Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bison Women's Cagers End Regular-Season with 73-72 Overtime Win at Lehigh
2/24/2002 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2002
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Junior Molly Creamer (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham) made only three of her 12 attempts from three-point territory, but none was bigger than the one she hit with 3.2 seconds left in regulation. Creamer's shot tied the contest at 62-62 and propelled Bucknell to a 73-72 overtime win at Lehigh to end the regular-season.
Both teams struggled offensively to start the game with Lehigh holding a 2-0 lead nearly four minutes into the contest. Bucknell missed its first five field goal attempts and finally got on the board when Creamer hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line with 16:14 left in the half. The Bison trailed 9-5 at the 13:29 mark, before a jumper by sophomore Desire Almind (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren Regional), and four points each from Creamer and senior Kate Rounsley (Lock Haven, Pa./Lock Haven), comprised a 10-0 run to put the Bison on top, 15-9, with 10:57 to go.
Rounsley broke a two minute scoring drought by both teams to give Bucknell a 17-14 lead, and the two teams exchanged buckets over the next two minutes before the Mountain Hawks took the lead, 25-23, with 2:23 remaining in the frame. Lehigh led by as many as four in the final minute before a three-pointer by Creamer with 23 ticks left made the halftime score 29-28.
The Orange and Blue jumped out to a five-point lead early in the second half, 37-32, before Lehigh came charging back to tie the contest, 38-38, with 15:14 left in regulation. The score stood at 41-41 when the host team rattled off six straight to go ahead, 47-41, with 12:22 to go. The Mountain Hawks maintained the lead for the next 12:19 before the Creamer three sent the game into the extra session.
Lehigh made its first four shots of the overtime period and held onto a 71-67 lead with 1:34 to go. Two free throws by senior Monique LeBlanc (Cumberland, R.I./Bishop Feehan) got Bucknell within two, but the Mountain Hawks made 1-of-2 at the other end to take the three-point advantage, 72-69, with 56 seconds left. Creamer hit two free throws with 33 ticks on the clock to make it 71-70, Lehigh, before a crucial turnover by the home team gave Bucknell possession with 20 seconds left. After a timeout to set up the play, Creamer drove to the basket and had her shot come off the rim into the hands of a waiting Almind, who put the shot back up for the game-winner with 6.4 seconds remaining. Lehigh missed its last second attempt to give the Bison the 73-72 overtime win.
With the victory, Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka became the Bucknell women's basketball program's all-time wins leader with 78.
In addition to leading all players with 28 points, Creamer grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds for her first points-rebounds double-double of the season. The 5-10 guard has four points-assists double-doubles on the year. Joining her in double-figures scoring was junior Kate Franks (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) with a season-high 19 points, and Almind and Rounsley with 10 each.
Bucknell improves to 18-9 overall and finishes the Patriot League ledger with an 11-3 mark. Lehigh falls to 12-15 and 8-6 in the conference. The Bison, the second-seed in the league tournament for the fourth-straight y ear, will face #7 seed Navy at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1.
Bucknell (73)
LeBlanc 0-3 2-3 2, Quimby 0-7 4-7 4, Almind 5-10 0-0 10, Creamer 9-28 7-8 28, Franks 6-14 3-3 19, May 0-0 0-0 0, Hatalsky 0-1 0-0 0, Valdner 0-0 0-0 0, Rounsley 1-3 8-8 10. Totals 21-66 24-29 73.
Lehigh (72)
Ransom 4-7 3-4 11, Tierney 2-11 3-3 7, Nicholson 4-9 0-0 11, Toliver 7-14 3-4 20, Ford 2-8 0-0 5, Johnson 3-7 5-7 11, Berk 0-0 0-0 0, DePalo 3-5 1-2 7, St. Laurent 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-61 15-20 72.
Halftime: Lehigh 29, Bucknell 28. 3-Point Shots: Bucknell 7-21 (Franks 4-8, Creamer 3-12, Almind 0-1), Lehigh 7-16 (Nicholson 3-6, Toliver 3-6, Ford 1-1, Tierney 0-3). Rebounds: Bucknell 50 (Creamer 13), Lehigh 37 (Tierney 9). Assists: Bucknell 6 (Quimby 2), Lehigh 11 (Johnson, Tierney 4) Steals: Bucknell 8, Lehigh 7. Fouls: Bucknell 19, Lehigh 17. Fouled Out: Rounsley. Technical Fouls: none. Attendance: 1123. Team Records: Bucknell 18-9, 11-3 PL, Lehigh 12-15, 8-6 PL.
