Bucknell University
15-5,6-3Patriot
Loyola
4-15,1-8Patriot
Bucknell Rolls to 60-45 Win at Loyola, Completes Series Sweep of Greyhounds
1/29/2022 5:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BALTIMORE, Md. – The Bucknell women's basketball team won its second road game of the week on Saturday, defeating Loyola (Md.) at Reitz Arena 60-45. The Bison led wire-to-wire and were up by as many as 22 at one point. Four Bison scored in double figures, including a team-high 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from Carly Krsul. The junior added four blocks, five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Bucknell improved to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in Patriot League play with the victory.
Sophomore Julie Kulesza scored a career-high 11 points, knocking down three from beyond the arc, and rookie Isabella King poured in a career-high 10 points. Cecelia Collins was the fourth Bison in double figures, chipping in 11 with five rebounds and four assists. Also notable were a career-high six assists for Taylor O'Brien.
They Greyhounds were led by senior Taleah Dixon's 14 points, and rookie Lex Therien added a double-double (11 points, 13 rebounds).
Bucknell scored 21 points off 19 Loyola turnovers and racked up 17 assists. The Bison also outscored the Greyhounds 28-12 in the paint, while Bucknell's bench contrinuted 35 points to the victory.
For the game, Bucknell was 21-of-44 (47.7%) and knocked down 7-of-20 from 3-point range. The Greyhounds went 15-for-42 (34.9%).
Bucknell built its early lead by holding the Greyhounds to just 2-of-9 and forcing seven turnovers in the first quarter. It took Loyola 4:50 of game time to score its first points, and it had just four on the board after 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Bucknell was a solid 7-for-16 (43.8%) in the first and made three 3-pointers, including a 2-for-2 showing from Kulesza.
All six of O'Brien's assists occurred in the opening quarter, and Krsul had two of her four blocks. Bucknell entered the second quarter leading 18-4.
Loyola was improved offensively in the second quarter, shooting 5-of-8 (62.5%), but Bucknell was better. The Bison hit 7-of-9 (77.8%), going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. King had two of the triples and totaled eight points in the frame. Bucknell also forced seven more Loyola turnovers.
An 11-2 scoring run put Bucknell up by 21, and the Bison would carry the 38-17 advantage into the locker rooms.
The Bison weren't quite as sharp coming out of halftime. They shot just 37.5 percent and saw seven turnovers in the third. The Greyhounds went 4-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Loyola also made 5-of-8 at the charity stripe.
A 7-0 Loyola run cut Bucknell's lead to 15 with 2:03 to play in the third quarter, but Bucknell entered the fourth with a 48-32 lead.
Loyola never got closer than 15 the rest of the way and shot just 23.6 percent (4-of-17) over the fourth quarter. Bucknell knocked down one more 3-pointer, as O'Brien opened the quarter with her first triple in four games. 11 of 12 Bison registered minutes by the end of the game, and eight different Bucknell players scored.
Bucknell has now held teams to under 50 points eight times this season. The Bison are also winners of six of their last seven outings
Bucknell returns to Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday, Feb. 2 to host Boston U. That game tips off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
