Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Binghamton
Bison Suffer Heartbreaking 58-57 Loss After Comeback Effort That Falls Short
12/8/2001 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 8, 2001
VESTAL, N.Y -- With the score 58-57 in Binghamton's favor with two seconds remaining, junior Kate Franks (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) got a good look at the basket and had her game-winning shot bounce off the back iron and fall into the hands of a Bearcat player as time expired and the Bucknell women's basketball team suffered their fourth-straight loss of the season.
For the first time this year, Bucknell entered halftime trailing, 31-23. Binghamton opened up a 17-6 lead just under seven minutes into the first half, thanks in part to five Bucknell turnovers. The Orange and Blue came out of the first media timeout and scored seven unanswered to get it back to 17-13 before a three-pointer by Binghamton ended the Bearcats drought. Bucknell cut the lead to one, 19-18, before an 8-1 run pushed the Binghamton advantage back to eight, 27-19, with 3:30 remaining in the half. A jumper by Leah Truncale with eight seconds left in the frame gave the Bearcats the eight-point halftime edge.
Binghamton increased its advantage to 12 on several occasions early in the second. The Bison cut it down to eight again nearly five minutes into the frame, but with 11 to go, the host team held a 47-35 lead. The score stood at 53-53 with 3:30 left after an 18-6 run by the Orange and Blue that featured a balanced scoring attack. With 1:30 left, Franks hit a three-pointer to give the Bison their first lead of the contest at 56-54. Two free throws at the other end knotted the score, 56-56, with 48 seconds remaining.
Junior Molly Creamer then hit one of two from the line with 32 ticks left on the clock to put Bucknell ahead 57-56. After a Binghamton timeout, the Bearcats worked the clock down to 12 and hit a jumper to go up, 58-57. Bucknell brought the ball down the court and designed a play during a timeout. The Orange and Blue inbounded the ball with two seconds remaining and Franks took a shot that looked good but bounced off the back iron and out for a 58-57 Binghamton win.
Senior Kate Rounsley (Lock Haven, Pa./Lock Haven) led the Bison with 14 points, while Creamer, senior Vicki Quimby (West Lawn, Pa./Wilson) and freshman Desire Almind (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren Regional) each scored 10. Creamer added game-highs with six assists and three steals, while she and Quimby shared the team-lead with seven rebounds. Truncale led all players with17 points and 13 rebounds, and Sarah Cartmill joined her in double-figures with 16 points.
Bucknell, which shot 60.9% in the second half to stay in the game, falls to 3-4 overall and suffers it first four-game skid since the 1999-2000 season. Binghamton improves to 7-2 overall.
The Bison travel to Canisius on Tuesday, December 11, for a 5:15 p.m. game against the Golden Griffins.
