Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Loyola (Md.)
Late Jumper by Collymore Helps Bucknell Women's Basketball to 59-56 Victory Over Loyola (Md.)
12/31/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Kristina Collmore (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) connected on a jumper from the left wing with 30 seconds remaining to give the Bucknell women's basketball team a 58-56 lead and the Bison held on for a 59-56 victory over visiting Loyola (Md.) Monday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Bucknell, which improved to 5-8 on the season. The Greyhounds, who have now lost two in a row following a five-game winning streak, fell to 7-5.
After a tight first half that featured four ties and four lead changes, Bucknell led throughout the second half until Loyola tied the game at 56 on a three-point play by Tynisha Davis with 59 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession Collymore hit what turned out to be the game-winning jumper. Wide open, she drained the long jumper, her first points since 10:48 was left in the first half.
Following a timeout Davis missed a potential game-tying jumper from the right wing with nine seconds left. Kesha Champion (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) corralled the rebound for Bucknell and was immediately fouled. The Greyhounds, who had committed just four team fouls to that point, picked up three quick fouls to send Champion to the line for a 1-and-1 with 7.1 remaining on the clock. An 85.7 percent free throw shooter entering the game who had made her only other attempt in the contest, she made the first and missed the second. However, Loyola, which did not have any timeouts remaining, could only manage an off-balance 3-point try at the buzzer by Candice Walker.
After leading by no more than six points the entire game, the Bison opened up a 50-43 advantage with 7:25 left in the contest as Hope Foster (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) and Champion converted back-to-back three-point plays. The Greyhounds immediately went on a 6-0 run of their own as Ashley Alexander converted a back-door layup and Siobahn Prior and Davis, who posted a team-high 16 points, scored on fast breaks.
The first half featured Bucknell jumping out to a 13-7 lead behind six points from Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) on an array of mid-range jumpers and five from Champion. That duo paced the Bison with 18 points apiece.
Neither team opened a lead of more than two points again until Champion hit a 3-pointer from the left wing as the shot clock wound down, giving Bucknell a 32-29 edge. It eventually took a 32-30 lead into halftime, its first halftime lead since the Saint Francis (Pa.) contest on Dec. 18.
While Champion sealed the game at the free throw line for the Bison, her attempts in the final seconds were just the third and fourth free throw tries of the game for the team. It was the second time in the last three outings Bucknell managed just four attempts from the free throw line. Loyola made 12 of 15 from the stripe, including 11 of 14 in the first half.
Bucknell was outscored by nine points at the free throw line and was outrebounded 41-28, but it made up the difference by committing a season-low eight turnovers while forcing 19. The Bison's previous low for turnovers this year was 12.
Bucknell's starting unit contributed 57 of the squad's 59 points. Champion and Brown totaled 36, while Foster added 15, her first double-figure scoring game since Dec. 15 against Penn State, and her highest totaled since registering 17 against Howard on Nov. 19. Collymore added six points to go along with her career-high nine rebounds and four assists. The fifth starter, Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) failed to score, but dished out a career high-tying six assists, all in the second half. Taking away Schober's 0-for-5 shooting, the starters were 26-for-55 from the floor. Overall, the Bison were 27 of 64 (42.2 percent).
Loyola hit 40.4 percent (21 of 52) of its shots, including a 6-for-9 performance by Davis.
With her 18 points Monday, Champion is now averaging 19.0 over her last three games. She has seen her scoring average rise from 8.0 to 10.5 over that span.
In addition to her 15 points and four rebounds, Foster blocked four shots, all in the first half, and now has 295 in her career. She is 14 shy of the Patriot League record of 309.
The Bison, who will now play three consecutive road games, close out their non-league schedule Wednesday, Jan. 2, at Buffalo. Tip off for the contest is slated for 7 p.m.
