheme was predicated on switching on every screen the Bison set on the perimeter. "We were very concerned about defending the 3-point line. We wanted to force them to make as many twos as possible."
With a lineup that was bigger than Bucknell by several inches in most of the matchups all night, that proved to be a successful strategy, at least when it came to taking away Bucknell's perimeter attack. The Bison hit just 1 of 13 three-pointers they put up before Griffin's big trey in the stretch. Griffin was 0 for 4 from the field, 0 for 3 from the arc before hitting the trey that gave Bucknell the lead for good.
"We guarded him very well, but he hit that shot to put them up," Brown said. "Griffin is a heckuva player. He is a gamer. He just rose right up and he shot it."
It was not like Albany's defense had broken down, or lost Griffin in the shuffle of the Bison's constant cuts and screens. Albany guard Jon Iati was about as close as a guy can get without getting busted on morals charges.
"I think I still have the gel from his hair on my hand." said Iati. "I had my hand right on his head. Somehow he knocked the shot down."
It was simply a matter of being patient and waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. After facing taller guys with hands in his face every time he touched the ball most of the night, Griffin sensed the opportunity that presented itself when Albany's switching defense resulted in the 5-9 Iatti matched on 6-1 Griffin.
"I wasn't going to force anything. I felt like I needed to let the game come to me," Griffin said.
Griffin could afford to be patient thanks to the play of a host of younger teammates who turned the game into their coming out party. Sophomore Patrick Behan, a role player a year ago when he played behind Donald Brown and Darren Mastropaolo, was an offensive force, scoring a team-and-career-high 16 points. Behan's classmate Stephen Tyree was two shots of expresso and big can of Red Bull, injecting energy straight into the Bison's veins with a game-high 13 rebounds, despite standing just 6-3.
Tyree did more than just gobble up caroms. he played defense like a little sister along on a date, constantly getting in the way. The box score shows Tyree with no steals and no blocks, but take Brown's word for it, he was a royal pain in the ass for the Great Danes.
"(Tyree) was relentless. He always seemed to be in the middle of the action. He attacked us," said Brown. "He is a ball getter."
Junior Justin Castleberry also played a huge role. His jump-stop pull-up from eight-feet out with the shot clock running out and 18 seconds on the game clock proved to be the game-winner. His two free throws with five seconds left, iced it. And his two rebounds in the last minute couldn't have come at a more crucial juncture.
Then there were Bucknell's three freshmen, all of whom made key contributions. G.W. Boon, the 6-4 swingman from Harvest, Alabama, was 2 for 3 from the field, hitting back-to-back jumpers midway through the second half to help keep the Big Dogs on a tight leash. Boon played 11 minutes without a turnover and was solid on defense, with a steal and a blocked shot to his credit. His poised performance is good news for the Bison, who lost senior tri-captain Rob Thomas early in the first half to a knee injury
Freshman Daryl Shazier did not score. But the 6-0 point guard from Newport News, Va. played 25 minutes, the most of any Bucknell reserve, and was the guy Flannery had running the point down the stretch. Shazier missed the two shots he put up, both from outside the arc, but finished with two steals and a blocked shot while dishing out a pair of assists and grbbing three rebounds.
According to Bucknell coach Pat Flannery, that showing was but a preview of Shazier's coming attractions. "We put the ball in his hands at the end. As we go along, he is going to be able to break people down," Flannery said.
The biggest freshman contribution came from 6-11 center Todd O'Brien, who might make people forget about Chris McNaughton by the time he leaves Lewisburg. In the box score, evidence of O'Brien's defensive presence was his three blocked shots. On the floor, even bigger was how he forced Jerel Hastings to alter a runner in the lane with 48 seconds to play that would have evened the game after Griffin's trey. Forced to float the ball high over O'Brien's outstretched arms, Hasting's shot bounced harmlessly off the iron and was corralled along the baseline by Castleberry, leading to his clinching free throws. O'Brien also showed a nice touch within 8 feet of the basket, going 3 for 5 from the field for 8 points in 21 minutes of action.
