Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
No. 16 Penn State
Bucknell Women's Basketball Battles but Can't Pull Off Upset in 78-54 Loss to No. 16 Penn State
12/21/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell women's basketball showed a focused effort and put up a solid second half offensively, but the Bison could not overcome a strong No. 16 Penn State squad, falling 78-54 at Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday night. Felicia Mgbada (Edison, N.J./Blair Academy) and Rachel Voss (Cincinnati, Ohio/Loveland) both finished in double-digit scoring and Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon) added 10 rebounds for the Bison (2-10). It was the Lady Lions' Maggie Lucas that put up the biggest number, however, totaling 22 points.
Voss was proof of Bucknell's better second half. The junior was held scoreless in the opening frame and then erupted for all 11 of her points in the finale. The Bison also bounced back from a first-half shooting percentage of .235 (8-for-34) to go .469 (15-for-32) from the field in the second. Penn State (10-2) had no such problems, shooting .500 (30-for-60) for the night.
The pace of the game was hurried from the start, but scoring came much more quickly in the contest's final 20 minutes. Bucknell had suffered from a scoring drought of more than five minutes during the first half, and that was not repeated later in the game. The Bison finished with 36 second-half points, their second-highest total in a single half this season.
After starting the game 0-for-3 from the field, Voss turned the corner to shoot 5-for-6 in the second half, accounting for all 11 of her points. Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) also scored exclusively in the second, finishing the night with seven points.
Voss and Chukwuedo both made a shot from behind the three-point arc during the game. As a team, Bucknell was 4-for-18 from long range. Its four made three-pointers was the most in a game this season.
Penn State only outscored Bucknell by eight points in the second half, but the Bison got themselves in a hole in the first that was too deep to climb out of. The score at halftime put the Lady Lions in front 34-18. Bucknell did well to keep things close for the first nine minutes of the game. Just past the 12-minute mark, Alyssa Dunn (Mason, Ohio/Seven Hills School) turned a blocked shot into a fastbreak layup, making the score 16-11. The Bison then went on a scoring drought that lasted 5:35 and gave the Lady Lions nine straight unanswered points. As Mgbada ended the streak, Penn State had jumped in front 25-13.
Bucknell never drew within single digits again thanks in part to the 22-point outing from Lucas. The Penn State sophomore tallied the game high on 7 of 10 shooting, including 4-for-4 from both three-point distance and the free throw line.
Mgbada ended with Bucknell's scoring high, registering 12 points. Horbatuck's 10 boards was a game high and helped the Bison to a draw in the rebounding battle. Despite Penn State's superior size, the teams each totaled 38 rebounds on the night.
Bucknell will be back in action after the holiday break. The Bison will return to the road for a showdown with West Virginia in Morgantown at noon on Dec. 28.
