Bucknell University
27-5
American
22-9
TICKET PUNCHED! Bison Women's Basketball Back in the Big Dance after 66-54 Win over American in PL Title Game
3/17/2019 2:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bison Clinch Second NCAA Tournament Berth in Last Three Seasons
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Kaitlyn Slagus, Kyi English and their senior classmates simply would not be denied. Slagus scored a game-high 23 points and English piloted the team with 14 points and six assists from the point guard spot, helping top-seeded Bucknell capture the 2019 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament championship with a 66-54 victory over No. 2 American on Sunday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion.
Now 28-5 on the season – a new program record for wins in a season -- the Bison are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years and for the fourth time in team history. American (22-10) will also see its season continue, as the Eagles will earn an automatic bid to the WNIT.
"I can't say enough about what a special group this is," said head coach Aaron Roussell, who is now 151-71 at Bucknell and will be taking the Bison to the NCAA Tournament for the second time. "The preparation for this day started all the way back in July, and I am so happy that the team is getting rewarded for all the hours of sweat and dedication that they put toward winning a championship."
Champ Champ!
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) March 17, 2019
Our juniors and seniors are the first classes in program history to win two Patriot League titles. #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/ZJs9kf6lPE
🏆 Make that 2⃣ titles in 3⃣ years for @CoachRous and @Bucknell_WBB. The Bison won the @PL_WBB title on Sunday at home on @CBSSportsNet. @Stadium pic.twitter.com/vskLLsGSS3
— Patriot League Network | PatriotLeague.tv (@PatriotLeagueTV) March 17, 2019
The victory was the 102nd for the Bucknell senior class of Slagus, English, Kate Walker, Rachel Dumiak and Maegan Mikkelsen, extending their school and Patriot League records. Fittingly, it was the seniors who set the tone, accounting for the team's first 23 points of the day and 48 of 66 overall.
Slagus, who was later named Tournament MVP, was dominant right from the start, she tallied seven points in Bucknell's 12-2 run to open the game, and she finished 9-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 from the 3-point arc, and 3-for-4 from the foul line. In addition to her 23 points, she added seven rebounds and four blocked shots.
Walker, who tallied eight points and seven rebounds despite some early foul trouble, hit a 3-pointer that gave Bucknell a 20-10 lead just 1:35 into the second quarter. The Bison then experienced their only major offensive lull, going the next 7:29 with just one field goal, a Slagus 3-pointer.
American took its first and only lead of the day at 24-23 on a Jade Edwards free throw with 1:06 left in the first half. Ellie Mack answered with a short baseline jumper, and then Mack made a great high-low feed to Slagus for a layup to beat the halftime buzzer. The Eagles' only lead lasted just 16 seconds, and Bucknell went to the locker room with a 27-24 advantage.
English opened the second half with a 3-pointer on Bucknell's first possession, and a few minutes later triples from Abby Kapp and Mack sandwiched around a Slagus layup ran the Bison lead back up to 10 at 40-30 and forced an American timeout.
The Bison left a few points on the free-throw line, however, and American was able to claw back within 47-41 at the end of the third period. But the Bucknell defense limited the Eagles to 5-for-16 shooting over the final 10 minutes to protect the lead.
American did connect on three straight 3-pointers in one stretch, but Bucknell answered with a bucket each time. Kaitlyn Marenyi's trey with 2:59 to go made it a four-point game at 56-52, but Kapp followed with a six-footer in the paint, and the Bison held American to 1-for-7 shooting the rest of the way, punctuated by Slagus' blocked shot on Patriot League Player of the Year Cecily Carl.
After a 5-for-12 start from the free-throw line, the Bison went 8-for-10 in the final 2:04.
Bucknell shot 48.9 percent overall, including 7-for-16 from 3-point distance. American was limited to 37.5 percent (6-18 3FG). The Bison had seven steals in the game, just three days after producing a tournament-record 18 thefts in a 66-31 semifinal victory over Holy Cross.
Carl paced American with 16 points, while Marenyi had 12 and Kaitlyn Lewis 11.
Mack was Bucknell's third double-figure scorer with 11 points, and she joined teammates Slagus and Walker on the All-Tournament Team.
The Bison seniors went 56-6 at Sojka Pavilion in their careers, including a 15-1 mark this year.
Bucknell's previous NCAA Tournament appearances came in 2002, 2008 and 2017. This is the second time the Bison have celebrated a Patriot League championship on their home floor. They also did so as the top seed two seasons ago, when they defeated Navy 79-71 in overtime.
