Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
St. Bonaventure
Bucknell Women's Basketball Drops Season Opener to St. Bonaventure, 61-55
11/9/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2007
OLEAN, N.Y. - Forced to overcome sluggish starts in both halves, the Bucknell women's basketball team dropped it season opener to St. Bonaventure 61-55 Friday evening at the Reilly Center. Amanda Brown led the Bison with 13 points, while Lauren Schober added 10 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth career double-double. Dana Mitchell led three Bonnies in double figures with 17 points.
Bucknell (0-1) fell behind 9-0 in the opening minutes of the first half, and were outscored 11-1 early in the second half. The Bison were 0-for-4 with three turnovers to start the game before a short jumper by Kristina Collymore finally put them on the board.
The Bonnies extended their first-half lead out to 24-10 before the Bison got going as they reeled of 12 consecutive points to draw to within 24-22. Brown hit a pair of long jumpers and two free throws during the run.
St. Bonaventure (1-0) answered with a 6-0 spurt of its own, but a pair of Schober 3-pointers in the final 2:30 of the stanza helped the Bison keep it close as they trailed just 33-29 at halftime after facing a 15-point deficit eight minutes into the half.
The Bison then struggled at the outset of the second half as they went 4:27 without a field goal as St. Bonaventure opened up a 44-30 advantage before Collymore hit a short jumper to spark a 14-6 Bucknell run.
Brown again keyed a run for the Bison as she hit a 3-pointer and a long jumper on back-to-back possessions to eight. Schober later hit her third 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 54-49 with just over five minutes to play.
Bucknell drew to within four on two occasions in the closing minutes, but each time St. Bonaventure converted a layup just seconds into its next possession.
Andrea Wright came off the bench to tally eight points for the Bison, coming up just one shy of her career high. Bucknell's four bench players - Wright, Taylor Phillips, Le'Le' LeSeur and Joyce Novacek - contributed 22 points in 68 minutes of action.
Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Hope Foster registered six points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Bison.
St. Bonaventure held a heavy 16-9 scoring advantage at the free throw line, and outrebounded the Bison 39-33 in the contest.
Armelia Horton, who registered 15 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench, and Andrea Dorneth, who tallied 13 points, rounded out the trio of Bonnies in double figures.
Bucknell, which lost its first road game of the season for the sixth consecutive year, will open its home schedule Tuesday, Nov. 13, when it hosts 2007 NCAA Tournament team James Madison.
