Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
American
Bucknell Women's Basketball Unable to Overcome Slow Start, Falls 66-38 at American
2/9/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Another slow offensive night sent Bucknell women's basketball to a 66-38 loss to American at Bender Arena on Wednesday night. The Bison were unable to bounce back from a 12-point first half, and the Eagles shot 52.0 percent from the field in the game, handing Bucknell its second straight loss.
Bucknell (6-15, 3-6) has failed to reach 50 points in each of its last four games. That streak, which included one win against Army, is the longest in program history.
Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) and Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) provided some more positive progress in Bucknell's record books. With her 3-pointer to open the second half, Romine reached 38 for the season. That total ranks the freshman in a tie for 10th in program annals, tying Chiara Sockel and Lindsey Hollobaugh. Novacek finished with two blocked shots, bringing her to 95 in her career. The senior remains in fifth place all-time.
Bucknell never really got off the ground against American. The Bison turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions, and the Eagles took a quick 7-2 lead. Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) converted a three-point play for 7-5 a few minutes later, but Bucknell never got any closer than two points. A 16-4 run for American officially put the game in the home team's control, and at the end of the streak, the advantage was 28-9.
For a moment, it looked as if Bucknell was getting back on track. Romine drew a foul and hit a free throw. She then assisted Alyssa Dunn (Mason, Ohio/Seven Hills School) on a fastbreak layup following a steal. That took the score to 28-12 with 7:18 to go in the half, but any hope of a comeback ended soon after.
The Bison failed to record another point after Dunn's layup, while the Eagles continued to extend their lead. At the break, American led 36-12 on 50 percent (14-for-28) shooting. Bucknell was averaging just 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from the field.
Scoring came much more quickly in the second half, but the deficit was too much to overcome. Romine had five quick points, and several Bison finally entered points on the scoreline after play resumed. A more relaxed American team continued to score easily, however, and the Eagles' lead held at more than 20 points.
Just as it had in the first half, Bucknell struggled to hit shots after the seven-minute mark. Felicia Mgbada (Edison, N.J./Blair Academy) was fouled on a layup at 7:04, but the Bison did not record another field goal until the 2:08 mark when Horbatuck posted her own bucket from the block.
By the final buzzer, Bucknell had improved its shooting percentage to 34.1 for the night. The Bison were 10 of 27 from the field in the second half. Bucknell was also just 1-for-9 (11.1 percent) from 3-point range, compared to 10-for-19 (52.6 percent) for American.
Romine finished with nine points and two assists to lead the Bison. Cosima Higham (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) finished with a team-high eight rebounds. As a team, Bucknell won the battle of the boards, 29-28. Novacek had two blocked shots on the night.
American had four players reach double-digit scoring. Sarah Kiely led with 14 points, Lisa Strack added 13, and Liz Leer and Stephanie Anya each had 10.
Bucknell will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts Holy Cross at 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison's women's teams will be recognized at halftime of the game in honor of National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Kids in attendance will receive a free t-shirt and poster, and student-athletes will be available after the game for autographs.
