Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
#15 Duke
Bucknell Women's Basketball Falls to No. 15 Duke, 92-49
12/21/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2007
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DURHAM, N.C. - No. 15 Duke placed all five starters in double figures and forced 32 Bucknell turnovers as the Bison fell to the Blue Devils by a 92-49 score Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Bucknell was led by a career-high 21 points from Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River), while Taylor Phillips (South Parkersburg, W. Va./Parkersburg South) added 11 off the bench.
Duke was led by 19 points apiece from Joy Cheek and Chante Black, while Abby Waner added 16, including three long 3-pointers.
Bucknell utilized a lineup that featured at least two freshmen for much of the night as Phillips, Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham played a combined 45 minutes. They combined for 15 points and eight rebounds.
Behind an array of jumpers from Champion, who scored the first six points for the Bison, and Amanda Brown, Bucknell kept the score relatively close in the early stages of the first half. The Bison trailed 17-11 6:30 into the contest, and were within 10 points at 27-17 midway through the stanza. However, Duke ran off 14 consecutive points over a five-minute span to open up a 41-17 advantage, its largest of the half.
The Bison answered that run with a 12-4 spurt of their own, keyed by seven points from Phillips, who connected on a 3-pointer and a long jumper on back-to-back possessions, and Higham. Champion also swished home a 3-pointer during the run to give her a team-high 11 first-half points.
The Blue Devils ended up outscoring the Bison 8-2 over the final four minutes of the first half to take a 53-31 lead into the locker room.
Bucknell shot well in the first half, making 13 of 26 field goals, however, it turned the ball over 19 times. Duke was 22 of 49 from the field in the opening stanza and turned the ball over just six times.
The Bison were strong in the opening minutes of the second half as well as Duke held just a 15-10 scoring advantage early in the half. However, the Bison managed just one field goal in the final 10 minutes as the Blue Devils extended their lead to the final 43-point margin.
For the game, Bucknell shot a solid 38.5 percent (20 of 52), but just 26.9 percent after halftime, while Duke finished at 44.0 percent (40 of 91). The Blue Devils outrebounded the Bison 57-32 as Cheek, Black and Carrem Gay each pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Phillips and Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) led Bucknell with five rebounds apiece.
In addition to her career-high 21 points, Champion grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists while playing all but the final 90 seconds against the Duke pressure defense. She also equaled her career high with three made 3-pointers.
The 43-point loss for Bucknell was its worst since losing 97-39 margin to Iowa on Jan. 2, 1992.
The Bison will be idle until next Friday, Dec. 28, when they travel to Illinois-Chicago. Tip off for the contest is slated for 8 p.m. Eastern.
