Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
24-6,16-2Patriot
Army
9-22,4-14Patriot
Hot-Shooting Women's Basketball Defeats Army West Point 87-61 to Advance to PL Semis
3/9/2020 7:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's basketball team shot 72.2 percent in the first quarter on its way to a 29-14 advantage and defeated Army West Point 87-61 in a Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinal game Monday evening at Sojka Pavilion. Four Bison scored in double figures, led by Taylor O'Brien's 17 points.
Top-seeded Bucknell (24-6) will now play in Thursday's Patriot League Semifinals against either Holy Cross or Lafayette. The game will be played at Sojka Pavilion at 6 p.m.
The Bison shot well throughout the game, finishing at 58.1 percent (36-for-62), including 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) from 3-point range.
Tessa Brugler (15 points), Abby Kapp (14) and Ellie Mack (10) joined O'Brien in double figures. Kapp knocked down four 3-pointers, while Mack posted a double-double with 10 points to go along with her 10 rebounds.
Bucknell outrebounded the ninth-seeded Black Knights (9-22) 43-24. Autumn Ceppi grabbed seven rebounds, while Carly Krsul hauled in eight in just under 12 minutes of playing time.
The Bison's 87 points marked a season-high figure as they defeated Army for a third time this season. Those three wins were by nearly 23 points per contest.
The Bison were hot from the start of the contest as they opened the first quarter on an 11-0 run and forced Army into a timeout after just two minutes of action. Bucknell started 5-for-5 from the field and finished the quarter 13-for-18 with a 3-for-5 showing from beyond the arc. Eight of Kapp's points came in the first 10 minutes. Army, on the other hand, failed to score through the first 3:14. Bucknell led by as many as 17 in the first quarter.
"I thought it was important that we get off to a good start and make some shots," said head coach Trevor Woodruff. "When you're in our position, the pressure is on you because you're home, you're the higher seed, and if you don't get off to a good start, that pressure can mount a little bit."
8:03 1st | What a start for Bucknell! The Bison are 4-for-4 and opened the game with 9 unanswered, forcing Army to call an early timeout.
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) March 9, 2020
Watch live at @PatriotLeagueTV pic.twitter.com/FEOlMv66iO
The lead grew to 21 by the midway point of the second before Army managed to go on a 5-0 run, which was its largest of the first half. The 40 percent that Army shot in the second quarter was its best of the game. The Black Knights were also 3-for-6 on 3-point attempts in the second after hitting just 1-of-6 in the game's opening quarter.
The Bison's 46 first half points were a season-best. O'Brien and Kapp each reached double figures by halftime, and Bucknell was shooting 61.3 percent by the break. The Bison were also 5-for-8 from beyond the arc through the first 20 minutes.
Like the first half, Bucknell opened the third quarter on a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 29. A Tai Johnson 3-pointer at the 4:58 mark had the deficit up to 30, which was as large as it would get through the remainder of the game. Bucknell led by double digits from the 2:33 mark in the first quarter on.
"Ecstatic to survive and advance and continue to play," said Woodruff. "We're excited to be where we're at. I thought from start to finish it was one of our better performances of the season."
10 different Bucknell players scored in the win, and all but three shot over 50 percent. The Bison finished the game with a season-high 21 assists, which is two shy of Bucknell's record in the Patriot League Tournament. Ally Johnson provided six of those assists, matching her career high. Bucknell also blocked six shots, with Autumn Ceppi and Carly Krsul combining for four of those. Bridget Tobin recorded her first career points with a 3-pointer in the final minute of the game.
"The women were terrific, and it was great to see everybody get in the game and contribute. We're moving on," said Woodruff.
Bucknell will host the Semifinal round of the Patriot League tournament on Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network.
