Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Hampton
Bucknell Women's Basketball Drops Hard-Fought 53-51 Decision at Hampton
11/17/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2007
HAMPTON, Va. - The Bucknell women's basketball team committed a pair of turnovers in the final 15 seconds and registered just two field goals in the final 12 minutes of play as it dropped a tight 53-51 decision to Hampton Saturday evening. The Bison were led by a season-high 16 points from Hope Foster, who also paced the team with seven rebounds.
Bucknell, which is off to its first 0-3 start since 2002-03, led the entire game until Hampton tied the game up at 48-all with just under seven minutes to play. The Bison recorded just three free throws the rest of the contest.
Hampton's first lead came with just under five minutes left when Mikki Clayton stole the ball from Joyce Novacek and went the length of the floor for a layup.
Bucknell trailed just 52-51 and took possession of the ball with less than 30 seconds to play. After a timeout to set up a backdoor lob play for Foster, Kesha Champion's pass was tipped and stolen by Whitney Hill. After a foul, Hill missed the front end of the one-and-one, giving the Bison another chance. However, Lauren Schober's sideline pass to Kristina Collymore glanced off Collymore's hands and out of bounds with 4.1 seconds on the clock. Hill then made 1 of 2 free throws to seal the game for Hampton, which improved to 3-0 and defeated Bucknell for the first time in four meetings.
After leading by as many as 13 points in the first half and shooting 14 of 31 (45.2 percent) in the first stanza, the Bison made just 8 of 27 field goals in the second half and they converted only two in the final 12 minutes. Hampton dictated much of the tempo after halftime, turning the game into a ragged up-and-down the court contest.
The two teams combined to turn the ball over 49 times, with every player but two who appeared in the game getting credited with a turnover.
In the first half, Bucknell used a 10-0 run midway through to open up a 21-8 lead as it held Hampton without a field goal for more than five minutes. Four different players netted field goals for the Bison during the run, which was capped by a 3-pointer from Amanda Brown, who scored all eight of her points before halftime.
Bucknell then went into an offensive drought of its own as it failed to score for nearly four minutes, but the Pirates could only cut the Bison lead to 21-12 during that stretch.
Three long jumpers from the left wing by Kesha Champion in the final five minutes of the first half helped Bucknell to a 31-26 halftime advantage.
For the third consecutive game, Bucknell was outrebounded as Hampton won the battle of the boards 46-33, including 23 offensive boards. The Bison have now allowed 56 offensive rebounds in the last two games.
Brown, Champion and Collymore each netted eight points for Bucknell, but that trio was just 3-for-10 in the second half and 11-for-29 overall.
Artavia Burns was the lone Pirate player to net double figures, tallying 12. Hill, Ashlee Finley and Sharella Leslie each scored eight, while Finley and Roneisha Corbitt tied for team-high honors in rebounds with 10 apiece.
Hampton shot just 34.5 percent from the floor, the ninth consecutive regular-season Bison opponent that has failed to shoot 40 percent. The Pirates converted 13 of 22 free throws, but were 11-for-14 after opening the game 2-for-8. Bucknell was 4-for-6.
The Bison return home on Monday, Nov. 19, to host Howard at 7 p.m. It is the lone game this season for Bucknell on one day rest.
