Bucknell University
12-4,3-2Patriot
American
9-5,2-2Patriot
Women's Basketball Wins Third Straight, Defeats American, 62-52
1/16/2022 6:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's basketball team won its third straight conference game, defeating American, 62-52, on a snowy Sunday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison (12-4, 3-2 PL) had six different players score at least seven points on their way to the 10-point win over the Eagles (9-5, 2-2 PL). Cecelia Collins scored a team-high 14 points to go along with career-highs in assists (9), rebounds (7) and steals (3).
In addition to Collins, Carly Krsul scored 11 points in 14 foul-plagued minutes, and Taylor O'Brien had 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Emma Shaffer (9), Julie Kulesza (career-high 8) and Marly Walls (7) contributed strongly to the Bison scoring effort. Walls also had three steals, part of the 11 total the Bison had on 22 American turnovers.
For the game, Bucknell was 21-of-45 (46.7%) from the field and 6-of-15 (40%) from beyond the arc. All six of Bucknell's 3-pointers were made over the first 20 minutes. American shot 17-for-50 (34%), making just three field goals in each of the first three quarters.
The Eagles were led in scoring by Preseason Player of the Year Jade Edwards, who scored 22 points with nine boards.
The Orange & Blue led by as many as 19 points in the first half, with a 23-4 run breaking a 9-9 tie and giving the squad a 32-13 lead in the second quarter. Bucknell carried a 17-point lead into halftime, assisting on all 12 of its made field goals in the first half.
American's only lead of the game was at 6-5 early in the first, but Bucknell ended the quarter strong by shooting 50 percent and forcing five Eagles turnovers. The Bison went on a 9-0 run over the last 4:46 to take an 18-9 lead into the second.
American went scoreless over the final 4:46 of the opening quarter, and the scoring drought continued into the second where it took the visitors another 3:20 to stop the Bison run.
Bucknell went 4-of-7 from 3-point range in the second quarter and was at 50 percent from the field once more. The Bison built their largest lead of the game (32-13) with just 4:26 to go before halftime. American would add just one more field goal before the teams headed into the locker rooms.
Bucknell has not allowed a team to score more than 18 points in the first half over its last three games.
The Bison led by double digits throughout the third quarter, but American began to slowly work itself back into the contest. The Eagles pulled within 10 on two occasions in the third but wasn't able to get any closer due to eight more turnovers and another 3-of-11 effort from the field.
American did, however, go 8-of-10 at the foul line in the third and was only outscored 15-14 by the Bison for the quarter.
Trailing 47-31 at the start of the fourth, American used a 15-2 run to pull within five of tying with 5:04 left to play in the game. The Eagles shot 53 percent (8-of-15), forced six Bison turnovers and made their only 3-pointer of the afternoon to outscore Bucknell 23-15 over the final 10 minutes, but the Bison managed to hold on and collect their seventh consecutive win over American.
Bucknell travels to Hamilton, N.Y. next to take on Colgate on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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