Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
21-6,14-2Patriot
Colgate
19-8,11-5Patriot
Women's Basketball Secures Regular Season Title with 76-65 Win at Colgate
2/26/2020 9:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NOTE: Please join the Bison men's and women's basketball teams for the final luncheon of the season on Thursday at noon at Matty's Sporthouse Grill in Lewisburg. Coaches Nathan Davis and Trevor Woodruff will be joined by student-athletes for comments and Q&A. The $11 admission includes lunch.
HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Bucknell women's basketball team won its fourth regular season title in five years with a 76-65 win over the Colgate Raiders Wednesday evening. Four Bison scored in double figures in the win, including a team-high 20 points by Ellie Mack. It was a back-and-forth affair that saw 15 lead changes and one of the highest scoring outputs by Bucknell (21-6, 14-2 PL) this season. With the win, the Bison secured a No. 1 seed and home court advantage throughout the Patriot League tournament.
Bucknell shot 52.5 percent (31-of-59) for the game and was over 60 percent in the first and fourth quarters. Bucknell also won the battle of the boards 35-26.
Abby Kapp added 18 points to the Bison effort, and both Tessa Brugler and Taylor O'Brien chipped in 10. Mack provided seven assists to go along with her 20 points, and Bucknell's 76 points were one shy of its season high.
"It's good to be able to play multiple styles. That's not a tempo we normally like to play, but there was good flow," said head coach Trevor Woodruff. "We were scoring points and hanging with them so I was okay with it, but I did think in the fourth quarter the game got to our pace and we were able to pull it out."
Colgate (19-8, 11-5 PL) shot 49.1 percent (27-of-55) and were led by Rachel Thompson's 19 points.
Bucknell trailed 59-58 with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter before outscoring the Raiders 18-6 down the stretch to secure the win. Prior to that, the largest separation by either team was five points. Colgate led by four with 1:06 left in the third quarter.
Most of the game's scoring occurred in the first half, where Bucknell scored a season-best 40 points and Colgate scored 37. The Bison were trailing 37-36 with just over a minute left in the second quarter when Mack scored four in a row to send the Bison into the locker rooms with the lead. 15 of Kapp's 18 points were scored in the first half off 6-of-9 shooting and three made 3-pointers.
HALF | Bucknell 40, Colgate 37
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) February 27, 2020
Highest scoring first half of the season by the Bison. Both teams shot better than 50% and there were 9 lead changes. Kapp has been outstanding with 15 points.
Watch live on @PatriotLeagueTV pic.twitter.com/3QZ7GnM19C
The Raiders' best run of the game came in the third quarter when they scored nine straight points, including a 3-pointer that gave them a 53-49 lead and forced Bucknell to call a timeout.
There were four more lead changes in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter before the Bison took the lead for good. Bucknell's 11-point advantage at the end of the game was its largest of the contest.
O'Brien led the team in rebounds with eight and dished out four assists. Other notable performances include a nine-point, seven-rebound outing for Autumn Ceppi and two made 3-pointers for Ally Johnson.
Woodruff becomes the fourth head coach in Patriot League history to win a regular season title in his first season and the first since 2006.
"We were in a position to do it today and I wanted to do it today. I didn't want this to linger and become a thing," said Woodruff. "To get it done in the first opportunity we had is a good sign for us. We were in a big moment on the road against arguably the best team in the league and we were victorious. Just a big step in the direction we want to go, which is the tournament championship."
Bucknell has two regular season games still to play, beginning with Boston U. on Saturday, Feb. 29. Saturday is also senior day for Bucknell, and the team will be celebrating the careers of Gia Hayes and Mack prior to the game. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network.
