Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bison Top Mids in Overtime for First Win at Navy Since 2009
1/14/2015 11:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Bucknell improved to 3-0 in overtime games this season with a 44-42 win over Navy in a Patriot League women's basketball game Wednesday at Alumni Hall. Sophomore Claire DeBoer recorded the ninth double-double of her career and scored the only basket by either team in the extra period on a layup with 2:31 left on the clock.
A Navy 3-pointer went off the front of the rim as time expired, ending the Mids' (9-7, 3-2 PL) three-game winning streak. The Bison improved to 11-5 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League with their first win at Navy since 2009. They have yet to lose back-to-back games this season.
DeBoer finished with 16 hard-fought points and 13 rebounds. She was routinely double teamed when she received the ball in the paint but managed to go 8-of-13 from the floor in a game where the teams combined for 29 percent shooting.
Bucknell's defensive effort and continued dominance on the boards carried it to the win. The Bison, who entered the game ranked ninth in the country in opponents' field goal percentage (33.7%), held Navy to 25.8 percent on 16-of-62 shooting. They rank first in the conference in rebounding margin and distanced themselves even further from the pack in that category with a 54-38 advantage, including 22 on the offensive end.
Sophomore point guard Megan McGurk, who finished with eight points, hit a jumper to put Bucknell up 42-37 with 3:08 left in regulation. Navy cut the lead to two on a 3-pointer by Ashanti Kennedy with 1:31 on the clock, and tied the game on a Marina Muenster jumper with 27 seconds to play. The Mids were aided in their comeback by the Bison missing the front end of a one-and-one twice late in the game.
McGurk finished with three field goals, including two old fashioned 3-point plays, and all three came at pivotal moments of the game.
“She's a very good player and we need her to step up for us,” Bucknell head coach Aaron Roussell said. “She needs to own that point guard role. I thought Tara Wilk came in and gave us some good minutes there, too, and we were able to get Megan off the floor a little.”
Senior Audrey Dotson had 12 boards for her sixth double-digit rebounding game of the season. Junior Claire Maree O'Bryan had six, while junior Sheaira Jones and senior Micki Impellizeri pulled down four apiece. Impellizeri added three blocks to give her a team-leading 25 on the season.
DeBoer scored eight points in the first half to lead Bucknell to a 23-16 advantage at the break. It was the lowest first-half point total of the season for the Bison, but also the lowest points they have allowed in the first half this year.
Navy took a 9-8 lead on a layup by Muenster with 9:33 left in the opening half. Bucknell responded with an 8-0 run, starting with a jumper by freshman Carly Richardson. McGurk hit a driving layup and a free throw for a 3-point play, and freshman Jacquie Klotz hit one of her two first-half 3-pointers during the run.
Bucknell's 11-5 record is its best this far into the season since 2000-01. Its 6-3 record on the road is the program's best since the 2005-06 season.
The Bison will be back on the road for their next game as they travel to West Point to take on Army on Sunday at 2 p.m.
