BALTIMORE – Andrew Kostecka scored nine of his game-high 29 points during a 15-2 Loyola University Maryland run midway through the second half that saw the Greyhounds cut a 15-point Bucknell University lead to two, but the Bison came back with seven-straight points and pulled away for an 84-72 victory Wednesday night.
 
Bucknell (15-8 overall, 9-2 Patriot League) went up by 15 three times early in the second half, the last time coming on an Avi Toomer layup at 10:43 that made it 58-43 Bison, but Isaiah Hart pulled up for a jumper at 10:29 that started the Greyhounds run.
 
Two Kostecka free throws, and a Casmir Ochiaka layup off a Kostecka assist brought the game back within single digits, 58-49, less than a minute after Toomer's basket.
 
Kostecka then had a layup on the Greyhounds' next possession, and he knocked down a 3-pointer at 8:28 after Loyola forced a Bucknell shot-clock violation.
 
Toomer had two free throws at 7:48 to briefly stem the run, but after a missed Bucknell 3-pointer, KaVaughn Scott came away with the rebound and threw an outlet pass to Isaiah Hart running up the left sideline. Hart then threw an alley-oop pass that Kostecka caught and dunked to make it a four-point game with 7:15 on the clock.
 
On the defensive end, Hart had a steal for the Greyhounds, and in transition Kostecka sent a behind-the-back bounce pass to Hart for a fast-break layup, and Bucknell's lead was down to 60-58 with 6:55 on the clock.
 
Kimball Mackenzie, however, hit one of his six 3-pointers on the Bison's next possession, the first three of seven-straight Bucknell points.
 
After Nate Sestina made it a 67-58 game, Loyola would not draw closer than five for the remainder of the game.
 
Mackenzie finished with 24 points, and Sestina had 22 for the Bison.
 
Kostecka made 10 of 18 shots from the field and had a game-best 29 points, two off his career-high. He fouled out with under two minutes to play and closed the game with 998 career points. Kostecka also had team-highs of five steals and five assists.
 
Hart scored 17 to aid the Greyhounds' cause, and Jaylin Andrews tallied 11 to go with a career-high eight rebounds.
 
Loyola is back in action on Saturday, February 9, when it travels to Colgate University for a 2 p.m. Patriot League game in Hamilton, New York.