"(O'Brien) grew up tonight. He was strong in his feet. He didn't get pushed around," Flannery said.
Neither did the rest of the Bison lineup, which was nearly even (34 rebounds for Albany, 33 for BU) on the boards, despite giving up several inches and more than a few pounds at almost every spot on the floor. Despite Albany's apparent physical edge, it was Bucknell that spent more time on the foul line, shooting 24 free throws (19 made) while the Danes were going 7 for 9 at the stripe.
"Despite the fact we have youth on the roster, maturity was a big part of the win," said Griffin.
Bucknell's variety of defense kept Albany shooting from the perimeter and resulting in the Danes sub- 40 percent effort from the field (20-56, 35.7 percent). Albany hit 27.8 percent (5-18) from the arc.
"Bucknell exposed us a little bit tonight," said Brown.
BISON CHIPS: No word postgame on the extent of Thomas' injury. Flannery said he was stilll being evaluated . . . O'Brien's three blocks were more than the Bison recorded as a team in 27 of last season's 31 game . . . McNaughton equalled that feat once his entire career (last season against Towson) . . . Bucknell's 7 blocked shots as a team equalled a Sojka Pavilion record set Jan. 15, 2005 against Army.
Box score | Postgame audio | Daily Item | Albany Times Union | Times Union blog
With Albany ganging up on the preseason All Patriot League pick all night, Griffin managed only one field goal and scored just 6 points. But four of those six came on the only two occasions Bucknell was not ahead on the scoreboard, giving the Bison the lead on each occasion.
The first came when Griffin hit the first of two free throws before the game even tipped after Albany freshman Al Turley was hit with a technical foul for dunking during pregame warmups. Griffin made both shots to start the Bison on what became an 8-0 run to open the game. The other three were more dramatic, coming with 1:06 left to play from just outside the three-point arc 35 seconds after Albany had taken its only lead of the game. A defensive stop and a Justin Castleberry pull-up jumper later and the Bison had iced what surprisingly was just their second opening game win in the past seven seasons.
In between the opening free throws and the big three, Griffin managed just a single free throw against an Albany defense that was hell-bent on keeping him off the scoreboard.
"Griffin was a guy we were very concerned about. He showed why he is a senior leader and their best player with the shot he hit at the end," said Albany head coach Will Brown, whose scheme was predicated on switching on every screen the Bison set on the perimeter. "We were very concerned about defending the 3-point line. We wanted to force them to make as many twos as possible."
With a lineup that was bigger than Bucknell by several inches in most of the matchups all night, that proved to be a successful strategy, at least when it came to taking away Bucknell's perimeter attack. The Bison hit just 1 of 13 three-pointers they put up before Griffin's big trey in the stretch. Griffin was 0 for 4 from the field, 0 for 3 from the arc before hitting the trey that gave Bucknell the lead for good.
"We guarded him very well, but he hit that shot to put them up," Brown said. "Griffin is a heckuva player. He is a gamer. He just rose right up and he shot it."
It was not like Albany's defense had broken down, or lost Griffin in the shuffle of the Bison's constant cuts and screens. Albany guard Jon Iati was about as close as a guy can get without getting busted on morals charges.
"I think I still have the gel from his hair on my hand." said Iati. "I had my hand right on his head. Somehow he knocked the shot down."
It was simply a matter of being patient and waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. After facing taller guys with hands in his face every time he touched the ball most of the night, Griffin sensed the opportunity that presented itself when Albany's switching defense resulted in the 5-9 Iatti matched on 6-1 Griffin.
"I wasn't going to force anything. I felt like I needed to let the game come to me," Griffin said.
