LEWISBURG, Pa. - Patrick Doctor scored a game and career-high 31 points, and American University picked up a 78-67 Patriot League victory over Bucknell in Patriot League play this evening.

American improved 14-10 and 8-3 in league play while the Bison dropped to 10-14 and 6-5. The Bison could have tied the Eagles for first place, instead American maintains sole possession of the league lead.

Bryan Bailey paced Bucknell with a team-high 23 points to go with a game-high nine rebounds. Junior Boakai Lalugba added 20 points for the Bison. It was the second straight game both players reached 20 points.

Doctor scored 19 of his points in the first half, including 13 straight American points during one stretch, and was 9 for 9 at the free throw line in the opening stanza. The Eagles led 40-26 at halftime after outscoring Bucknell 21-9 to close the first half.

American shot a blistering 62.2 percent from the field for the game while connecting on 16 of 20 free throws.

The Eagles led by as many as 23 at 60-37 with 11:29 left following a layup by junior Steven Miles. With 6:52 left, Bucknell closed to within nine at 62-53 following a 16-2 run, capped by a Lalugba fasbreak dunk. However, Miles scored seven straight points in a 7-2 run over the next 2:28 to go ahead 69-55 and put American ahead. Bucknell was never able to get the lead back under single digits the rest of the way.

American put together a 17-4 run over a 7:20 span in the first half to boost their lead from 19-17 to 36-21. Doctor scored the first 11 points of the run and Nick Boyd drained two consecutive three-pointers to end the run.

Bucknell outrebounded American 27-26, with 15 of the Bison's rebounds coming on the offensive glass.

Miles ended the night with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

American returns home to face Lehigh on Saturday at 12 p.m.