Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bowling Green
Women's Basketball Upsets Bowling Green 53-52 in Season Opener
11/14/2014 10:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Junior Claire Maree O'Bryan scored 16 points and freshman Carly Richardson had a great debut with 10 points as Bucknell held on for a 53-52 upset at perennial Mid-American Conference front runner Bowling Green on Friday at the Stroh Center.
In a game that had 13 lead changes and two ties, it was fitting that the outcome came down to the final shot. A Falcons' jumper hit the inside of the rim and sophomore Claire DeBoer grabbed the rebound to secure the season-opening win for the Bison.
The win over Bowling Green is significant. The Falcons' are the 11th winningest team in the nation over the past five years and boast a resume that includes seven straight 20-win season, including 30 last year, and the most conference titles in MAC history.
Richardson came through in a big way in her first collegiate game. She scored seven points in the second half, none more important than the five straight she scored with just over four minutes left in the game. With the Bison leading by one (48-47), she hit a 3-pointer, grabbed a defensive rebound on the other end of the floor, and then hit a short jumper to up the lead to 53-47 with 4:08 to play.
The Bison went scoreless in the final four minutes, but stepped up defensively. Senior Micki Impellizeri had one of her career-high five blocks during that stretch.
“I thought we were really poised tonight,” Bucknell head coach Aaron Roussell said. “I was proud of the way our players responded. They found a way. It wasn't the prettiest of games for either team, but it was a gritty win.
“You look at certain moments of the game, Carly Richardson came up big, and Micki Impellizeri, it wasn't a big box score game for her but she had a great presence out there, manning the paint, blocking shots and getting rebounds.”
Also key for Bucknell was the way it responded when Preseason All-Patriot League selection Audrey Dotson found herself in foul trouble in the second half. During two separate four-minute stretches following her third and fourth fouls, the Bison outscored the Falcons without her on the floor. Junior Sheaira Jones stepped up with a pair of buckets during the first stretch, and O'Bryan made a pair during the second stint.
The entire first half was back-and-forth action as the Bison took a 32-28 lead into the break. There were seven lead changes and no team led by more than six points. Both teams tried their luck from beyond the arc with the Bison making five of 14 attempts and the Falcons hitting four of their 12 long-range shots.
O'Bryan had a great first half, scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds. She was 4-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-4 on 3-pointers. McGurk had seven points and Tyler Craig added six. Impellizeri had a terrific defensive performance to end the half. She helped preserve the Bison's four-point lead with two blocks in the final four seconds. DeBoer also played solid defense, recording three steals.
McGurk finished with nine points, while Craig had just one shy of her career high with eight points. Dotson and DeBoer paced the team with seven and six rebounds, respectively. O'Bryan and McGurk added five apiece.
Deborah Hoekstra came off the bench to lead Bowling Green with 17 points. Miriam Justinger and Rachel Konieczki also reached double figures with 12 and 11, respectively.
Bucknell continues its Midwest road trip with another tough opponent on Sunday. The Bison will take on a returning WNIT qualifier for the second straight game when it travels to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip.
