Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Yale
Late Yale Run Sends Bucknell Women's Basketball to 69-58 Loss
1/2/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2011
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Led by Shelby Romine's (Centreville, Va./Westfield) 22 points, three Bison finished in double-digit scoring but Bucknell women's basketball could not make it two wins in a row as it dropped a 69-58 decision to Yale at the John J. Lee Amphitheater on Sunday afternoon. The Bison (3-9) saw a second-half lead disappear following a 15-6 run to end the game for the Bulldogs (4-9).
Felicia Mgbada (Edison, N.J./Blaire Academy) set a career high with 14 points on the night. Twelve of those points came in the first half on 6 of 6 shooting from the field for the sophomore. Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) rounded out Bucknell's statistical leaders with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Fast back-and-forth play made for a high-scoring and close first half. The opening 20 minutes saw 13 lead changes as both teams were able to score relatively easily. A layup from Mgbada and a jumper from Romine on the next possession with 4:44 remaining in the first half, giving Bucknell the first back-to-back buckets by either team since Taylor Phillips (South Parkersburg, W. Va./Parkersburg South) and Mgbada went back-to-back nearly 12 minutes earlier. It also gave Bucknell the first lead of more than two points by either team at 27-23.
Romine hit another jumper for 29-23, putting the Bison up by six, their biggest advantage of the half, with 4:04 to play. Yale then limited Bucknell to a single field goal and benefited from their own 7-2 run to end the first frame. Heading into the locker room, Bucknell was up by a slim 31-30 despite shooting much better from the field than Yale. The Bison were 53.8 percent (14-26) from the field, compared to 35.3 percent (12-34) for the Bulldogs.
The second half followed much the same pattern with both teams pushing the tempo. Yale was more successful in the paint, however. Where the Bulldogs were settling for long shots in the first half, they were now getting clearer looks inside. That kept them in the hunt but not in front of the Bison for most of play.
Bucknell matched its biggest lead of six points as Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) spun in a layup for 50-44 before going cold from the floor for the first time of the afternoon. Yale soon went on a 9-3 run and Bucknell appeared a bit flustered as the Bulldogs claimed a 58-55 advantage with 6:05 left in the game.
Fouls and turnovers began to wreak havoc on the Orange and Blue's hopes of a comeback down the stretch. After committing eight turnovers in the first half, Bucknell finished the game with 21. Yale ultimately closed the door on the Bison with 15 of the game's final 21 points.
The point spread was the widest in the series since Yale defeated Bucknell 62-43 in 1997. Helping the Bulldogs to tonight's win Megan Vasquez with 16 points, Mady Gobrecht with 15 and Michelle Cashen with 14. Freshman Janna Graf led with nine rebounds.
Bucknell will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 8 when they host Navy in the 2011 Patriot League opener. Tip off at Sojka Pavilion is 7 p.m.
