Bucknell University
8-2,0-0Patriot
George Mason
6-5,0-0Atlantic 10
Five Players Score in Double Figures as Women's Basketball Downs George Mason, 77-67
12/18/2021 7:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Taylor O'Brien scored 16 points to pace five Bison in double figures and lead the Bucknell women's basketball team to a 77-67 victory over George Mason Saturday evening at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison shot nearly 60 percent in the first half as they built a 17-point halftime cushion.
Bucknell (8-2) extended its winning streak to seven games as it ended a 12-day layoff with the victory. Remi Sisselman scored a career-high 13 points off the bench and Carly Krsul added 11 as the Bison bench totaled 27 points. Starters Marly Walls (12 points) and Cecelia Collins (10) also reached double figures.
Bucknell led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter. The Bison totaled 21 assists on their 30 made field goals as they finished the game shooting 52 percent (30-of-58). Eight of Bucknell's assists were dished out by Walls, who tied her career high set earlier in the season.
Bucknell shot 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from beyond the arc with six different players hitting a 3-pointer. Sisselman led the category, making 3-of-5 attempts.
George Mason (6-5) was led by 24 points from Amaya Scott. She scored 19 of her points in the second half. As a team, the Patriots shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57).
The Bison opened the game with a 13-0 run over the first 2:35 of action, making five of their first six attempts and beginning 4-for-4 from 3-point range. George Mason, which missed its first five field goal attempts, narrowed the deficit to four near the end of the quarter, but the Bison entered the second leading 22-15. Sisselman, Walls, Collins and Tai Johnson combined to go 5-for-5 from beyond the arc in the first.
Bucknell shot even better in the second quarter, sinking 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from the field and knocking down two more triples. Meanwhile, the defense limited the Patriots to 21.4 percent (3-of-14). Bucknell outscored the visitors 19-9 in the frame, and the 41 points the Bison carried into the halftime break were the most they've scored in the first half this season. Bucknell was 7-of-9 from beyond the arc heading into the locker rooms.
Bucknell maintained a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter, but the Patriots cut the deficit to 10 on several occasions with 71.4 percent (10-of-14) shooting and five Bucknell turnovers. The Patriots outscored Bucknell 21-18 in the third, and a George Mason 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the quarter made it a 14-point game (69-45) heading into the final 10 minutes.
An O'Brien 3-pointer with 7:49 to play in the game gave Bucknell its largest lead of the contest at 67-45, but George Mason slowly whittled away at the deficit by forcing six more Bison turnovers. The Patriots used a 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter to pull within 10, and they had the game at single digits at 74-66 with 1:10 to play. The Bison were able to hold on, however, and secured their fifth double-digit victory in a row.
Other notable performances from Bucknell included six points on 3-of-3 shooting, a team-high seven rebounds and two assists from Emma Shaffer. Collins added a career-best five assists to her stat line, and Krsul wound up with three blocks. It was Krsul's fifth game this season with at least three blocks. Bucknell had not put five players in double figures since February 2019.
Bucknell returns to Sojka Pavilion on Monday, Dec. 20 to host Buffalo for its final non-conference game. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. It's Bucknell's first meeting with the Bulls since 2012.
