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Sunday, December 23, 2007
Bison's jump-shooting ways result in a loss at Drexel.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
One step forward, two steps back.
That must be how Pat Flannery feels about the progress of his basketball team after Saturday evening's 65-53 loss at Drexel.
Just three days after playing perhaps its best offensive half of the season in a win over Cornell, the Bison all but abandoned the inside-out mix that keyed that performance to pursue the jump-shooting perimeter style that is largely responsible for their 4-6 start.
It didn't help any that Bucknell forgot to guard Drexel guard Scott Rodgers much of the first half, or that the Dragons big men were able to bully Bucknell inside. Rodgers, who had never made more than three three-pointers in a single game, had that many in the first half, finishing with 18 points to lead all scorers. A career-26 percent shooter from the arc, Rodgers came into the game averaging 4.3 points per game, with five treys on 20 tries this season.
Rodgers found his stroke in solitude. There was something almost zen-like to the way in a room filled with 2,011 people, the majority of whom were dressed in enough orange to give the appearance of a Bucknell home game, Rodgers repeatedly found himself all alone in the corners for open looks. Given time to square up and set his feet, Rodgers went 5 for 10 from the field in the first half, 3 of 6 from the arc, including back-to-back treys that keyed an 11-3 run midway through the period that pushed Drexel's lead to double digits.
"We shot shots when we were open. Guys knocked them down," said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint.
Well, sort of. Actually, Drexel was hardly outstanding on offense. They shot just 42.9 percent (12-28) in the half. But with the Bison having a can't hit the ocean from a boat sort of half, it was more than enough to build what proved to be an insurmountable 34-15 margin at the intermission.
It was the sixth time this season Bucknell (failed to shoot at least 40 percent from the field. The Bison are 1-5 in thos games.
Give Drexel some credit, The Dragons (6-5) came in on a four-game losing streak, but it had not been the fault of the defense. George Mason is the only team that has shot 50 percent against Drexel, which came into the game holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting from the field, a mark it bettered by limiting the Bison to an 18 of 53 (34 percent) showing.
That 34 percent figure is misleading. It is inflated by Bucknell's 12 of 24 second half, which was too little, too late to overcome the hole they dug when they went 6 for 29 (20.7 percent) over the first 20 minutes. Almost half of those shots (14) came from the arc. Only two of the made shots were worth three points.
"We didn't make very many shots," said Bison senior John Griffin, who was 3 for 11 (1 for 7 on threes) for 11 points on what was likely his last college game in his hometown of Philly.
It was a half totally devoid of any offensive flow for the Bison, who did not manage to string together even two unanswered field goals the entire half. As close as Bucknell got to a run in the opening stanza came midway through the half, when freshman Todd O'Brien hit the front end of a two-shot foul and Josh Linthicum made a layup three offensive rebounds later. That 3-0 spurt cut Drexel's lead to 14-10 with 10:28 to go in the half. Bucknell managed just two field goals the rest of the half, none in the final 6:56.
"They did a real good job pressuring us," Flannery said. "We got a little frustrated and it affected us a little bit."
From Flannery's vantage point, that frustration came out as rushed shots, most from long range.
"We were perimeter oriented. When we play well, we go inside and out," said Flannery. "We were not patient. We played rushed. We didn't play smart."
All true, but at the same time, it is not as if all those rushed shots were bad looks. A lot were simply missed open looks. Shots simply were not falling, even when they came from 15 feet away without a defender. Bucknell was 1 for 7 at the foul line in the first half.
The Bison tried to make a game of it after the intermission, cutting the lead to single digits on several occasions. But even though they shot better in the second half, they didn't shoot well enough to ever really make Drexel sweat.
The Dragons cooled off a little from the perimeter in the second half, but with O'Brien and Linthicum in foul trouble, Drexel was able to pound the ball inside to 6-9 center Frank Elegar, who scored all of his 16 points in the second half. O'Brien fouled out with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of play. He did manage to keep alive his streak of at least one block in every game. Linthicum, who reached double figures Bucknell's two previous games, had 8 points, 7 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. He was 0 for 1 at the foul line. Elegar went to the line 8 times in the second half, making all 8.
Bucknell's best opportunity to make a game of it came after three Griffin free throws made it a 53-44 game with 6:36 to go. The Bison got defensive stops on two straight trips, giving them two chances to cut the lead more. But they came up empty, despite a pair of Linthicum offensive rebounds on the second of those possessions.
The Bison break for the holidays, then will gather after Christmas in California, where they will face North Dakota State Friday in the first round of the Cal Golden Bear Classic.
