Bucknell men's basketball overcomes slow start to defeat Loyola (MD), 70-67
By: Benjamin Snyder | SportzWire | January 10, 2026
Lewisburg, PA -
The Bucknell Bison men's basketball team hosted Loyola (MD) this afternoon where they overcame an early deficit to defeat the Greyhounds 70-67.
1st Half -
The Greyhounds controlled most the early minutes, outscoring the Bison 8-0 in the first three minutes and thirty seconds of play. Amon Dorries broke the ice by scoring Bucknell's first points of the contest. Loyola followed Dorries bucket with a 7-0 run to push their lead to 12 points, eventually establishing a 17-4 lead. Bucknell's Achile Spadone, Patrick O'Brien, Ruot Bijiek, and Pat Curtin all contributed to drastically decreasing the Greyhounds lead to just 1. Loyola Junior guard Jacob Theodosiou helped his Greyhounds make it to halftime without facing too much trouble, as the game was tied at the half.
2nd half -
Physicality was the name of the second half, and it all began with Ruot Bijiek. He was fouled on the way up to the basket, causing a traumatic fall. Loyola Greyhound Tyson Commander was charged with a technical foul. Jayden Williams made two free throws in replacement of Bijiek, giving Bucknell their first lead of the contest. After trailing 32-31, the Bison went on an 11-0 run to establish a 42-32 lead. More than four minutes passed before the Greyhounds drew near with a Troy Cicero Jr. three-point jumper (51-48 Bison). Bucknell began to pull away from there with efforts from Pat Curtin and Amon Dorries, but Loyola wouldn't quit. Some three-pointers went in favor of Loyola, but their inability to gather crucial rebounds crushed their chance to win the game. Bucknell guard, Jayden Williams, had a great final 3 minutes, scoring six points, and limiting Loyola's time of possession, ultimately putting the game away.
Conclusion -
Jocob Theodosiou and his Greyhounds got out to a superb start against the Bucknell Bison, but key performances from Pat Curtin and Amon Dorries overruled Loyola's efforts. Pat Curtin surpassed his career high of 14 points with a 25-point performance. Dorries neared his career high with 19.
Postgame -
Coach John Griffin III, and freshman Pat Curtin represented Bucknell in the media room after the conclusion of the game. My first question was intended for Pat, and I stated, "25 points tonight, an 11-point differential from your previous career high, so I want to talk about that 17-4 deficit", "you played a big role in erasing that deficit, so what do you think was the biggest part of overcoming that early downside?",
Pat stated, "It's all about the connection in the group", "It's a team sport for a reason", "We understand what we are doing wrong, we understand what we are doing right". Pat later mentioned that the team forms a common goal and they focus on executing their goals during hard times.
My final question was directed for coach John Griffin III, where I asked him what his message was to the team at halftime. The teams were tied at 28 during the break.
Coach Griffin III stated, "I thought that our approach possession by possession was very sound". Coach also mentioned that he reminded his team who the most effective scorers were on Loyola. He said it was a very collective halftime and that his team came out with the right attitude. He finally stated, "I saw a confident group today for 40 minutes, despite that 17-4 early score".
*Please Note* Amon Dorries last name isn't spelled correctly due to technical issues (mussing an accent).
That is all from SportzWire at Sojka Pavilion!
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter / X
YouTube
