Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Strong Effort Falls Short as Bucknell Women's Basketball Drops 64-55 Decision to Penn State
12/15/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2007
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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) tallied her 1,000th career point late in the second half, and Bucknell had three players register double figures, but a pair of lengthy scoreless droughts hurt the Bison as they lost to Penn State 64-55 in women's basketball action Saturday night at Sojka Pavilion. Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) led Bucknell with 15 points, while Tyra Grant paced the Lady Lions with 20.
The Bison played Penn State (9-3), which defeated then-No. 10 Duke earlier this month, tough throughout. In fact, they led 21-18 after a layup by Foster midway through the first half. However, the Lady Lions held Bucknell (3-6) scoreless for the next three-plus minutes as they reeled off 10 straight points to take a 28-21 lead. Bucknell had led or been tied for all but 14 seconds to that point.
The Bison narrowed the score back down to five points following a wild layup by Kristina Collymore (Montclair, N.J./Montclair), but Penn State still took a 36-28 lead into halftime.
Keyed by a three-point play from Foster, who finished the game with 11 points to give her exactly 1,000 in her career, and five points from Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican), including a 3-pointer from the left wing, Bucknell cut the Lady Lions' lead to just 38-36. However, the Bison offense struggled and failed to score over the next seven minutes as Penn State scored 14 consecutive points to open a 52-36 advantage, the largest of the game. Bucknell was 0-for-10 from the floor with a pair of turnovers during that stretch.
Penn State kept its lead at least 11 points the rest of the way until Brown hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to narrow the final gap to just nine points, the closest margin in the history of the four-game series.
Joining Brown and Foster in double figures for Bucknell was Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River), who tallied 10 points and played all 40 minutes.
Despite being smaller physically than Penn State, the Bison held their own on the glass. They were outrebounded 44-35, but all five Bucknell starters pulled down at least five rebounds. Foster and Schober led the way with six apiece, while Brown, Collymore and Champion each had five.
Both teams struggled from the free throw line in the contest. The Bison were a season-low 8 of 15 (53.3 percent), while the Lady Lions also shot a season-low 4 of 10 (40.0 percent).
Mashea Williams (17 points) and Brianne O'Rourke (12) joined Grant in double figures for Penn State. Williams also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Like Bucknell, which had just three points from its bench, Penn State's starters scored the majority of its points. In fact, Evelyn Lewis was the only Lady Lion bench player to score. However, she did record a career-high 10 rebounds.
Despite a much-hyped snow storm that was expected to hit Central Pennsylvania, the game was played in front of 1,682 fans, the most to watch a women's game at Sojka Pavilion since 2003.
Bucknell, which was idle for 11 days before Saturday's game with Penn State, will have just a couple of days before its next game, which is Tuesday, Dec. 18, against Saint Francis (Pa.). Tip off for the contest is slated for 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell is 10-5 all-time against the Red Flash, but lost the last meeting 81-61 three years ago in Loretto, Pa.
