Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Yale
Bison Women's Hoops Upended 69-48 by Yale
1/3/2012 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell women's basketball pulled to within three points late in the first half, but Yale scored 15 of the next 19 points to send the Bison to a 69-48 loss at Sojka Pavilion on Tuesday night. Christina Chukwuedo (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) led Bucknell (2-13) in scoring and Rachel Voss (Cincinnati, Ohio/Loveland) added a game-high nine rebounds in the Bison's fifth straight loss to cap off the non-league schedule.
Chukwuedo's 11 points gave her the team lead for the second time in three games. The total improves her season scoring average to 6.4 points. Voss' nine rebounds tied a career high as did Felicia Mgbada's three blocked shots. Mgbada is now tied for fourth all-time at Sojka Pavilion with 30 blocks at her home venue. The junior has 58 in her career, putting her four shy of breaking into the top-10 in program history.
Despite the individual efforts, Bucknell was able to keep pace with Yale (7-6) early in the contest. The Bulldogs' biggest lead of the first half was nine points, which came at the very end of the frame after a second consecutive three-pointer put them up 33-24 at the break. Before that, there were six lead changes, all in the first seven minutes of the game. Bucknell never led by more than one point but stayed in the hunt throughout.
Chukwuedo scored five straight points for the Bison on a pair of layups and a free throw, bringing her team within five at 20-15 with less than seven minutes to play. Audrey Dotson (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill School) helped get Yale's lead back down to three points after driving to the bucket for a layup and delivering a beautiful touch pass to Voss and picking up the assist.
At the night's end, Dotson had tallied eight points and six rebounds. She also had four steals and two blocked shots, both of which were career highs.
Dotson's play set the score at 22-19 at the 5:18 mark, but Bucknell would score just two more times before the break. Yale's Megan Vasquez and Janna Graf knocked down back-to-back threes to claim the momentum that eventually gave them a 21-point victory, the largest in series history.
Bucknell was outpaced by Yale on the scoreboard in the second half. After nearly 16 minutes, the Bison had put just 15 points on the board compared to the Bulldogs' 34. That gave Yale the 67-39 advantage overall. Bucknell then went on a 9-2 run to end the game, but it was too little, too late.
The Bison shot 7-for-23 (.304) from the field in the second half, dropping their game field goal percentage to .327 (18-55). The Bulldogs were 13-for-19 (.684) in the second. They finished the night 26-for-53 (.491).
Of Bucknell's 48 total points, 27 came off turnovers. The Bison's 25 forced turnovers tied a season high. Yale tallied 21 points off of Bucknell's 26 miscues.
Joining Chukwuedo, Voss and Mgbada among the team leaders was Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) with five assists. On Yale's side, Vasquez totaled 17 points, while Graf and Sarah Halejian each had 13. Graf was the Bulldog's leading rebounder with five.
Bucknell will now look toward Patriot League play. The Bison host Army at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Sojka Pavilion.
