Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette*
Bucknell Holds Off Lafayette in Women's Basketball, 62-48, for Fifth Straight Win
2/1/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds and Bucknell used a 22-5 run midway through the second half to defeat Lafayette, 62-48, Wednesday evening in women's basketball action at Sojka Pavilion. The win was the fifth straight for the Bison, who remain in a first-place tie in the Patriot League standings with Holy Cross at 6-1.
Bucknell (13-7) struggled early as it opened the game just 1-for-9 from the field as Lafayette (6-14) built a 12-2 lead seven minutes into the contest. Four straight points by Foster kicked off a Bison run that evened the score at 14-14 following a jumper from the left baseline by Corrine Keller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena).
Bucknell's defense, which entered the game ranked 12th in the country in field goal percentage defense at 34.9 percent, held Lafayette to just one field goal in a span of nearly nine minutes to help draw even. The Leopards made just 29.6 percent of their field goals in the first half and 33.3 percent in the game.
A jumper by Jacquie Seawright (Olton, Texas/Olton), who joined Foster in double figures with 11 points off the bench, as time wound down at the end of the first half gave the Bison their first lead (21-20).
It appeared Bucknell, which had won three straight games by at least 15 points for the first time in program history, was going to break the game open early in the second half. Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) helped ignite a 7-0 run with a pair of steals, a fast break layup and a jumper on a fast break to give the Bison a 28-23 advantage, its largest of the game to that point. However, Lafayette answered with a 7-0 run of its own in less than a minute to take a two-point lead.
Over the next 10 minutes Bucknell's defense really clamped down, forcing Lafayette into a 2-for-14 cold spell from the floor as the Bison went on a 22-5 run to take a 50-35 lead, their largest of the game, with just under six minutes to play. Foster and Seawright each scored six points during the spurt.
The Leopards, who were led by Vanessa Van De Venter's third double-double of the season (19 pts-10 rebs), could not close the gap to within 10 points the rest of the way as they fell for the third straight game.
Lindsey Hollobaugh (Loganton, Pa./Central Mountain) chipped in nine points for Bucknell despite not netting her first points until 11 minutes remained in the game. Champion added eight to go along with six rebounds and a game-high three steals. She also dished out five assists and made 4 of 5 field goals.
After making just 8 of 27 (29.6 percent) from the field in the first half, Bucknell converted 17 of 28 (60.7 percent) in the second half. Foster (8-11), Champion (4-5) and Seawright (4-6) combined to go 16-for-22 from the field in the game.
Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) tied Foster for team-high honors with nine rebounds as Bucknell held a 37-36 advantage on the boards over the much-smaller Leopards.
The Bison have now won five games in a row for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign. The also equaled their second-best Patriot League start with the victory and improved to 11-2 this season when leading at halftime.
Bucknell, which completed its first perfect four-game homestand since 1987, takes to the road Saturday when it faces Colgate at 4 p.m. in Hamilton, N.Y. The Bison have won a program record six straight road games and defeated the Raiders 73-58 in the earlier meeting between the two teams this season.
