Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Bucknell Women's Basketball Falls by 81-44 Score at Penn State
12/9/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Bucknell women's basketball team fell to a very tough opponent as it dropped its contest to Penn State 81-44 at the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night. Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) led the Bison (3-4) with 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting from behind the three-point arc.
Bucknell got off to a very sluggish start with the Lady Lions scoring the first eight points of the game. Penn State capitalized on the Bison's shots not falling, rebounding the ball aggressively. The home team also played tight defense in the paint, forcing Bucknell to take difficult shots from the outside. Brown converted on a three-pointer at 14:31, but Bucknell still trailed 18-7.
The Orange and Blue then went on a scoreless streak until the 9:34 mark when Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) hit a shot, setting the score at 30-9.
Freshman Morgan Wrightson (Gaithersburg, Md./Notre Dame Academy), who earned the first start of her career in the game, made a mini-run of her own, scoring seven consecutive points between 8:30 and 2:47. Unfortunately the Bison only managed four points, a basket from Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) and a pair of free throws from Taylor Phillips (South Parkersburg, W. Va./Parkersburg South), before the half ended 45-23.
Wrightson's seven points at the half marked a high for the Bison, while Penn State's Tyra Grant and Brianne O'Rourke posted double-figure scoring through the first 20 minutes.
Down by their greatest halftime deficit of the season, the Bison came out of the locker room aggressively. Schober opened with a steal and converted the defensive play into a layup at 19:46. Bucknell got a steal on the next trip down the court 30 seconds later, this time grabbed by Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell). Although it was unable to convert it into offensive production, the team got another chance on Penn State's third possession of the half, again forcing a turnover.
The Lady Lions quickly regained composure, however, scoring the next seven points. Trisha Krewson (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) made a jumper, sandwiched by a pair of three-point shots by Brown to make the score 61-33.
After Novacek scored sixth point of the game, the Bison went on a six-minute scoreless streak. Novacek ended the drought, converting a three-point play from the foul line at 5:12. The sophomore continued to make things happen when she made a strong move from the top of the key for a layup at 3:13.
Bucknell held Penn State to its own scoreless streak late in the second half as the Lady Lions were unable to find the bottom of the net for nearly five minutes. Janessa Wolff notched PSU's next point on a free throw, a category in which Penn State received 14 opportunities compared to Bucknell's three.
Brown scored the Bison's final bucket with 1:56 to go, but Penn State followed with two final baskets, making the final score 81-44. It was the most points allowed by the Bison since their NCAA Tournament Appearance against North Carolina last season when UNC finished with 85.
Following Brown in the scoring was Novacek with nine points and Wrightson with seven. Schober led the way with eight rebounds.
Leading the way for Penn State was Grant with 24 points and O'Rourke with 15. Julia Trogele and Janessa Wolff finished with six rebounds apiece.
Bucknell returns to the court on Dec. 19 when it takes on Wofford at Sojka Pavilion. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.
