Bucknell University
9-3,0-1Patriot
Army
6-4,1-0Patriot
Women's Basketball Falls on the Road at Army in Patriot League Opener, 69-62
1/2/2022 2:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Taylor O'Brien scored a career-high 25 points, and Marly Walls matched her career high with 14, but it wasn't enough as the Bucknell women's basketball team suffered a 69-62 loss on the road at Army in its first Patriot League game of the season. After Bucknell held a 31-29 lead at halftime, Army went 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the final two quarters to hand the Bison their first loss in a month and a half, snapping an eight-game winning streak. It was also Bucknell's first loss in regular season Patriot League play since Feb. 1, 2020.
Bucknell (9-3, 0-1 PL) committed just seven turnovers and forced 15 from Army (6-4, 1-0 PL), but the Bison allowed the Black Knights to shoot 61.5 percent in the first quarter and 53.8 percent in the fourth. Bucknell, which shot 53.3 percent in the first, finished the game 27-of-67 (40.3%). Bucknell also went just 3-of-15 from three.
Although Bucknell led for more than 27 minutes of game time, the contest featured 13 lead changes. In the fourth quarter, which saw six lead changes, Bucknell held a 56-54 lead with 5:17 to play before a 7-0 run by the Black Knights gave them the lead for good.
Army senior Alisa Fallon, who played all 40 minutes of the game, paced the Black Knights with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Sabria Hunter also posted a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Army held a 41-33 advantage over the Bison on the glass.
Bucknell jumped out to a hot start in the game, going up 8-0 and forcing an Army timeout. The Black Knights came out of the timeout with a 9-2 run, and Bucknell never grew a lead larger than seven again. Trailing 20-13, Army ended the first quarter with back-to-back buckets to cut it to 20-17 heading into the second.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the second quarter, but Army was slightly better (31.3%) and sank the only two 3-pointers of the quarter. The Black Knights' 4-0 run from the end of the first continued into the second, turning into an 8-0 run that gave them their first lead of the game at 21-20. The game went back and forth before the Bison scored six of the final eight points over the last three minutes of the half to carry the lead into the locker rooms.
The story was similar in the third quarter with both teams shooting 40 percent. Bucknell was in front for more than eight minutes in the frame but was never able to gain separation as Army went 4-of-7 from 3-point range. A Fallon three at the buzzer gave Army a 45-44 lead at the end of three.
Army grew its lead to three with a layup just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter, but the Bison weren't done yet. Bucknell outscored Army 12-5 over the next four minutes to go up 56-52 with just over five minutes to play, but the Black Knights responded with a 7-0 run and didn't give up the lead again.
Before the loss, the Bison had won nine in a row over the Black Knights.
Along with her 25 points on 11-of-25 shooting, O'Brien finished one rebound shy of a double-double. She also added a pair of steals and a pair of assists. Walls' 14 points came on 7-of-11 shooting, and she racked up six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Emma Shaffer and Cecelia Collins both chipped in six points, and Shaffer had a team-high three steals.
Bucknell is back home on Wednesday, Jan. 5 to host Navy at Sojka Pavilion. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.
