THE BASICS:

• Score:  Bucknell 82, Holy Cross 68
• Records: Holy Cross 12-13, 6-6 PL; Bucknell 19-6, 11-1 PL
• Location: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
• Date: February 6, 2017
• The Lead: Senior guard Robert Champion scored a team-high 19 points, but the Holy Cross men's basketball team was defeated by Bucknell 82-68 at Sojka Pavilion.

MAN OF THE MATCH PRESENTED BY THE UNITED STATES MARINES:

• After the game, Champion was selected as the United States Marines Man of the Match.
• In addition to his 19 points, he finished with four rebounds and two assists.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The Crusaders hit 48.2 percent of their field goal attempts on the evening, but only made 29.4 percent of their shots from three-point range.
• The Bison were able to connect on 50.0 percent of their shots from the floor, and hit 13 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc (43.3 percent).
• Bucknell also made 19 of 24 free throws, while Holy Cross connected on nine of 12 attempts at the charity stripe.
• Senior forward Malachi Alexander finished the night with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Sophomore guard Patrick Benzan added 15 points, three rebounds and two steals, while sophomore forward Karl Charles totaled 11 points, seven assists and two steals.
• The Bison were led by Zach Thomas with 27 points and six rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Bucknell started the game hot, hitting four of its first six shots to jump out to an early 13-4 lead.
• The Bison were later up 16-6, when Holy Cross used a 10-4 run to close to within four (20-16).
• Bucknell responded with an 11-4 spurt to extend its lead back to double-figures, and went on to take a 48-33 advantage into the locker room.
• The Bison increased their lead early in the second half, eventually going in front by 24 points (73-49) with 9:14 left to play.
• The Crusaders refused to go quietly, using a 13-2 run over the next 4:27 to make the score 75-62.
• But that was as close as Holy Cross would get, with Bucknell going on to post a 14-point victory.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 8, when it travels to Lafayette for a 7:00 p.m. game.

BE PART OF THE ACTION:

• Single-game tickets to see the Crusaders are on sale now. Make sure you don't miss the opportunity to see the best collegiate basketball in Central Massachusetts! Tickets for Holy Cross basketball can be purchased online at GoHolyCross.com/tickets or over the phone by calling 1-844-GOCROSS.

KEEP CONNECTED:

• To stay updated on the Holy Cross men's basketball team, follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMBB and on Facebook at HolyCrossBasketball.
• You can also subscribe for email alerts for all news and information on the team by clicking here.