Bucknell University
Michigan State
Bucknell Women's Basketball Plays No. 17 Michigan State Tough, Falls 68-51
11/17/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Behind four 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes, the Bucknell women's basketball team hung tough against No. 17 Michigan State, but fell to the Spartans by a 68-51 score Friday evening at the Breslin Center. Lindsey Hollobaugh (Loganton, Pa./Central Mountain) led the Bison with 14 points, while Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) broke her own school record with 11 blocked shots.
Playing its first game against a ranked opponent since 2002, Bucknell (2-2) made a game of it early as it connected on four 3-pointers in the fast-paced opening minutes of the contest that featured the two teams combining to make 10 of their first 17 field goals. A 3-pointer from the right corner by Jacquie Seawright (Olton, Texas/Olton) midway through the first half gave the Bison an 18-17 lead, their third of the game.
Following that go-ahead basket by Seawright Bucknell netted just a pair of field goals the rest of the half, until Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) converted a fast-break layup as the buzzer sounded, ending the first half with the score knotted at 35-25. During that span Michigan State extended its lead to as many as 12 (35-23) as it began using a full court pressure that stymied the Bison offense and helped force nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes of play.
Hollobaugh and Foster both scored on short jumpers in the opening 90 seconds of the second half to narrow the score to 37-29. Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) corralled a long rebound and started a fast break, but a bad pass by Hollobaugh was the first of two consecutive turnovers as the Spartans began a 10-0 run to open an 18-point cushion, their largest of the game to that point.
Bucknell was able to whittle away at the deficit and narrowed the score to 60-49 after a pair of free throws from Champion with just over a minute to play. The Bison then started fouling in an attempt to narrow the score, but Courtney Davidson and Mandy Piechowski converted 8 of 8 from the free throw line in the final minute to seal the double-digit victory. The Spartans, who made just 6 of 15 from the free throw line before crunch time, got hot at the right time as they finished 21 of 30. Bucknell managed just 10 free throw attempts and converted seven.
Foster, who entered the game averaging a Patriot League-best 20.0 points per game, managed just six points as she was matched up with 6-9 freshman Allyssa DeHaan, who tallied a game-high 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks in her first college game. However, Foster did record her third double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with her 11 blocks. It is the second time this season she has set the school blocks record after rejecting eight shots last Friday against Hampton. The 6-2 Foster now has 28 blocks this season and is averaging 7.0 per game.
Hollobaugh, who played all 40 minutes, connected on a pair of 3-pointers early in the first half as she helped set the tempo for the Bison. She ended up with 14 points, including eight in the first half. Champion joined her in double figures with 10 points and a career high-tying eight rebounds.
In addition to the foul shot discrepancy, turnovers were another key to the game as Bucknell turned the ball over 20 times compared to just 10 for Michigan State (1-0).
The Bison held their fourth consecutive opponent under 40 percent shooting as the Spartans made just 22 of 68 field goals, including 3 of 16 from 3-point range. Bucknell was 6 of 26 from behind the arc after going 3 of 5 in the opening minutes and fell one attempt shy of the school record set in 1994.
Rene Haynes joined DeHaan in double figures for Michigan State with 12 points, seven rebounds and six steals.
The Bison, who completed a difficult three-game road trip Friday, return home to Sojka Pavilion Monday at 7 p.m. against Cornell. Bucknell defeated Cornell 62-57 last year and is 12-3 all-time against the Big Red.