Griffin could afford to be patient thanks to the play of a host of younger teammates who turned the game into their coming out party. Sophomore Patrick Behan, a role player a year ago when he played behind Donald Brown and Darren Mastropaolo, was an offensive force, scoring a team-and-career-high 16 points. Behan's classmate Stephen Tyree was two shots of expresso and big can of Red Bull, injecting energy straight into the Bison's veins with a game-high 13 rebounds, despite standing just 6-3.
Tyree did more than just gobble up caroms. he played defense like a little sister along on a date, constantly getting in the way. The box score shows Tyree with no steals and no blocks, but take Brown's word for it, he was a royal pain in the ass for the Great Danes.
"(Tyree) was relentless. He always seemed to be in the middle of the action. He attacked us," said Brown. "He is a ball getter."
Junior Justin Castleberry also played a huge role. His jump-stop pull-up from eight-feet out with the shot clock running out and 18 seconds on the game clock proved to be the game-winner. His two free throws with five seconds left, iced it. And his two rebounds in the last minute couldn't have come at a more crucial juncture.
Then there were Bucknell's three freshmen, all of whom made key contributions. G.W. Boon, the 6-4 swingman from Harvest, Alabama, was 2 for 3 from the field, hitting back-to-back jumpers midway through the second half to help keep the Big Dogs on a tight leash. Boon played 11 minutes without a turnover and was solid on defense, with a steal and a blocked shot to his credit. His poised performance is good news for the Bison, who lost senior tri-captain Rob Thomas early in the first half to a knee injury
Freshman Daryl Shazier did not score. But the 6-0 point guard from Newport News, Va. played 25 minutes, the most of any Bucknell reserve, and was the guy Flannery had running the point down the stretch. Shazier missed the two shots he put up, both from outside the arc, but finished with two steals and a blocked shot while dishing out a pair of assists and grbbing three rebounds.
According to Bucknell coach Pat Flannery, that showing was but a preview of Shazier's coming attractions. "We put the ball in his hands at the end. As we go along, he is going to be able to break people down," Flannery said.
The biggest freshman contribution came from 6-11 center Todd O'Brien, who might make people forget about Chris McNaughton by the time he leaves Lewisburg. In the box score, evidence of O'Brien's defensive presence was his three blocked shots. On the floor, even bigger was how he forced Jerel Hastings to alter a runner in the lane with 48 seconds to play that would have evened the game after Griffin's trey. Forced to float the ball high over O'Brien's outstretched arms, Hasting's shot bounced harmlessly off the iron and was corralled along the baseline by Castleberry, leading to his clinching free throws. O'Brien also showed a nice touch within 8 feet of the basket, going 3 for 5 from the field for 8 points in 21 minutes of action.
"(O'Brien) grew up tonight. He was strong in his feet. He didn't get pushed around," Flannery said.
Neither did the rest of the Bison lineup, which was nearly even (34 rebounds for Albany, 33 for BU) on the boards, despite giving up several inches and more than a few pounds at almost every spot on the floor. Despite Albany's apparent physical edge, it was Bucknell that spent more time on the foul line, shooting 24 free throws (19 made) while the Danes were going 7 for 9 at the stripe.
"Despite the fact we have youth on the roster, maturity was a big part of the win," said Griffin.
Bucknell's variety of defense kept Albany shooting from the perimeter and resulting in the Danes sub- 40 percent effort from the field (20-56, 35.7 percent). Albany hit 27.8 percent (5-18) from the arc.
"Bucknell exposed us a little bit tonight," said Brown.
BISON CHIPS: No word postgame on the extent of Thomas' injury. Flannery said he was stilll being evaluated . . . O'Brien's three blocks were more than the Bison recorded as a team in 27 of last season's 31 game . . . McNaughton equalled that feat once his entire career (last season against Towson) . . . Bucknell's 7 blocked shots as a team equalled a Sojka Pavilion record set Jan. 15, 2005 against Army.
Box score | Postgame audio | Daily Item | Albany Times Union | Times Union blog
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