Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette *
Bucknell Women's Basketball Outlasts Lafayette for 87-73 Win
1/26/2003 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Kate Franks scored seven of her team-high 26 points during a crucial stretch in the second half, helping the squad to an 87-73 victory over Lafayette in Patriot League basketball action on Sunday, January 26. The win was the third-straight for the Bison, improving to 3-2 in conference action.
Bucknell led by as many as five in the opening frame before a 7-2 Leopards run tied the contest at 15-15 with 11:59 to go. With the score knotted at 20 a piece just over two minutes later, Lafayette mounted a 12-4 spurt, capped by an Ashley MacLelland three-pointer, to take a 32-24 lead with just under six minutes left in the half. Colleen Fitzpatrick scored five of her game-high 29 points during the stretch.
The Bison slowly chipped away at the deficit, getting within two on a jumper by senior Molly Creamer with 25 seconds until the intermission. With one second remaining until the break, Elecia Kruise fouled freshman Chelsea Smith on a battle for a rebound. Smith went to the line and calmly sunk both attempts to send the teams into the locker room in a 42-42 deadlock.
It remained a back-and-forth battle for the first two minutes of the final stanza, before a layup by Desire Almind jump started the Bison offense to a 22-9 run, spanning nearly 10 minutes, and giving the Orange and Blue a commanding 70-56 lead. Bucknell got points from six different players during the stretch, including seven from Franks and six each from Almind and Creamer.
The Leopards would only get within eight the rest of the way as Bucknell cruised to the 14-point victory.
Bucknell shot .564 (31-55) from the field for the game, due to an impressive .607 (17-28) percentage in the second half. The trio of Almind, Creamer and Franks combined to shoot 25-of-42 (.595) from the field and score 70 of BU's 87 points. Franks led the squad with 26 points, while Almind and Creamer chipped in with 22 each. Creamer recorded her third double-double of the year with a season-best 13 assists.
Fitzpatrick's 29 markers led all scorers. In addition to pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds, Fitzpatrick was 9-of-11 from the field and 11-for-12 from the foul line. MacLelland added 14 points for Lafayette, while Kristin Doherty chipped in 11.
Bucknell improves to 8-9 overall and 3-2 in Patriot League play. The Bison hit the road for a game at Colgate on Friday, January 31, at 5:30 p.m., before traveling to Holy Cross to face the Crusaders on Sunday, February 2, at 1:00 p.m. Lafayette falls to 2-15 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
