Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Women's Basketball Knocks Down Lehigh 53-37
1/23/2013 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2013
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - After going 10 games without a win against Lehigh, Bucknell women's basketball won its second in three tries at Stabler Arena, defeating the Mountain Hawks 53-37 on Wednesday night. Bucknell (12-7, 3-1 PL) held Lehigh (10-9, 2-2 PL) to .207 shooting on the night to claim its third consecutive victory and stay in the top half of the conference standings.
Lehigh's .207 field goal percentage was the lowest by a Bucknell opponent this season. Its 37 points were just off the season low mark, but the Bison have now held three of their foes to fewer than 40 points this season. Those 37 points also tied for the fewest points scored by Lehigh in the series with Bucknell, equaling the mark set in a 64-37 Bison victory on Jan. 24, 2007.
There were no offensive fireworks in this matchup. Both teams suffered major scoring droughts and at halftime, Bucknell and Lehigh were shooting a combined 12-for-56 (.214). The Mountain Hawks alone were just 4-for-29 (.138) from the field having opened the game at a 1-for-15 clip through the first 10:46.
While Lehigh's offensive rate should have opened the door early for Bucknell, the Bison were struggling on their own end of the floor. It took 7:49 for them to get on the scoreboard when they ran off eight straight points, four of which went to Felicia Mgbada (Edison, N.J./Blair Academy).
Mgbada eventually finished the half with six points, her most since scoring 13 against Morgan State in November. Her eight rebounds was also her highest total since taking on the bears.
Both squads suffered another patch of more than four minutes between field goals, keeping the score low. At the intermission, Bucknell allowed its fewest points in a half in more than two years and had a 20-12 lead. Only three Mountain Hawks had scored and none had more than five points, while Bucknell's Alyssa Dunn (Mason, Ohio/Seven Hill School) led all players with seven.
Scoring picked up in the second half fortunately. After tallying just four points in the first half, Lehigh's leading scorer Kerry Kinek improved to 18 for the game. Not many players were getting into the scoring column, however. At the end of play, just five Mountain Hawks had tallied points.
Although Lehigh finished the night at .207 (12-for-58), it did have a solid night at the free throw line. Not until just 2:18 remained in the game did the Mountain Hawks miss a freebie and they ultimately closed out the day at 11-for-12 (.917).
Bucknell's offense improved all around as well, especially as it started to get more looks in the paint. Dunn and Shelby Romine (Centreville, Va./Westfield) were able to make their way to the basket off the drive and helped extend the Bison lead as the game wore on. Thirty of Bucknell's points came in the paint, compared to just 12 of Lehigh's. The Bison also had a 10-0 edge in fast break points.
After seeing Lehigh draw to within five points at the 10-minute mark, Bucknell got some breathing room and increased its lead to 41-30 three minutes later.
Romine took control of play in the second half. After tallying only three points in the first half, she finished with 18 on the night to tie for the game high. Dunn also had 13 points, putting her in double digits for the third time in four games. Audrey Dotson (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill School) quietly became a third Bison to hit double figures, finishing the night at 10 points and with a game-best nine rebounds.
As a team, Bucknell raised its shooting percentage from .296 (8-27) in the first half to .452 (14-31) in the second. At the final buzzer, the Bison were .379 (22-58) from the field. Bucknell also had the edge on the glass, winning the battle of the boards, 45-39.
With the win, Bucknell had now defeated Lehigh in two of their last three meetings. Prior to that, the Mountain Hawks had dominated in the series, winning each game from 2008 to 2011, a streak of 10 games.
Bucknell will return to Sojka Pavilion for its next game. The Bison will host Holy Cross at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The USA Jump Rope Team will perform at halftime and fans can win prizes on Basketball Bingo.
