Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate *
Two Late Free Throws by Champion Lift Bucknell Over Colgate, 67-65
1/12/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Freshman Kesha Champion scored 12 points, including a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining in the game, as Bucknell held off Colgate 67-65 Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion in its first Patriot League home game of the season. The Bison won their ninth straight home game, and fifth this season, to improve to 6-8 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League. It equals their best home start since the 2000-01 campaign.
Lindsey Hollobaugh scored nine of her season-high 26 points during an 11-5 Bucknell run that opened the second half as the Bison jumped to a game-high 11-point lead at 48-37. Hollobaugh has netted at least 20 points in eight straight games versus Patriot League opponents, including twice this year.
The Raiders (4-11, 0-2 Patriot League) climbed back into the game as they cut the lead to 53-48 with just under 10 minutes to play. Hollobaugh answered that run with a pair of three-pointers to increase the Bucknell lead to 59-49. The Colgate defense then clamped down and held the Bison without a field goal for the next five-and-a-half minutes as the Raiders took a 63-61 lead with 3:06 on the clock. It was just their second lead of the game, and their first since the first three minutes of the contest.
Rachel Hanley, who was the third Bison in double figures with 12 points, made a foul-line jumper to knot the score at 63-63 with 2:16 remaining. Colgate's Emily Braseth answered with a jumper of her own, but that was the last points the Raiders would score as Braseth missed a pair of shots in the final 1:12. The senior tallied a team-high 25 points, including 18 in the second half.
Hollobaugh again tied the score (65-65) for Bucknell with 1:28 to play when she connected on her eighth field goal of the game.
With no timeouts remaining, Bucknell took possession of the ball following a Braseth miss with 27 seconds to play. Hope Foster, who grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, came down with the carom in traffic. The Bison attempted to get the ball to Hollobaugh, but the Colgate defense forced her to give the ball up to Champion. Champion drove just inside the foul line and elevated for the potential game-winning shot, but was bumped by Chigozie Ozor. Champion then made both free throws to seal the victory. Just a 57.6 percent free throw shooter, Champion made 4 of 5 in the game.
The first half featured up-tempo play as Bucknell jumped out to a 37-32 lead behind a season-high nine points from Lindsey Geosits. The Bison forced 10 first-half turnovers as Geosits recorded four of her career-high seven steals before intermission.
Despite Foster's 10 rebounds and Hollobaugh adding seven, Colgate won the rebounding battle, 42-41, as Braseth led the way for the Raiders with seven.
For the third straight game Bucknell shot well from three-point range, making 6 of 12, while Colgate shot just 3 of 10. Hollobaugh, who made 4 of 6 from behind the arc, set a new career-high for three-pointers made and moved to within two of seventh place on Bucknell's career list.
Bucknell also outshot the Raiders from the field, connecting on 23 of 58 (39.7 percent), while Colgate made 25 of 67 (37.3 percent).
The Bison return to action Saturday, Jan. 15, at Army. Tip-off for the contest at West Point, N.Y., is set for 1 p.m.
