Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Bucknell Women's Basketball Takes Regular-Season Finale with 56-50 Victory Over Army
2/28/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2009
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Bucknell women's basketball clinched the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament with a 56-50 win over Army at Christl Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Bison (16-11, 8-6) hit some clutch shots in the final minutes of a highly energized contest to defeat the Black Knights (18-11, 8-6) for the second time this season. Bucknell will face sixth-seeded Navy in the first round of next week's Patriot League Tournament. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. at Lehigh's Stabler Arena.
Bucknell put the pressure on Army early, forcing a turnover less than a minute into play with the use of a full-court press. Although the Bison did not cash in on the resulting offensive opportunity, they were successful on several of the Black Knights' other nine turnovers. At the half, seven of Bucknell's 26 points had come off turnovers.
Despite the added pressure, Army kept within striking distance during the first half. The teams traded baskets throughout the first 10 minutes. The stretch included a combined four consecutive three-point baskets. Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) hit her first at 12:52 to put Bucknell up 7-4. Army's Laura Baranek responded with her own three-pointer on the next possession, but Schober did one better, making her second consecutive shot from far beyond the men's three-point line. Alex McGuire closed out the long-distance shootout at 12:20, tying the game at 10 apiece.
The three-point shot struck again at 9:33 as Army's basket put the home team up 17-14. An intense Bucknell defense tightened its grip after that. Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) slipped inside the paint for a put-back layup to bring the Bison within one point before Amanda Brown (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner) connected for three consecutive shots to give Bucknell the final lead for the game.
Brown's three-pointer in the left corner put the Orange and Blue up 19-17 with 8:41 to go. She repeated the feat from the right corner on the next possession to go up 22-17. The senior guard capped off her eight-point burst less than a minute later with a mid-range jumper.
While the Bison remained relatively steady on the offensive end of the court, Army struggled to find the bottom of the net in the final 9:33. The Black Knights were held to a single field goal and a pair of free throws during that time as Bucknell ended the opening stanza on a 12-4 run.
Much of that time was spent with Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) on the bench after the sophomore was tagged for her fourth foul with :06 remaining. At the buzzer, Bucknell led 26-21.
Fouls and shooting struggles kept Bucknell from pulling away in the early goings of the second half. The Bison did not hit a field goal until the 12:12 mark as Cosima Higham (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) worked her way to a layup and a foul. The sophomore forward made her only free throw of the afternoon, putting Bucknell back at a six-point advantage.
The play was just what the Bison needed to get going. Schober added two more to her point total on the next possession. Higham also added two more after getting the steal and taking the ball from baseline to baseline for a layup. At 9:13, Bucknell had gone up 36-29.
With her third three-pointer of the day, Schober put the Bison on the brink of its first double-digit advantage of the day, but the Black Knights claimed five quick points to bring them to within four at 39-35. The Army push energized the crowd and the home team, putting Bucknell on the ropes.
McGuire hit a jumper with just under five minutes to play to bring Army within one point at 46-45, but Bucknell kept on the attack. The McGuire shot was the last for the Black Knights for 2:30 as the Bison defense stayed tough. That defense took a blow at the 4:10 mark as Higham fouled out of the game.
The Bison connected for few shots during the final stretch, making just a single field goal and three free throws during a nearly three-minute period. The Orange and Blue benefited from Army's inability to make their own free throws, however. The Black Knights were 5-14 from the charity stripe in the second half.
Although a free throw from Army's Erin Anthony brought her team to within three points, Brown extended the Bucknell lead back to six with her third three-pointer of the day, and Novacek kept it at six with a pair of free throws to close out the scoring.
That was all it took to pull of a tension-filled finale to the regular season as the Bison defeated Army for the fifth consecutive game.
Brown led all scorers with 19 points and Schober also finished in double-digits with 16. Higham fell one point and one rebound shy of her sixth career double, tallying nine and nine in the contest. Chukwuedo and Brown posted three assists a piece to lead the squad.
After being honored for senior night prior to the game, Army's McGuire finished with a team-best 12 points. Anthony and Nalini Hawkins chipped in 10 apiece, while Courtney Wright finished with 10 boards.
Bucknell will be in action again on Saturday, March 7 for the first round of the Patriot League Tournament. The opening rounds will take place at Lehigh's Stabler Arena. The Bison's opponent has yet to be determined. With today's victory over Army and a win by Lehigh over Holy Cross, Bucknell is ensured at least a No. 4 seed in the league's year-ending tournament.
