Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Holy Cross
Bucknell Women's Basketball Falls 57-47 at Holy Cross
1/15/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2011
WORCESTER, Mass. - Bucknell women's basketball did its best to come from behind with a 10-0 run late in the second half, but Holy Cross proved too tough as the Bison fell 57-47 at the Hart Center on Saturday afternoon. Despite the late effort, Bucknell falls to 3-12 overall and 0-3 in the Patriot League this season.
The ability to finish shots proved to be the key difference-maker in the first half and ultimately the game. Not only did Holy Cross shoot 48.0 percent (12-for-25) in the opening frame, but the home team also connected for six of its 10 attempts from behind the 3-point arc. On the flip side, Bucknell managed just 28.6 percent (10-for-35) from the field to put it down 31-23 at the break.
The Crusaders' outside shooting could not have made it more difficult for the Bison to reduce the deficit. After Bucknell went up 7-5 early, Holy Cross drilled three straight 3-pointers coming from three different players.
Cosima Higham (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) did her best to cut into the lead again soon after. The senior recorded five straight points for Bucknell, bringing Holy Cross' lead down to 14-12, but the Crusaders went on yet another run. Eight minutes after Higham's offensive effort, Holy Cross wrapped up a 14-4 scoring stretch and its lead was up to double figures, 29-16.
Bucknell scored seven of the half's final nine points, but that only reduced the Crusaders' advantage to 31-23. As the teams went to the locker room, the Bison led in points in the paint, 16-10, and in second-chance points, 12-0. Holy Cross was able to take advantage of Bucknell's 12 first-half turnovers, however, scoring 13 off miscues.
Holy Cross saw its long-distance success slow down in the second half, but the squad just started looking inside to continue to put points on the board. By the under-12 minute timeout, the Crusaders had eight points off layups. That gave them a 45-30 lead.
The Crusaders ultimately finished the day shooting 42.6 percent from the field after an 8-for-22 (34.6%) second half.
With the game winding down, Bucknell did its best to put itself back in the mix. Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon) connected on some tough shots to save the Bison from a couple of shot clock violations, and Higham restarted her attack in the paint as well.
With 7:15 left in the contest, Bucknell started its first true run of the afternoon. Rachel Voss (Cincinnati, Ohio/Loveland) hit a three, and Taylor Phillips (South Parkersburg, W. Va./Parkersburg South) did the same a few minutes later. With a Higham jumper in the paint and a layup from Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell), the Bison had a 10-0 run, its longest of the game. The streak got the Crusaders' lead down to single digits, but the scoreboard still read 54-47 with less than a minute remaining.
With the end in sight, Holy Cross started playing some of its tightest defense of the day. Paired with some strong free throw shooting late, the Crusaders avoided a late scare. Holy Cross was 5 of 6 from the line in the final :47, sealing the 10-point win.
Leading the way for Bucknell at the end of the buzzer was Higham with 11 points and eight rebounds. Novacek just missed a game high in boards with nine. Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) had her lowest point total of the season at six points, but the freshman led the Bison with four assists and three steals.
Whitney Fremeau and Alex Smith led Holy Cross with 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Bucknell will be back in action on Wednesday when it travels to Lafayette for a 7 p.m. game in Easton, Pa.
