LEWISBURG – Josh Bascoe scored a career-high 30 points on Senior Day to lead the Bucknell men’s basketball team to an 84-53 victory over Army West Point Sunday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison led wire-to-wire to post their fourth straight victory and improve to 15-14 overall and 11-5 in the Patriot League. Bucknell, which wrapped up its home conference schedule with a perfect 9-0 record, moved into sole possession of second place and has clinched a top-four seed for the Patriot League Tournament.

Bascoe made 11 of 18 field goals, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range to pace the Bison offense. He’d also dish out five assists and post four steals through the night. The Ontario native set the tone early, scoring 18 first-half points as the Bison assumed a 10-point lead only five minutes into the game and never looked back.

Bucknell shot over 50 percent in both halves to finish the game at 56.9 percent (33 of 58), also shooting above 50-percent from behind the arc by going 14-for-25. Its starters were especially efficient from the field, making 27 of their 44 attempts (61.4 percent).

The Bison led 44-30 at halftime and grew their lead to as many as 36 points in the second half, avenging a wild 116-110 double-overtime loss at West Point 15 days ago. Bucknell was much better defensively in this one, holding Army to 38.9 percent shooting, including 5-for-27 from 3-point range. The Black Knights were 17-for-29 from downtown in first meeting.

Both teams were without key players in this one. Noah Williamson, who leads the Patriot League in conference scoring at 20.5 points per game, was unable to go because of an eye injury. Josh Scovens, the Patriot League’s fifth-leading scorer at 16 points per game, was unavailable for Army.

However, the Bison had plenty of support without Williamson.

Pip Ajayi started in his place and tallied nine points and four rebounds. Ruot Bijiek connected on three 3-pointers and scored 13 points to join Bascoe in double figures. Achile Spadone tallied eight points, a career-high eight assists, and three steals. Reserve forward Josh Fulton grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds off the bench in just 16 minutes. Fulton also had four points, a steal, and a blocked shot, and five of his 11 rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Bucknell out-rebounded Army 39-25 in the game, with 11 offensive boards leading to a 10-2 edge in second-chance points.

AJ Allenspach and Jalen Rucker led Army in scoring with 13 points each. Ryan Curry, who had 30 points in the first meeting with Bucknell, was held to two this time around.

The Bison led for all but 18 seconds. An alley-oop finish by Ajayi on the game’s first possession gave the Bison the lead for good, and Bijiek followed with a 3-pointer. Rucker hit two early treys for Army, but a 12-1 run pushed Bucknell’s lead into double figures. Brandon McCreesh’s driving layup made it 16-6, and a few minutes later Bascoe grabbed an offensive rebound and drove for two more to make it 20-7.

Army did pull within eight on an Isaiah Caldwell jumper at the 8:20 mark, but Bijiek canned a 3-pointer on the next trip down, and the Bison led by at least 10 the rest of the way.

Caldwell’s layup made it 46-36 two minutes into the second half before the Bison broke away with a 12-2 run. Bijiek started the surge with another triple, McCreesh added a 3-pointer, and back-to-back drives from Elvin Edmonds IV and Spadone made it 58-38.

Bucknell made it a runaway with a 17-0 run later in the half, and the Bison led by as many as 36 at 84-48 after two straight 3-pointers from Brady Muller.

Bucknell and Army entered the game tied for second place in the Patriot League. The Bison now have the No. 2 spot to themselves with two games remaining. First-place American is 12-4, followed by Bucknell at 11-5, Army at 10-6, and Colgate at 9-7.

The Bison finish up the regular season this week with road games at Loyola and Holy Cross, and then they have locked in a home game for the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal round on March 6. Ticket information will be announced this week.