Bucknell University
14-5,5-3Patriot
Navy
6-13,3-6Patriot
Women's Basketball Defeats Navy on the Road, 53-43, in Defensive Battle
1/26/2022 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Bucknell women's basketball team earned its fifth Patriot League win of the season on Wednesday, defeating Navy 53-43 on the road at Alumni Hall. Navy (6-13, 3-6 PL) led 30-28 at halftime, but the Bison limited the Mids to just 5-of-33 (15.2%) and 13 points over the final two quarters. Taylor O'Brien led the Bison with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. With the win, Bucknell improved to 14-5 overall and 5-3 in league play.
Marly Walls also scored in double figures, posting 10 points in the second half after facing foul trouble and playing just five minutes over the first two quarters. Other notable performances included seven points and seven rebounds from Emma Shaffer, as well as nine points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block from Cecelia Collins.
Navy was led by senior Jennifer Coleman, who posted 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
Bucknell held a 49-37 edge on the glass and forced 14 Navy turnovers. As a team, the Bison shot 19-of-57 (33.3%) from the field and made three 3-pointers, all in the first half. The game saw 11 total lead changes.
"We made just enough plays. We really made some tough rebounds. I thought we had some players go in there and mix it up for some physical rebounds, which is a strength of Navy's. I was happy with that," said head coach Trevor Woodruff.
While defense was the story of the game, it's not how it began in any fashion. The Mids opened the game 6-of-6 with two makes from the arc, scoring 15 points over the first 4:25. Bucknell opened the first quarter 4-of-6 with a three. Navy led by six early on at 15-9, but it was its largest lead of the contest.
After the Mids started 6-of-6, they went just 1-of-11 to end the first frame. The Bison went 7-of-13 in the first, but they turned it over six times and trailed 17-16 heading into the second.
Six of the game's 11 lead changes occurred in the second quarter. Bucknell never led by more than two, and Navy's largest lead of the second was four (30-26). A pair of O'Brien free throws in the final minute cut the deficit to two, but Navy entered the locker rooms with the advantage. Bucknell was just 4-of-13 (30.8%) in the second, while Navy shot 5-of-14 (35.7%).
Though Bucknell opened the second half just 1-of-8, the Mids missed on their first seven attempts and allowed the Bison to grab a 35-30 lead following a 7-0 scoring run. Navy never led again in the contest.
Bucknell outscored the Mids 15-7 in the third, allowing just three made field goals and forcing five turnovers. Walls scored eight in the third quarter alone, adding a pair of steals and a rebound in her return from the bench. Bucknell entered the fourth leading 43-37.
End of 3rd | Bucknell 43, Navy 37
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) January 27, 2022
3rd Quarter | Marly Walls 8, Navy 7
Watch: https://t.co/TmoosB9Yb8 pic.twitter.com/YUMvURK0U3
Navy and Bucknell combined to go just 4-of-35 over the final 10 minutes of the game. A Walls layup with 5:12 to play in the fourth put the Bison up seven, but they were the last points by either team until the final 29 seconds. A Coleman 3-pointer cut Bucknell's lead to just four (47-43), but the Bison made their last six free throw attempts to seal the win.
Rookie Isabella King finished with a career-high five rebounds and a 3-pointer. Carly Krsul added four points, six rebounds, a pair of assists and a block.
Bucknell is now 1-1 against the Mids after suffering a 57-55 loss in Lewisburg back on Jan. 5.
"They beat us up there. They deserved it, but we had to get this one just to even it out a little bit. You don't want to get swept by anyone over the course of the season," said Woodruff. "It was all about just playing well today, and we played well enough. We've got to clean some things up. It wasn't good enough to where we were happy, but good enough to win today."
Bucknell stays on the road this weekend to face Loyola (Md.) on Saturday, Jan. 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
