Bucknell University
9-0,8-0Patriot
Loyola (PL Quarterfinals)
0-13,0-11Patriot
Women's Basketball Returns to Patriot League Semis After 65-50 Win over Loyola (Md.)
3/7/2021 7:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – After a 35-day layoff, the No. 1 seeded Bucknell women's basketball team hosted No. 8 Loyola (Md.) at Sojka Pavilion for a Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal round game and won 65-50 on Sunday, earning a trip to the semifinals for the sixth season in a row. Both of Bucknell's First Team All-Patriot League selections, Tessa Brugler and Taylor O'Brien, posted double-doubles in the win, and senior Ally Johnson joined them in double figures with 16 points.
Bucknell (9-0) led by as many as 24 in the contest and never trailed. Meanwhile, the Bison defense limited Loyola (0-13) to just 11 first half points and just 3-of-16 (18.8%) from beyond the arc for the game. O'Brien led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Brugler also grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 11 points.
After a 7-0 Loyola run in the second quarter narrowed Bucknell's lead to 12-11, the Bison ended the half on a 15-0 scoring run that gave them a 27-11 lead at the break. The Greyhounds would get within single digits just once more at 59-50, but with 1:10 left in the fourth quarter it would be too late.
Bucknell shot 41.4 percent (24-58) for the game and hit 7-of-19 from beyond the arc. The Greyhounds shot 32.8 percent (21-64) from the field and were led by senior Isabella Therien's 16 points. Bucknell outrebounded the Greyhounds 42-38 and dished out 17 assists in the win.
Bucknell is now 9-0 for the first time in program history and has won a program-record 18 games in a row, dating back to last season.
While Bucknell's offense had a slow start to the game, the defense shut the Greyhounds down throughout the first two quarters. The Bison held Loyola to just two makes in the first 10 minutes. Loyola would make only three baskets in the second quarter and was shooting 17.2 percent by halftime.
Bucknell's 15-0 run at the end of the half saw the first seven points come from Johnson, who knocked down one of her three triples during the run. Three consecutive layups by Autumn Ceppi, Abby Kapp and Brugler closed out the quarter.
The Greyhounds played it much closer in the second half and improved their shooting to 44.4 percent. They scored 19, but Bucknell's offense was better. The Bison shot a game-high 61.5 percent (8-of-13) in the third and knocked down 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, adding 20 points to their total. O'Brien also took off in the third, scoring 11 of her 22 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Bucknell entered the final quarter holding onto a 47-30 advantage.
Loyola outscored Bucknell in the fourth and posted its best shooting effort of the game over the final 10 minutes. Johnson got the quarter started with a 3-pointer that gave Bucknell a clean 20-point lead, but a 16-7 Loyola run put the Greyhounds in a threatening position with 3:20 left in the game. By the time the Greyhounds cut Bucknell's lead to single digits they were forced to foul, and while the Bison made just 6-of-10 free throws in the final frame they had already built a big enough cushion to seal the victory.
O'Brien's 22 points matched her season high, and the 11 rebounds tied her career high. Brugler's double-double was her sixth of the season and ninth of her career. Johnson's 16 points were also a season high. Brugler and O'Brien are the first Bison to post double-doubles in the same game since February of 2017.
Other notable performances included eight points, two blocks and four assists for Ceppi, and four assists, three steals and a block from Kapp.
"All things considered, I'm really happy with the performance. It was a challenge to get to this point. February was as long and tough of a month as I've ever been a part of as a coach. So, for our team to get through that and get to this point was a proud thing, and then for them to win and advance and get to come back to practice tomorrow is exciting," said Patriot League Coach of the Year Trevor Woodruff. Woodruff is now 2-0 in the Patriot League Tournament and has guided the Bison to the semifinal round in back-to-back seasons.
As the No. 1 seed, Bucknell will host No. 4 Lehigh on Thursday, March 11 in the semifinals with a chance to advance to the Patriot League Championship game on Sunday, March 14. The Mountain Hawks won 75-57 over Holy Cross in the quarterfinals earlier in the day. Bucknell is 4-0 against the Mountain Hawks this season.
