Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Buffalo
Bucknell Women's Basketball Wins Fifth Straight, Defeats Buffalo, 78-71
12/2/2012 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2012
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LEWISBURG, Pa. -Shelby Romine (Centerville, Va./Westfield) and Audrey Dotson (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill School) led a strong offensive performance by the Bucknell women's basketball team, as the Bison won their fifth consecutive game, defeating Buffalo, 78-71, at Davis Gymnasium. Romine scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, and Dotson had a strong all-around game, tallying career-highs of 15 points, seven assists, and five blocks, plus six rebounds and a steal. Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon), Alyssa Dunn (Mason, Ohio/Seven Hills School), and Sheaira Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) also scored in double-figures for the Orange and Blue.
The Bison (5-2) have won five in a row for the first time since Dec. 28, 2008 to Jan. 10, 2009, and Jan. 11, 2012, marked the last time the team had five players score in double figures in one contest. Bucknell made 27 field goals in 49 attempts, shooting a season-best 55.1 percent. This is the third time in the last four games that the Orange and Blue have topped the 70-point mark. In the previous five seasons, Bucknell reached the 70-point plateau a total of 11 times.
The Bison led by 12, 62-50, with seven minutes, 37 seconds remaining in the second half, but Buffalo (1-7) reeled off 17 points in just over four minutes, tying the score at 67 with 3:31 left in regulation. Bucknell missed three free throws and turned it over twice in that span, while the Bulls went on a streak where they scored on eight consecutive possessions, outscoring the Bison 19-7 during that stretch.
Romine hit two free throws with 3:24 on the clock, and a Dotson block led to a stop on the next Buffalo possession. Dotson and Horbatuck then executed a beautiful give-and-go in tight quarters, resulting in a Dotson lay-up, and Horbatuck extended the Bison lead to six, catching and scoring a missed Dunn three-pointer on the far-side of the basket. Buffalo would not score again until there were just over 45 seconds remaining in the contest, and cut the Orange and Blue lead down to three, 74-71, with 28 ticks on the clock. However, Romine and Horbatuck each made a pair of free throws to seal the contest for the Bison.
Frenetically paced from start to finish, the Bison and Bulls provided plenty of entertainment for those in the tight confines of Davis Gymnasium. This was the first basketball game in Davis Gym since the women's basketball team hosted a Patriot League Tournament game there on March 3, 2011, unable to use Sojka Pavilion due to the facility hosting the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships. That matchup with Army was the only other time the gym was used for basketball since Sojka Pavilion opened on January 15, 2003.
Bucknell scored the game's first seven points in 2:04, prompting an early Bulls' timeout, and led 22-6, with 11:48 to play in the first half. Dotson and Dunn each assisted on half of their team's first eight made field goals, and as a team, Bucknell has assists on 19 of its 27 made field goals. Dunn's seven assists matched Dotson for game-high honors and marked the second time in the last four contests that the senior set a new career-high in that category.
The Orange and Blue made nine of their first 11 field goal attempts, while the Bulls missed 11 of their first 13 shots. The Bulls kept the game within shouting distance and managed to cut their deficit down to 10, 35-25, at halftime. Buffalo was aided by scoring eight points off of nine Bison turnovers in the first half and receiving 15 points from its bench. The team also cashed its eight offensive rebounds in for nine points.
For the game, Buffalo attempted an impressive 71 field goals, including 30 from three-point range. Bucknell outrebounded Buffalo, 40-37, but did allow the Bulls to grab 21 offensive rebounds and score 24 second chance points. Sixty-nine of the Bison's 78 points were scored by their starters, while 41 of Buffalo's 71 points came from its bench players.
Romine made 10 out of 14 free throw attempts, helping her to achieve her second 20-point game of the season and the 11th of her career. Horbatuck scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Dunn and Jones combined for 20 points and nine rebounds from their guard positions.
Freshman Tyler Craig (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) played a career-high 11 minutes and was on the floor in crunch time, contributing career-highs with five points, five rebounds, and two assists. Sophomore point guard Katherine Harris (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) did not score in the game, but grabbed a career-best five rebounds in just 12 minutes of action. Rachael Gregory led Buffalo with 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds, six on the offensive glass.
Bucknell will be in search of its sixth straight win, something the team last accomplished during the 2006-2007 campaign when it won nine consecutive conference games, on Monday, Dec. 3, when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., for a meeting with the Penn Quakers. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and is the last game for the Orange and Blue prior to taking their exams for the fall semester.
Bucknell-Buffalo Video Highlights
