Bucknell University
Buffalo
Bucknell Women's Basketball Drops 69-51 Decision to Buffalo
12/29/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Rachelle Mathys made 5 of 7 3-pointers and led four Buffalo players in double figures with 15 points as the Bulls defeated the Bucknell women's basketball team 69-51 Friday evening at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison, who saw their two-game winning streak snapped, were led by 18 points and seven rebounds from Lindsey Hollobaugh (Loganton, Pa./Central Mountain) as she moved into seventh place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,320 points.
Led by Matthys, who made three 3-pointers in the game's first five minutes, Buffalo (5-7) shot 10 of 21 from behind the arc. Bucknell (8-6) was just 6 of 24, with Hollobaugh accounting for three 3-pointers. Overall, Buffalo made 52.8 percent (28 of 53) of its shots, becoming the first opponent in 84 games to shoot at least 50 percent against the tight Bison defense that ranked seventh nationally in field goal percentage defense last year.
Outside of an early 2-0 lead, Bucknell trailed the whole game as Buffalo opened an early 23-11 lead by holding the Bison without a point for more than seven minutes.
A 10-6 run that featured a traditional three-point play by Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) and then a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions brought Bucknell to within eight points, but Buffalo ended the half on a 7-0 run and took a commanding 39-24 lead into halftime.
A 3-pointer from the left corner by Stephanie Bennett on the opening possession of the second half put Buffalo up 42-24 and Bucknell would draw no closer than 12 the rest of the way.
The Bison cut the score to 12 with just over 10 minutes to play, but Buffalo limited Bucknell to just two points over the next five minutes and extended its advantage to a game-high 19 points with a 9-2 spurt.
Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) joined Hollobaugh in double figures with 11 points. She added four rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) scored just four points, but dished out six assists, all in the second half.
The Bison struggled on the boards as Buffalo held a 41-26 edge in rebounding. Jamie Schiebner came off the bench and posted the fifth double-double of her career with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Bucknell's defense did hold Heather Turner, a low-post player who was averaging a team-high 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and totaled 25 points and 12 rebounds in last year's 74-63 Bison victory, to eight points and six rebounds.
The loss ended Bucknell's three-game winning streak against Buffalo and evened the all-time series at 3-3.
Jacquie Seawright (Olton, Texas/Olton) and Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) each scored 22 points in last season's win at Buffalo, but managed a total of just seven points on 3 of 10 shooting Friday night. Brown did record two steals, while Seawright hauled in three rebounds.
Bucknell will continue its four-game homestand that began against Buffalo Wednesday when it hosts Iona. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison are 5-2 against teams from New York this year and is 2-2 all-time against the Gaels after falling to them by a 75-58 score last November.
