Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
2-3,0-0Patriot
Temple
4-2,0-1AAC
Women's Basketball Falls to Temple, 72-61
11/20/2019 7:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Tessa Brugler posted her first career double-double with career highs in points (15) and rebounds (11) off the bench, but the Bucknell women's basketball team saw its 12-game home winning streak come to an end with a 72-61 loss to Temple Wednesday evening at Sojka Pavilion.
The Bison led 33-32 at halftime and were up by as many as six in the first quarter, but Temple (4-2) outscored Bucknell (2-3) by 12 points in the second half with a 56.4 percent effort from the floor. Meanwhile, the Bison were held to 34.8 percent shooting for the game.
Temple, which was coming off a 29-point loss to Connecticut, was led by 24 points from Ashley Jones. Mia Davis also registered 20 points, while Lena Niang had 17 points off the bench.
Bucknell's 18-12 lead in the first quarter was built on a perfect 6-for-6 showing at the free throw line and six Owl turnovers. A 9-0 scoring run by the Bison gave them a six-point lead, the largest of the game, at the end of the first.
Though the Bison shot just 31.6 percent in the second, they got help from a 3-for-3 quarter from Abby Kapp that included one from behind the arc. A 7-0 Temple run gave the Owls their first taste of the lead with 5:36 remaining in the half, but the Bison came back with a 5-0 run to recapture it. The teams entered the locker rooms with the Bison leading by one and with Brugler already at 10 points and five rebounds.
Bucknell maintained its lead through the first five minutes of the third quarter before Temple got hot. The Owls shot a game-high 58.3 percent in the third and went 7-for-12 from the charity stripe after not attempting any free throws in the first half. The Bison picked up two more from the 3-point line, but Temple sent the game into the fourth with a 52-46 lead.
Ally Johnson got the fourth quarter going for Bucknell with her third made 3-pointer of the contest, which brought the Bison within three. Temple responded with a 7-0 run to go up 10, which was the largest lead by either team at that point. Still, the Bison gave themselves a chance by scoring 11 of the next 14 points and pulling within two.
After the Owls sank back-to-back buckets with under two minutes remaining, the Bison were forced to foul. Temple hit all six of its final free throws to seal the 11-point victory.
The Owls were 27-for-49 (55.1%) from the floor, including 7-of-16 from 3-point range.
Kapp (4) and Brugler (3) combined to record seven of Bucknell's nine steals. Ellie Mack tallied 12 points and eight rebounds, while Taylor O'Brien chipped in 10 points off the bench for Bucknell. Bucknell outrebounded the Owls 33-32 in the contest.
"That was one of our keys to the game. I thought if anything else, they really did zero-in and work hard on the glass," said head coach Trevor Woodruff. "I think we've recognized a few of our main issues and we're trying to attack them on a daily basis."
Up next, Bucknell heads to San Juan, P.R. to compete in the Puerto Rico Clasico during the Thanksgiving holiday. Bucknell will face Howard on Wednesday, Nov. 27, then take on Cincinnati on Thursday, Nov. 28. Both games are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
