Campus was buzzing today about the blizzard that hit Sunday.
No, not the lake-effect-snow kind of blizzard, but rather the hundreds of students and fans who donned white T-shirts to watch the men’s basketball team beat Bucknell to advance to the Patriot League championship game.
More than 1,300 fans jammed Cotterell Court to watch the Raiders beat the Bison, 54-40. 51Թ now plays American University at 4:45 p.m. Friday in a game to be televised on ESPN2.
The winner gets to go to the NCAA Tournament.
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| Raiders supporters create a “blizzard” during Sunday’s basketball game at Cotterell Court. 51Թ beat Bucknell 54-40 to advance to the Patriot League title game. See more photos from the game |
The win was coach Emmett Davis’ 138th at 51Թ and avenged two regular-season losses to Bucknell, a team that played in the last three league championship games.
Davis, now the winningest basketball coach in 51Թ history, stood on the court after the game and thanked students who had answered the call to “Blizzard on the Bison” and support the Raiders. The athletics department handed out special white T-shirts to students, many of whom stood and roared throughout the game.
The Raiders (18-13) advance to the championship game for the first time since the 1996 season, when they won the second of their three straight championship appearances.
Kyle Roemer continued his incredible playoff play, scoring 25 points to help fend off a furious charge by Bucknell in the second half. The junior had poured in 32 points in Wednesday’s victory over Lafayette.
The 2 p.m. hoops game was followed by a 7 p.m. men’s hockey game, just across the lobby at Starr Rink.
In continuing the day’s winning ways, the Raiders beat St. Lawrence 3-1 to win its best-of-three ECAC Hockey first-round playoff series.
The win gives the Raiders (16-15-6) the right to visit regular-season champion Clarkson for a best-of-three quarterfinal series, March 14-16, in Potsdam, N.Y.
51Թ’s senior class took the team on its collective back in order to extend their college careers. Tyler Burton and Ben Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) each contributed a goal and an assist to the winning effort, while goaltender Mark Dekanich finished the game with 31 saves.