Box score | Postgame audio | Daily Item | Philly Inquirer
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
One step forward, two steps back.
That must be how Pat Flannery feels about the progress of his basketball team after Saturday evening's 65-53 loss at Drexel.
Just three days after playing perhaps its best offensive half of the season in a win over Cornell, the Bison all but abandoned the inside-out mix that keyed that performance to pursue the jump-shooting perimeter style that is largely responsible for their 4-6 start.
It didn't help any that Bucknell forgot to guard Drexel guard Scott Rodgers much of the first half, or that the Dragons big men were able to bully Bucknell inside. Rodgers, who had never made more than three three-pointers in a single game, had that many in the first half, finishing with 18 points to lead all scorers. A career-26 percent shooter from the arc, Rodgers came into the game averaging 4.3 points per game, with five treys on 20 tries this season.
Rodgers found his stroke in solitude. There was something almost zen-like to the way in a room filled with 2,011 people, the majority of whom were dressed in enough orange to give the appearance of a Bucknell home game, Rodgers repeatedly found himself all alone in the corners for open looks. Given time to square up and set his feet, Rodgers went 5 for 10 from the field in the first half, 3 of 6 from the arc, including back-to-back treys that keyed an 11-3 run midway through the period that pushed Drexel's lead to double digits.
"We shot shots when we were open. Guys knocked them down," said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint.
Well, sort of. Actually, Drexel was hardly outstanding on offense. They shot just 42.9 percent (12-28) in the half. But with the Bison having a can't hit the ocean from a boat sort of half, it was more than enough to build what proved to be an insurmountable 34-15 margin at the intermission.
It was the sixth time this season Bucknell (failed to shoot at least 40 percent from the field. The Bison are 1-5 in thos games.
Give Drexel some credit, The Dragons (6-5) came in on a four-game losing streak, but it had not been the fault of the defense. George Mason is the only team that has shot 50 percent against Drexel, which came into the game holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting from the field, a mark it bettered by limiting the Bison to an 18 of 53 (34 percent) showing.
That 34 percent figure is misleading. It is inflated by Bucknell's 12 of 24 second half, which was too little, too late to overcome the hole they dug when they went 6 for 29 (20.7 percent) over the first 20 minutes. Almost half of those shots (14) came from the arc. Only two of the made shots were worth three points.
"We didn't make very many shots," said Bison senior John Griffin, who was 3 for 11 (1 for 7 on threes) for 11 points on what was likely his last college game in his hometown of Philly.
It was a half totally devoid of any offensive flow for the Bison, who did not manage to string together even two unanswered field goals the entire half. As close as Bucknell got to a run in the opening stanza came midway through the half, when freshman Todd O'Brien hit the front end of a two-shot foul and Josh Linthicum made a layup three offensive rebounds later. That 3-0 spurt cut Drexel's lead to 14-10 with 10:28 to go in the half. Bucknell managed just two field goals the rest of the half, none in the final 6:56.
"They did a real good job pressuring us," Flannery said. "We got a little frustrated and it affected us a little bit."
From Flannery's vantage point, that frustration came out as rushed shots, most from long range.
"We were perimeter oriented. When we play well, we go inside and out," said Flannery. "We were not patient. We played rushed. We didn't play smart."
All true, but at the same time, it is not as if all those rushed shots were bad looks. A lot were simply missed open looks. Shots simply were not falling, even when they came from 15 feet away without a defender. Bucknell was 1 for 7 at the foul line in the first half.
The Bison tried to make a game of it after the intermission, cutting the lead to single digits on several occasions. But even though they shot better in the second half, they didn't shoot well enough to ever really make Drexel sweat.
The Dragons cooled off a little from the perimeter in the second half, but with O'Brien and Linthicum in foul trouble, Drexel was able to pound the ball inside to 6-9 center Frank Elegar, who scored all of his 16 points in the second half. O'Brien fouled out with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of play. He did manage to keep alive his streak of at least one block in every game. Linthicum, who reached double figures Bucknell's two previous games, had 8 points, 7 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. He was 0 for 1 at the foul line. Elegar went to the line 8 times in the second half, making all 8.
Bucknell's best opportunity to make a game of it came after three Griffin free throws made it a 53-44 game with 6:36 to go. The Bison got defensive stops on two straight trips, giving them two chances to cut the lead more. But they came up empty, despite a pair of Linthicum offensive rebounds on the second of those possessions.
The Bison break for the holidays, then will gather after Christmas in California, where they will face North Dakota State Friday in the first round of the Cal Golden Bear Classic.
Box score | Postgame audio | Daily Item | Philly Inquirer
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