Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn
Bucknell Women's Basketball Can't Fight Off Penn Quakers, Falls 58-53 in Overtime
12/3/2012 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2012
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PHILADELPHIA - After a disappointing first half offensively, Bucknelll women's basketball nearly pulled off the comeback but fell in overtime 58-53 to Penn at The Palestra on Monday night. The loss ends the Bison's five-game winning streak and they drop to 5-3 on the season leading up to the exam break.
Bucknell went 3:42 at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second without a field goal. The cold stretch out of halftime looked as if it would be a continuation of the sluggish offense they started the game with, but the Bison eventually found a spark and their stride. With just over five minutes off the clock in the start of the second half, Katherine Harris (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) hit a short jumper to put the Bison in front 28-26. It was their first lead since 8:56 in the first when the scoreboard read 9-8.
At the time of Harris' baseline jump shot, Bucknell was looking like the fresher team. Alyssa Dunn (Mason, Ohio/Seven Hills School) converted a fast break layup for 31-28 and Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) had a nice backdoor cut shortly after that made it 33-31.
Bucknell's scoring came more easily than it had in the first. The Bison shot .591 (13-22) from the field in the second half.
Unfortunately for the Bison, Penn (2-3) found a second wind and made the game competitive as the clock wound down. The two squads began trading baskets. There were eight ties in the second half and few were bigger than the final one at 48-48 that sent the game into overtime.
Romine did the late damage in regulation to earn the Bison a chance at their first overtime goal since Jan. 22, 2011. The junior hit two shots in the final 1:37, including a left-handed jumper in the paint to knot things up at 48 all, that accounted for her team's final four points in regulation. She then had a trio of free throws in overtime and while that led Bucknell, it was not enough to put her team in front.
Dunn had Bucknell's only field goal in overtime as the team went 1-for-8 (.125). Penn was 2-for-5 (.400) from the field and 5-for-8 (.625) from the free throw line in the extra period.
The overtime game was Bucknell's first since Patriot League play in 2011 when it took a 76-66 decision at Colgate. Monday was the team's first overtime loss since Jan. 12, 2011 when it dropped a five-point decision to American.
The frenzied way the game ended could hardly have been any more different than the sluggish way it started. Neither team could find the bottom of the basket in the first half, and the scoring pace was particularly slow in the first several minutes. At the first media timeout, Penn led 6-2. By the next media break, the score was just 6-5 having played more than eight minutes.
At halftime, Bucknell was shooting .231 (6-26) from the field and Penn was at .226 (7-31). Four of the Quakers' baskets came from behind the 3-point arc where they were 4-for-13 (.308). The Bison were 1-for-6 (.167) from 3-point range as Penn played a zone defense that kept them from getting the inside looks they would have liked.
Despite that, it was two of Bucknell's forwards that were leading the team in scoring at halftime as Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon) and Audrey Dotson (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill School) each had four points. Tyler Craig (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) also had four points, all coming at the free throw line. The Bison's two leading scorers entering the game - Dunn and Romine - were held scoreless.
Turnovers were not helping Bucknell's cause. The Bison tallied 12 of them through the first 20 minutes, many of them while trying to force passes down low. The Quakers had their own troubles in the paint, however, failing to capitalize on several layups.
Romine finished the day with 11 points, all of which came in the game's final 25 minutes. Dotson finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, while Horbatuck had the game high in boards with 11. Bucknell, which had a 26-18 advantage in rebounds at the half, finished the night with a 45-41 edge. Horbatuck, Romine and Felicia Mgbada (Edison, N.J./Blair Academy) each had four assists.
Three Quakers finished in double figures, led by Keiera Ray with 13. Ray also had eight rebounds.
Bucknell will now have a lengthy break from the court due to exams. The Bison will be back in action on Dec. 15 when they host Longwood at 4 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison men will then take on La Salle at 7 p.m. in the second half of the doubleheader.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be collecting gently used coats for donation.
