Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
#1 Holy Cross (Patriot League Semifinal)
Fourth-seeded Bison Fall to Top-Seeded Holy Cross, 66-63, in Semifinal Round of Patriot League Tournament
3/9/2003 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 9, 2003
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Two incredible Bucknell women's basketball career's came to a close on Sunday, March 9, 2003. Bison co-captain's Molly Creamer and Kate Franks played their final collegiate game, as the fourth-seeded Orange and Blue dropped a heartbreaking 66-63 loss to top-seeded Holy Cross in the semifinal round the Patriot League Tournament.
The game was a rematch of last season's championship contest at Holy Cross, a game Bucknell prevailed in, 88-74, for the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
It was a nip and tuck game from the start with no team leading by more than six at any point. Bucknell jumped out to a 9-4 lead just under five minutes into the game behind five points from Franks. Holy Cross came charging back to knot the contest, 12-12, one of five ties in the half, with 13:07 to play. With the game tied at 20, the Crusaders put together an 8-2 run, capped by four straight points from Maggie Fontana, to go ahead 28-22 with three minutes until halftime.
Creamer scored six-straight points for the Bison, including a jumper at the buzzer, to bring the squad within two, 30-28, at halftime.
The first five minutes of the second half featured three ties and four lead changes before Fontana rattled off seven straight for Holy Cross to match the team's biggest lead of the game at 42-36 with 14:49 to go. The Orange and Blue again battled back to within one, led by four points from sophomore Amy Ketcham and a deep Franks three-pointer with 11:31 left in the game.
 Senior Kate Franks concluded her great Bucknell career with 16 points against Holy Cross.  |
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Exactly one minute later, Franks nailed her second-straight triple to tie the game for the ninth time at 48-48. With 5:44 to play, freshman Lindsey Geosits grabbed one of her career-high nine rebounds and scored on the put back to give Bucknell its first lead since early in the half. The Bison maintained the advantage for the next three minutes, pulling ahead by five, 63-58, on a Ketcham three-point play with 2:38 to go.
Bucknell failed to score the rest of the way, and Holy Cross took advantage, tallying the final eight points of the game to come away with the 66-63 win. Down three after two Liz O'Connor free throws with 16 seconds left, the Bison got the ball into Creamer's hands for a chance to tie the game. Creamer, who hit the game tying trifecta with 3.7 seconds left in the quarterfinal game against Navy, got a shot off with 10 seconds left that fell off the rim into the hands of junior Desire Almind. Almind kicked the ball out to Franks on the wing, and her attempt was wide before coming down into the hands of HC's Mary Rose Campbell for the Crusaders' win.
Almind led the team with her third-straight double-double at 17 points and 10 rebounds. Franks scored 16 in her final game, while Creamer added 15 points and eight assists. Ketcham chipped in with career-high's in points (9) and rebounds (10). Fontana led Holy Cross with 26 points and 13 rebounds, 10 of those offensive.
Bucknell ends the season at 13-15 overall. Holy Cross, 23-7, advances to the championship game for the sixth-straight year, hosting sixth-seeded Army on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m.
Creamer, a three-time Patriot League Player of the Year, leaves Bucknell with 2,467 career points, the most-ever by any player in school or conference history. Her career total leaves her 33rd on the NCAA scoring list, and her 27.1 points per game average this season is second in the country.
Franks will graduate with 1,244 career points. With four three-pointers against Holy Cross, she set a new single-season record for the Bison with 66 triples.
The duo tied the school record for victories as a class with 69, and graduate as the highest scoring classmate combination in school history.
