Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Youngstown State
Bucknell Women's Basketball Falls 71-57 to Youngstown State
11/24/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2010
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown State claimed its first win since the 2008-09 season, defeating Bucknell women's basketball 71-57 at the Beeghly Center on Wednesday night. Cosima Higham (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) just missed her first double-double of the season, leading the Bison with 12 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
Defense dictated play through much of the first half. After Bucknell (1-3) opened action with a couple of quick baskets in the paint, Youngstown State (1-3) adjusted its game plan. The tighter coverage down low made interior play more difficult for the Bison, but it did not stop Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) and Higham completely. At the half, the two forwards had combined for 15 of their team's 30 points while the Orange and Blue totaled 20 points in the paint compared to 14 for the Penguins.
Bucknell applied pressure to Youngstown State throughout the first 20 minutes, making the home team's offense especially sluggish early on. The Penguins tallied just five field goals in the first 10 minutes of play, but the Bison still had just a 16-15 lead.
As the game wore on, the score began to see-saw. Youngstown State took its first lead at the 8:42 mark, 18-16, following a 3-pointer from Maryum Jenkins. Bucknell took back the advantage almost two minutes later as Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) took a rebound coast to coast and hit a short-handed layup to go up 20-18. The bucket was the first of the night for the two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
The lead changed hands twice more in the opening half thank in big part to an offensive spark off the bench in Alyssa Dunn (Mason, Ohio/Seven Hills School). Dunn came up big with a jumper in the paint as the shot clock hit zero. Two minutes later, the sophomore registered a career-high-tying seventh point on a 3-pointer from the top of the arc. The basket put the Bison up 30-27, and that score held until halftime.
The score changed quickly and often in the second half. The offensive pace picked up for both teams. Youngstown State's Brandi Brown took control for her team, nabbing the first nine points for the Penguins.
While Youngstown State began hitting its long-distance shots early in the half, Bucknell returned to its inside play. Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon) broke open the scoring with a layup, and she and Higham claimed 12 of the Bison's first 15 points.
The Bison somehow kept pace with the Penguins despite the outside shooting. Youngstown State shot 6-for-11 from 3-point range in the second half after going just 2-for-12 from behind the arc in the first.
That proved to be a key difference in the end. Fittingly, the Penguins took a 52-50 lead on a Liz Hornberger shot from behind the men's 3-point arc with 8:53 to play. Youngstown State never let go of the advantage from that point on despite a never-let-down attitude from Bucknell.
Fouls also turned out to a difference maker. Novacek spent much of the second half on the bench after picking up her fourth foul just 42 second after returning from the break. The senior eventually fouled out for the first time this season with 2:36 left in the game. The Penguins managed their fouls wisely, sending the Bison to the line for a 5-for-14 (.357) average. Youngstown State made 24 trips to the free throw line, sinking 21 of those attempts (.875).
Novacek and Romine each finished with nine points for Bucknell, while Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) tied a career high with six assists. With three blocked shots, Higham took sole possession of seventh place in the Bucknell record books with 83 career rejections.
Brown had the high scoring mark for the Penguins, finishing with 23 points. The sophomore also had 11 boards. Heidi Schleel and Kenya Middlebrooks reached double figures as well with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Bucknell will be back in action at 2 p.m. Sunday when it hosts Niagara at Sojka Pavilion.
