Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Bucknell Women's Basketball Shuts Down Army Late for 49-48 Win
1/29/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2011
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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell women's basketball overcame a late deficit with a 10-4 run and a solid defensive effort to upend Army 49-48 at Sojka Pavilion on Saturday night. Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) led the Bison with 16 points, five assists and three steals in the upset, bringing Bucknell's record to 6-13 overall and 3-4 in the Patriot League.
Bucknell trailed by as many as seven in the first half, but the home team worked its way back to within a bucket by the break. Not long after play resumed after halftime, the Bison took a 31-30 lead with 17:53 still to play. That gave Bucknell its first advantage since the scoreboard read 12-11, but it changed hands four more times before the final buzzer.
Army's Laura Baranek put her team in front again with a pair of free throws, and the Bison snuck in a pair of baskets on the fastbreak to go back up 35-32. The Black Knights (10-11, 4-3) again responded, this time with a 9-2 run that saw them take the lead, 41-37, with less than nine minutes remaining.
A five-minute scoring drought for Bucknell finally came to an end at the 8:28 mark as Romine hit a jumper. The freshman also helped the Bison come to within a single point at 42-41 as she threaded a pass through the paint to a waiting Cosima Higham (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day). Higham's layup started a stretch that gave Bucknell 10 of the next 12 points, taking it from a trailing position to a 49-44 advantage.
The offensive push was not the only thing that kept the Orange and Blue in the mix. Bucknell held Army to just two field goals in the final eight minutes. Erin Anthony sank a jumper in the paint followed with a layup in the final 90 seconds.
The Army forward's final bucket set the score at 49-48, although the Black Knights had one last look at taking the final lead. Romine was called for a charging foul with 11 seconds left on the clock and had her layup waved off. That gave Army one final possession and the chance at a win. Meagan Doucette got off a layup attempt with about two seconds remaining but couldn't get the ball above the rim. Time expired as both teams scrambled for the rebound, and Bucknell handed Army its third consecutive loss.
The Black Knights, which began Patriot League play 4-0, was held to 18 points on 6 of 22 shooting (27.3 percent) in the second half. They ended the night 16-for-49 (32.7 percent) from the field.
Although the game's final 35 minutes remained close, Bucknell struggled earlier in the night. An 11-5 lead at the 15:43 mark was erased as Army went on a 15-5 run. During that stretch, the Bison went more than 10 minutes without a field goal.
Romine snapped the skid with a jumper for 21-18. Shelby Trotter (Silverhill, Ala./Robertsdale) soon got in on the act hitting her first two career 3-pointers. Add in a free throw from Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) and three more points from Romine, and Bucknell had clawed back to within two points at the halfway mark.
The Bison continued their efficient shooting, ending the night at 41.3 percent (19-for-46) from the field. Bucknell has now shot better than 40 percent in each of its last four games.
Joining Romine among the statistical leaders was Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) who was playing in her 100th consecutive game. Although the senior went scoreless for the first time in 89 games, she led the squad with seven rebounds. Chukwuedo shared the team high in assists with five, while Taylor Phillips (South Parkersburg, W. Va./Parkersburg South) also had three steals.
Army's Anthony led all players with 19 points and six blocked shots. Baranek had eight rebounds as the Black Knights won the battle of the boards, 31-29.
Bucknell, which has now won three of its last four games, will return to action on Saturday, Feb.5. The Bison will head to Navy for a 7 p.m. game as the second round of Patriot League play gets underway.
