ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. -- Given enough chances, St. Bonaventure was going to take Bucknell up on the offer to end a three-game losing streak.
Down by eight with 6:30 left, the Bonnies rallied with some free throws and a three-point play by leading scorer Michael Lee to take a 65-62 victory Saturday at the Reilly Center's Bob Lanier Court.
Now the Bison have lost four of five entering Patriot League play.
"We're very disappointed. I thought we had the game in hand," Bucknell coach Pat Flannery said. "I don't think we had the experience to finish it off. (The Bonnies) seemed to have the ball in their hands a lot the last three minutes.
"But the only way to get better in these tough situations is to be in these tough situations."
Justin Castleberry, who had a career-high 22 points, gave the Bison (5-9) a 60-59 lead with a fast-break pull-up at the 1:51 mark, and Griffin followed with two free throws 28 seconds later.
However, Bucknell couldn't get a rebound after St. Bonaventure (6-8) missed free throws and missed two freebies of its own in the final minute.
After two missed Bonnies free throws, freshman Hillary Haley tracked down the rebound and was fouled. He made only one free throw, but teammate Tyler Relph, the smallest player on the court, got the rebound and was fouled. He made one to get the Bonnies within 62-61 with 34 seconds left.
"There's no way we can give up two offensive rebounds like that off missed free throws," Castleberry said.
Bison sophomore Patrick Behan grabbed the rebound of the Relph miss and was fouled, but hit the front of the rim on both of his free throws.
St. Bonaventure then ran a two-man play with Zarryon Fereti penetrating and dishing to Lee. Lee converted the three-point play with 19 seconds showing for a 64-62 Bonnies cushion.
The Bison quickly pushed the ball up the court and got Griffin a good look at a three from the left corner, but it hit the front iron. Lee rebounded and made one free throw for a three-point lead.
"That was the complete opposite of the play we called, but we couldn't have gotten a better look than what we got," Castleberry said.
Griffin's contested trey with two seconds showing was off the mark.
"We've had a taste of winning," Flannery said. "Now, with these new guys, we've got to get that taste back when there's blood in the water."
Tied at 45, Bucknell scored 10 of the game's next 12 points to take control. Castleberry hit a three-pointer to start it and Josh Linthicum's three-point play, off a Castleberry assist, gave the Bison a 55-47 advantage.
After the Bonnies scored nine in a row to take the lead, Behan's three-point play restored the Bison edge, 58-56 with 3:17 showing.
Lee had 24 and Fereti 21 to lead St. Bonaventure.
"(Lee) is a matchup nightmare," Flannery said of the athletic 6-foot-9 lefty. "He and (Fereti) played 40 and 36 minutes. They're men. I don't think they wore down at all."
Tyree added 10 before fouling out with 19 seconds left for Bucknell. Griffin had six turnovers, missed all seven shots he took and scored four points. Darren Mastropaolo had two points and four rebounds in his second game back from a knee injury.
Notes: St. Bonaventure owned a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint, 17-3 on second-chance points and 17-8 in points off turnovers. ... Seven of Bucknell's first eight first-half baskets were three-pointers, including four by Castleberry. The Bison started 7-of-12 from three-point range, but made just three of their last 12 attempts. ... St. Bonaventure led for almost all of the first half until Tyree's fast-break dunk and two free throws with 3:02 showing.... St. Bonaventure's Fereti, the Atlantic 10's leading free throw shooter, missed two free throws, giving him five in 57 attempts this season. His second-half miss was his first after 30 makes in a row. ... St. Bonaventure is 5-0 against Patriot League opponents at the Reilly Center. ... Lee has scored at least 20 points in all five Bonnies home games, including a career-high 26 in the home opener against Binghamton. ... Bucknell begins league play Friday night against visiting Navy.
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