STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Steven Kaspar scored 25 points and Cameron Ayers added 19 as Bucknell defeated Penn State 90-80 in a wild, back-and-forth game between two nearby Pennsylvania rivals Wednesday night.
Ben Brackney (16) and Brian Fitzpatrick (13) combined for 29 more to give Bucknell coach Dave Paulsen his 100th career victory.
Bucknell (1-1) shot 61 percent from the floor (28 for 46) and 67 percent from 3-point range (10 for 15).
Penn State (1-1), led by D.J. Newbill (18), Ross Travis (17) and Brandon Taylor (17), found itself in foul trouble early. Taylor fouled out and playmaker Tim Frazier was held to 13 points and played much of the second half with four fouls.
The Bison put together a 22-5 run an 11-point lead as Kaspar couldn’t miss.
With Frazier on the bench, Bucknell’s Ayers blocked a shot and took off for a layup and a four-point lead as the Bison pulled away.
