Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Wofford
Bucknell Women's Basketball Seals First Home Victory, 74-66
12/19/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Morgan Wrightson (Gaithersburg, Md./Notre Dame Academy) scored a career-high 20 points and Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) added 19 as the Bucknell women's basketball team defeated Wofford 74-66 on Friday night at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison (4-4, 0-0) earned the lead early and never relinquished it as the team earned its first win of the season on its home court.
Bucknell took control of the game early, leading off with a three-point shot by Wrightson just six seconds into the game. Although Wofford (1-9, 0-3) also scored on its first possession, the Bison never gave the Terriers an opportunity to get in the game. The home team went on a 6-0 run following a layup by Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) at 16:05. The 9-2 lead quickly grew to 17-8 after a series of effective offensive plays in which Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) posted assists on four consecutive possessions.
Both teams experienced a bit of a cold stretch mid way through the half, however, as no one was able to score for nearly three minutes. Wofford broke the streak with a layup by Natalie Gramblin at 10:27. The Terriers then hit a pair of free throws, narrowing Bucknell's lead to five points.
The Orange and Blue rallied in the final nine minutes of the half, finishing shots in the paint and making all six of their 10 free throw attempts of the first. Chukwuedo's layup at 4:30 eventually gave the Bison their biggest lead of the game of 17 points. Wofford was able to narrow the lead slightly before entering the locker room at halftime. Midway through the game, Bucknell led, 34-23.
The second half started a bit more slowly than the up-tempo first, with each team committing a turnover on their first possessions. They then began a brief battle of the post players with Wofford's Kate Dempsey earning her team's first two baskets, both in the paint. Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) answered with her own two buckets in the paint on Bucknell's next two trips down the court.
From that point on, however, Wofford used its prowess from the perimeter to claw its way back in the game. The Terriers made eight shots from behind the three-point arc on 12 attempts in the second half. Gramblin's three-pointer at 8:09 set the score at 56-60, while teammate Kelly Dwyer's three-pointer at 6:59 again reduced Bucknell's lead to six points. Despite shooting 50 percent for the game from behind the arc, Wofford was unable to get any closer to making a comeback.
Wrightson hit her final jumper of the game with just under two minutes to play and putting the score at 71-57. Wofford's plan to foul its opponent in the final 30 seconds of the game backfired, as the Brown and Taylor Phillips (South Parkersburg, W. Va./Parkersburg South) combined to go 3-for-4 from the free throw line. Although Gramblin hit a last effort three-pointer with two seconds remaining, it was too little too late as the Bison walked away with their fourth victory of the season.
Several Bucknell players finished the game with season-high statistics. In addition to her 20 points, Wrightson also set a new best with five boards. That total tied her for the team high in rebounding with Schober and Novacek. Schober's six assists tied a career-high, while her four assists set a new 2008-09 best. Chukwuedo also had a career best six points while tying her previous high in assists with three and tallying her first career block. Although not a career mark, Novacek was the team's third scorer in double-figures with 12 points in the game.
Dwyer led Wofford with 16 points, while Gramblin added 12 and Maddie Helms and Mahagony Williams each chipped in 11. Williams also posted a game-high 13 rebounds. Dempsey made an impact defensively with seven blocks to lead both teams.
The Bison are back in action Sunday, Dec. 21 when they take on James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
