Bucknell University
Delaware State
Bucknell Women's Basketball Holds off Delaware State, 53-42, Behind Strong First Half
12/5/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2006
DOVER, Del. - Strong first halves by Kristina Collymore (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) and Ashton Sprouse (Dayton, Ohio/Archbishop Alter), who were inserted into the starting lineup helped propel the Bucknell women's basketball team to a 53-42 victory over Delaware State Tuesday night at Memorial Hall. Collymore scored a season high-tying four points and equaled her career high with six rebounds, while Sprouse provided solid play and grabbed two rebounds in eight first-half minutes.
The Bison used a 7-0 game-opening run and a 13-0 spurt later in the first half to hold a commanding 31-18 advantage at halftime. The 18 points were the fewest Bucknell had allowed in a half since holding Lehigh to 16 in the first half of the Patriot League quarterfinals last March.
Lindsey Hollobaugh (Loganton, Pa./Central Mountain) netted the first five points and Collymore scored on a driving layup to put the Bison up 7-0 as their stifling defense held the Hornets without a field goal for the first three-and-one-half minutes. However, once Raquel Collier, who led Delaware State with a game-high 18 points, knocked down a foul line jumper, the Hornets got on a roll, totaling 11 consecutive points and holding Bucknell without a field goal for more than seven minutes. The Bison were 0-for-6 from the field and committed seven turnovers during that span.
Then it was Bucknell's turn to go on a long run as it held the Hornets without a field goal for more than seven minutes as it went on the 13-0 spurt with five different players netting field goals during the span, including Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar), who converted a pair of turnaround jumpers in the post for four of her team-high 12 points in the game.
Jacquie Seawright (Olton, Texas/Olton), who scored 10 points off the bench, connected on a 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down to conclude the 13-0 run and put Bucknell up 20-11 with six minutes remaining. She continued her hot shooting as she tallied all eight of her first-half points in the final six minutes of the half to help the Bison to their 13-point halftime advantage, their largest of the game to that point.
The second half featured much less scoring with Bucknell going back to a more traditional lineup of Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River), Hollobaugh, Seawright, Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) and Foster with Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) sprinkled in as well.
Bucknell extended its advantage to a game-high 17 points at 40-23 just over five minutes into the second half, but then stopped scoring as it converted just two field goals over the final 14:30 of play. Delaware State chipped away at the lead and closed to within six on a pair of occasions, but drew no closer.
The Bison totaled just eight points in a 14-minute span until Brown paraded to the line six times in the final minute and converted five of her free throws.
The second half featured just 16 field goal attempts for the Bison compared to 34 for Delaware State. Luckily the tough Bucknell defense held the Hornets to just 26.5 percent shooting in the second half, and 27.0 percent for the game. Delaware State ended the game with 63 field goal attempts compared to just 43 for Bucknell.
The Bison excelled on the boards as they pulled down 44 to equal their season high. Foster grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, including a few key ones down the stretch. Seawright and Schober hauled in six apiece to equal Collymore for second on the team.
Raquel Collier led Delaware State (2-3) with a game-high 18 points.
Bucknell has an 11-day layoff before traveling to Coppin State on Dec. 16 for a 2 p.m. game.
