Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Buffalo
Bucknell Women's Basketball Falls Just Short of Comeback in 63-57 Loss at Buffalo
11/19/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2011
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Amy Zehner (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) recorded a second consecutive game with 20 points and Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon) set a career high with 16 rebounds, but the efforts could not keep Bucknell women's basketball from a third straight loss, falling 63-57 to Buffalo at Alumni Arena on Saturday night. Zehner finished the night with 20 points, while Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) added 11 and Audrey Dotson (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill School) totaled 10.
Through two games this week, Zehner averaged 22.5 points after a 25-point performance against Youngstown State on Wednesday night. The freshman was 9-for-21 from the field on Saturday against the Bulls, giving her a .477 percentage (21-44) for the week.
The Bison (1-3) nearly had its best comeback in recent years. After trailing by 12 at halftime and as many as 14 in the second, Bucknell pulled to within two with less than four minutes to play. The surge came with a little help from some scoring struggles from Buffalo (2-1) who went without a field goal for nearly seven minutes. The Bulls hit their free throws, but that still allowed the Bison to go on a 16-7 run.
Despite hanging around by three to five points for much of the last four minutes, Bucknell could never clear that final hurdle and take a lead. Buffalo broke its streak of not having a field goal at the 1:56 mark on a jumper from Brittany Hedderson and took advantage of being in the double bonus for the last three minutes. The Bison also suffered their own shortage of field goals eventually. A steady Buffalo team and no baskets from the floor for Bucknell after 3:15 gave the Bulls the six-point win.
The Bison came out of halftime looking more determined than they had in the beginning of the game. A three-pointer from Zehner at 13:04 made Buffalo's lead smaller than it had been in a while at 39-33. The Bulls responded with a 10-2 run, however, proving just how difficult a comeback would be. The newly found scrappy attitude kept the Bison alive and eventually put them in position to threaten their opponent later in the half.
Bucknell did not show off its sharpest play of the season in the first frame, committing 12 turnovers. Buffalo took advantage of the miscues, claiming 13 points off turnovers. A 19-15 rebounding advantage for the Bulls also gave them six more second-chance points their opponents.
Buffalo's zone defense was also largely responsible for a sluggish Bison offense. Although Zehner got off to a hot start, the rest of the Bison struggle to put the ball in the basket. Zehner had all eight of her team's points to open the game. As she cooled off, so did Bucknell's scoring, and a drought from 11:44 to 7:36 put the Bison down 19-11. Zehner scored just once more on a trip to the free throw line after her initial scoring outburst and led Bucknell with nine points at the half.
Although Bucknell slowly but surely started to get buckets from some of its lesser known scorers, including Dotson who tallied the first four points of her career, Buffalo kept a comfortable cushion. The Bulls led 34-22 at the half.
Romine's 11 points were the most of the season for the sophomore, while Dotson's 10 points were accompanied by eight rebounds. Both totals were career highs for Dotson.
Buffalo's Hedderson finished with 18 points, and Nytor Longar contributed 15. The final free throw count for the Bulls was 23-for-27. Head coach Linda Hill MacDonald also won her 300th career game, amassing a record of 300-372 in her 24th season.
Bucknell will be back in action at home once more before the Thanksgiving break. The Bison will host Morgan State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
