Bucknell Wins 2013 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship - Mar 14, 2013

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell took the lead in the first half and fought off numerous rallies by Lafayette after intermission to beat the Leopards 64-56 and win the 2013 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship on Wednesday at Sojka Pavilion.

The Bison claim their fourth Patriot League title, and second in the last three seasons. Bucknell also sets a Patriot League and school record for victories by improving to 28-5 on the season. The Bison earn the Patriot League automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, and will wait to find out their opponent and destination when the brackets are announced on Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Bucknell senior center Mike Muscala (6'11''-F/C-91) was named Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career. He had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the title game and totaled 56 points and a Tournament-record 38 rebounds in Bucknell's three contests, posting a double-double in each game. Muscala becomes the first player in Patriot League history to win the Player of the Year and Tournament MVP trophy in two different seasons, also doing so when the Bison won the title in 2011.

Lafayette had its seven-game win streak come to an end, and fell to 19-15 for the season. The Leopards fell in the title game for the third time in the last four seasons, and lost to Bucknell in the championship for the second time in three years after falling to the Bison in 2011.

The game was back and forth early, with Lafayette inching out to a 10-8 lead under eight minutes into the contest. Bucknell began to put the clamps down defensively from there, going on a 16-4 run that gave them the lead for good at 24-14 with 2:51 to go in the half.

The Bison held a 26-18 lead at the break, and scored the first four points of the second half to build their biggest advantage of the day at 30-18. Lafayette responded, as the Leopards went on a 9-0 run and cut the deficit to 30-27 on a bucket by Joey Joey Ptasinski (6'2''-G) with 14:42 to go. The game stayed tight over the next eight minutes, with Lafayette still down just three at 43-40 with 6:30 to go. Bucknell put on a decisive run from there, with Muscala and Joe Joe Willman (6'7''-F-91) keying a 10-0 stretch that gave the Bison their biggest lead of the game at 53-40 with 3:09 to go. The Leopards would not go away as they cut the lead to 62-56 with 21 seconds left, but Ben Brackney drained a pair of free throws and the Bison went on to the 64-56 final.

Muscala made 8-of-16 shots and 4-of-4 free throws in his 20-point effort. He notched his NCAA-best 22nd double-double of the season. Joe Willman put up an outstanding effort as well with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Cameron Cameron Ayers (6'5''-G-91) scored nine points and Ben Brackney added eight. Bucknell made an even 40% from the field at 22-of-55 and was just 2-of-9 from three-point range, but stepped up at the foul line with an 18-of-23 clip. The Bison had 14 assists with just five turnovers, led by Steven Kaspar with five dimes. Bucknell had just eight turnovers in its last two Patriot League Tournament games.
Joey Ptasinski led the Leopards with 15 points, while Bryce Scott (6'2''-G) added 13 and Tony Johnson (6'0''-PG) had 11. The Leopards matched the Bison at 22-of-55 from the field, but were off their usual game from long range with a 5-of-15 clip from beyond the arc.

In addition to Muscala, the Patriot League All-Tournament Team included Bucknell's Joe Willman and Cameron Ayers, Lafayette's Tony Johnson and Seth Hinrichs (6'7''-G), and Lehigh's Holden Greiner (6'8''-F).

Courtesy of Patriot League

Patriot League Tournament Final: Lafayette - Bucknell 64-56
Patriot League Tournament Semifinals:
Lafayette - Lehigh 82-69
Bucknell - Army 78-70

All-Patriot League 1st Team 2012-2013
#s#	Muscala	Ayers	Ellis	Greiner	Johnson	#e#5