Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Saint Joseph's
Bucknell Women's Basketball Edged by Saint Joseph's, 59-55
11/27/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Freshman Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points and shot 4 of 5 from 3-point range to lead four Bucknell players in double figures, but Hillary Klimowicz scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end, to record her first career double-double and lead Saint Joseph's to a tight 59-55 women's basketball victory over the Bison Sunday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion.
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Bucknell, which fell to 2-3. The Hawks won their third straight game to open the season 3-0 for the first time since 2001-02.
The game was close the entire way as neither team built a lead larger than six points. The Hawks, who led 9-3 at one point in the first half, opened up their largest lead of the second half to that point with a 9-2 run that was keyed by five points from Timisha Gomez. The spurt gave Saint Joseph's a 52-48 advantage with just over three minutes to play.
Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) brought the Bison back to within one point (52-51) with a 3-pointer with just under two minutes to play. It was the second 3-pointer of the game for Champion, who scored a career-high 14 points. The Hawks quickly answered with a basket by Ayahna Cornish, who tallied 14 points and nine rebounds in the contest. Champion then brought Bucknell back to within one point as she got fouled on a drive to the basket and converted both free throws to narrow the score to 54-53.
After a layup by Faith Schutte inside of 45 seconds, Bucknell took possession facing a three-point deficit. Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) attempted a baseline jumper that was blocked by Klimowicz and Cornish came up with the rebound. Whitney Ffrench converted two free throws to seal the game for Saint Joseph's.
After falling behind by that 9-3 score in the first half after not netting a field goal until a baseline jumper by Champion nearly five minutes into the contest, Bucknell battled back to tie the game at 20 with just under eight minutes to play in the half. Defense was the key as the Bison yielded just two points over the final 9:18 of the first half and took a 27-22 lead into halftime. Bucknell outscored Saint Joseph's 11-2 over the final nine minutes of the half.
Schober, who made a pair of 3-pointers from the top of the key in the first half, kept the Bison in the game early in the second half as she connected on two more in the first six minutes of play following halftime. She scored six of Bucknell's first eight points of the second half and her fourth 3-pointer of the game tied the score at 35.
Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) and Foster joined Schober and Champion in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Foster recorded her first career double-double with 12 rebounds to go along with her 10 points. However, the rest of the Bison combined for just 12 rebounds as Saint Joseph's outrebounded Bucknell 48-24. Twenty of the Hawks' rebounds were on the offensive end of the floor, while Bucknell totaled just seven.
Lindsey Hollobaugh (Loganton, Pa./Central Mountain), Bucknell's leading scorer entering the game at 16.3 points per game, was limited to just three points on 1 of 11 shooting. She did dish out a game-high five assists and pulled down three rebounds.
Bucknell shot 40.7 percent (22 of 54) with Brown and Schober combining to go 11 of 20. Klimowicz shot 8 of 15 to pace the Hawks, who shot 37.5 percent (21 of 56) as a team.
Behind Schober's outside shooting, Bucknell made 7 of 16 from behind the arc compared to 2 of 9 for Saint Joseph's, although the Hawks made 15 free throws to Bucknell's four.
The loss broke Bucknell's seven-game home winning streak against non-league opponents. Saint Joseph's was coming off a 54-52 upset of No. 23 North Carolina State last Sunday.
The Bison return to the road as they travel to Air Force for the Air Force Classic. They open with the host Falcons Friday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. eastern time. Bucknell will then face either High Point or Stephen F. Austin Saturday with the consolation game set for 4 p.m. eastern and the championship tilt slated for 6:30 p.m. eastern.
