Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Yale
Dotson's Double-Double Lifts Bison to 73-66 Win Over Yale
12/19/2014 7:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Senior Audrey Dotson posted her 13th career double-double with 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead Bucknell to a 73-66 win over visiting Yale in non-conference women's basketball action Friday at Sojka Pavilion. With the win, the Bison improved to 4-0 at home for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
Bucknell is 6-3 on the season, its best nine-game start since going 7-2 in 2000-01. Yale, which was coming off a convincing 90-65 win at Wagner, dropped to 4-6.
Dotson led a dominant effort by the Bucknell post players as the Bison outscored the Bulldogs 46-24 in the paint. Sophomore Claire DeBoer scored 11 points and pulled down six rebounds, while senior Micki Impellizeri and sophomore Sune Swart provided defense off the bench with a combined four blocks.
Bucknell led by as much as 12 in the first half before Yale battled back and took a three-point lead (34-31) into the break. The Bison came out with an 11-2 run to open the second half and didn't trail the rest of the way.
The Bison lead never reached double digits in the second half, and the Bulldogs made a late run to get within four (68-64) following a 3-pointer by Nyasha Sarju. The Bison, the top foul shooting team in the Patriot League at 77 percent entering the game, made five of their last six foul shots in the final 21 seconds to close out the game.
For the game, Bucknell shot 19-for-23 from the line, including a 16-of-17 mark in the second half. Dotson and junior Tyler Craig were both a perfect 4-for-4, while junior Claire Maree O'Bryan made all three of her attempts on her way to 12 points.
Bucknell also controlled the boards, out-rebounding Yale 43-28. Yale entered the game averaging 16.3 offensive rebounds per game, but managed just nine against the Bison, who have now won the rebounding battle in eight of their nine games this season.
"Outside of that stretch to end the first half, I thought we played well today," Bucknell head coach Aaron Roussell said. "You never know what you're going to get after a long break and coming off finals. We were going against a very disciplined and a very good team with some really good players and our team had a really good game."
Yale had four players reach double figures in scoring, led by Sarah Halejian with 17. She also added six assists and five boards. Tamara Simpson (13), Meredith Boardman (11) and Katie Werner also reached double digits.
The win snapped Bucknell's four-game losing streak against Yale. Prior to Friday, the Bison's last win over the Bulldogs came in 2008, a 73-70 victory on the road.
Dotson's 25 points give her 981 for her career. She is just 19 points away from becoming the 21st 1,000-point scorer in program history. She and the Bucknell team will return to the court on Sunday when they travel to Emmitsburg, Maryland to take on Mount Saint Mary's at 1 p.m.
