March 2, 2002

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) - Boakai Lalugba had 20 points and 13 rebounds Saturday for Bucknell, and the Bison advanced to the semifinals of the Patriot League tournament with a 70-59 victory over Army.

Lalugba scored his final points with 13:29 remaining in the game, giving Bucknell a 51-36 lead, their largest of the contest. The Bison got only two more field goals in the game, but did enough at the foul line to hold off Army (12-16), which got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Bucknell trailed only once, after the Black Knights scored the game's first basket. The Bison led 32-25 at the half, paced by Lalugba's 10 points. Lalugba scored six points in an 8-0 Bucknell run that put the Bison ahead 8-2. That was part of a larger 13-2 surge that put Bucknell in command early.

Two Chris Spatola free throws brought Army within four at 26-22, but the Bison pushed out to their seven-point intermission cushion.

In the second half, Bucknell, who defeated Army twice by three points each during the regular season, outscored the Black Knights 19-11 over the opening 6:35 of the session. Lalugba tallied 10 points in that run.

J.P. Spatola led Army with 14 points. His older brother Chris, the league scoring leader in the regular season, was held to 10 points on 2-of-14 shooting. Charles Woodruff had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Army. It was his third career double-double, in his final game, and first since Dec. 14, 2000, a span of 48 games.

Bucknell's Brian Werner scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. Bryan bailey added 13 for the Bison.

Army's 12-win season was its best since a 12-16 campaign in 1994-95, while the Black Knights earned the sixth seed by virtue of a 6-8 league record. It was the program's best win total in 12 years in the league.