Bucknell wins Patriot League Championship to clinch NCAA Tournament berth - Mar 9, 2017

Bucknell used a second half-opening 12-0 run to cruise to an 81-65 victory over No. 3 Lehigh in the Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on Wednesday night at a sold out Sojka Pavilion. The victory helps the Bison clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012-13 season.
The Bison will learn their NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament fate on Sunday during the Tournament Selection Show on CBS, beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST.
Bucknell Junior forward Zach Thomas (6'7''-F-96) finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocks to earn Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Lehigh senior center Tim Kempton (6'10''-C/F) finished with a game-high 22 points and 17 rebounds, tying a Patriot League Championship Game record to also garner All-Tournament honors.
Junior center and Patriot League Player and Defensive Player of the Year Nana Foulland (6'9''-C-95) finished 17 points, three rebounds and three blocks, while sophomore guard Kimbal Mackenzie (6'1''-G-96) scored a team-high 18 points, as both earned All-Tournament honors. Junior guard Stephen Brown (5'11''-PG-96) finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Lehigh senior guard Austin Price (6'4''-G) finished with 11 points and two blocks to earn All-Tournament honors. Sophomore guard Kyle Leufroy (6'3''-G) finished with 14 points.
Tournament MVP Zach Thomas finished with 17 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished out seven assists to lead the Bison. Junior center Nana Foulland finished with 17 points, three rebounds and three blocks.
Sophomore guard Kimbal Mackenzie led four Bison in double-figures with 18 points in 6-of-13 shooting. Junior guard Stephen Brown finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Lehigh senior center Tim Kempton tied the Patriot League Championship Game record with 17 rebounds. He tied Holy Cross's Josh Sankes record against Navy in 2001. Kempton also finished with a game-high 22 points.
In nine Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament Meetings between Bucknell and Lehigh, the Bison are now 6-3. Both teams have won one Championship Game.
The Mountain Hawks led by five points, 30-25, with 4:09 remaining in the first half, before the Bison made a late run
Freshman guard Avi Toomer's 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining in the first half gave the Bison a 35-34 lead going into the break.
Bucknell opened the second half on a 12-0 run to take the game's largest lead at 47-37.
The Bison scored the first 12 points of the second half to create separation with the Mountain Hawks, taking a 47-34 lead.
Bucknell held Lehigh to just five points over the first nine minutes of the half building an 18-point lead at 57-39 by the 11-minute mark of the second half.
Lehigh rallied back
Bison junior forward Zach Thomas reached the 1,000 career-point mark early in the second half. He and Foulland both joined the 1,000-point club this season.

Courtesy of Patriot League

Patriot League Tournament Final: Bucknell - Lehigh 81-65
Patriot League Tournament Semifinals:
Bucknell - Navy 70-65
Lehigh - Boston 91-88