Bucknell University
18-7,9-5Patriot
Lehigh
17-7,9-4Patriot
O'Brien Scores 27 in Women's Basketball's 56-54 Comeback Victory Over Lehigh
2/16/2022 8:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Taylor O'Brien scored a career-high 27 points, 19 of which came in the second half, to lead the Bucknell women's basketball team to a 56-54 comeback victory over Lehigh Wednesday evening at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison trailed 34-23 at halftime and outscored the Mountain Hawks 33-20 in the second half.
Lehigh's Mackenzie Kramer ─ who scored a team-high 27 points ─ connected on a 3-pointer just after the buzzer that would have given the Mountain Hawks the victory.
O'Brien totaled 11 rebounds, four steals and two assists to go along with her 27 points to collect the sixth double-double of her career. She made 11-of-23 field goals, including 8-of-12 in the second half.
Bucknell's (18-7, 9-5 PL) comeback was keyed by a strong third quarter. The Bison forced nine Lehigh (17, 9-4 PL) turnovers in the period and outscored the Mountain Hawks 18-5. O'Brien scored 11 points in the frame. As a team, the Bison went 8-of-15 (53.3%) in the third while Lehigh was just 2-of-12 (16.7%).
The Bison forced 20 Lehigh turnovers in the contest and scored 15 points off those miscues.
Carly Krsul joined O'Brien in double figures with 14 points off the bench.
The Mountain Hawks posted five turnovers in the opening quarter, but three makes from beyond the arc kept them in the driver seat as they led for six minutes. Bucknell never trailed by more than five and the lead changed three times during the first 10 minutes. Lehigh carried a 15-10 lead into the second quarter.
The Bison kept the deficit around five through most of the second, but a 10-0 run by the Mountain Hawks that lasted more than three and a half minutes gave them their largest lead of the game at 32-19. Lehigh shot 50 percent in the frame and made three more 3-pointers, while Bucknell was just 5-for-20 (25%).
Bucknell entered halftime trailing by 11 (34-23) and having shot just 30 percent over the first 20 minutes. O'Brien was just 3-for-11 with eight points through the first half, and Lehigh held a 27-15 advantage on the glass.
Lehigh continued to make mistakes after halftime with turnovers on its first four possessions, and Bucknell used a 12-2 run to whittle away at the Mountain Hawk lead. Finally, with two minutes to go in the third, a Krsul driving layup tied the game at 39-39.
O'Brien added another field goal – her fifth of the quarter – with 30 seconds left to put Bucknell on top for the first time since the 3:16 mark in the first quarter.
End of 3rd | Bucknell 41, Lehigh 39
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) February 17, 2022
What a quarter! Bucknell outscored Lehigh 18-5 and forced nine turnovers to take the lead. O'Brien scored 12 in the quarter on 5-of-7 shooting to get to 20 points for the game.
Watch: https://t.co/eEoqBU5HAK pic.twitter.com/I7zue8ryHn
The lead went back and forth four times over the final 10 minutes, and things were all tied up at 48-48 after a Kramer 3-pointer with 5:26 to go. 19 seconds later, Tai Johnson knocked down Bucknell's only three of the night to give the Bison the lead for good.
4th | Bucknell 51, Lehigh 48
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) February 17, 2022
TAI JOHNSONNNN! Clutch.
Watch: https://t.co/eEoqBU5HAK pic.twitter.com/LodwxA8tft
Leading 56-54 with nine seconds to go, Bucknell had a chance to go up by two possessions, but O'Brien missed a floater to give Lehigh one more chance. The Mountain Hawks inbounded the ball with 1.5 seconds left on the clock and got it to Kramer at the top of the arc, but she was too late as the final horn sounded.
With the win, Bucknell collected its second series sweep of the season and won its 11th straight regular season game against the Mountain Hawks.
O'Brien's 27 points are the most scored by a Bucknell player since Ellie Mack posted 33 against Quinnipiac in November 2019.
Marly Walls finished the game with five assists for the third time in the last four games. She also added four steals and four rebounds. Bucknell committed just seven turnovers on the evening.
The Bison head to Easton, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 19 to take on Lafayette. Bucknell defeated the Leopards 68-40 at home back on Feb. 6. The game tips off at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
