Bucknell University
16-6,7-4Patriot
Lafayette
7-14,3-8Patriot
Women's Basketball Wins 68-40 over Lafayette at Sojka Sunday Evening
2/6/2022 7:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's basketball team forced 21 turnovers while knocking down 9-of-18 attempts from 3-point range to defeat Lafayette 68-40 at Sojka Pavilion Sunday evening. Four Bison scored in double figures, led by 14 from Marly Walls, as the team shot 45 percent (27-of-60) from the field to seal the Senior Night victory. Walls added a team-high five assists with three of Bucknell's season-high 13 steals.
Tai Johnson (11), Carly Krsul (10) and Isabella King (10) joined Walls with double-digit scoring, and Krsul added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Senior Taylor O'Brien chipped in seven rebounds, eight points, three steals and two assists.
Bucknell improved to 16-6 overall and 7-4 in Patriot League play with the win. It was Bucknell's 15th consecutive victory over Lafayette (7-14, 3-8 PL).
Lafayette was 18-of-54 (33.3%) for the game, and Abby Antognoli scored a game-high 17 points.
Bucknell scored 19 points off the 21 Lafayette turnovers, while the Leopards managed just two points off of 13 Bison mistakes. The two teams finished even on the glass (35-35).
Bucknell used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to open up a double-digit lead at 21-7, and the Leopards were only able to get back within 10 once more. Bucknell went on to shoot 16-of-30 (53%) from the field and 7-of-11 (64%) from beyond the arc in the second half.
Bucknell saw a rough start to the game offensively, as it took the team more than five and a half minutes to put points on the board and it began 0-for-7. Luckily, the defense kept the Leopards in check and the deficit was only 2-0 before Walls erased the zero with a free throw at 4:24 to go in the first.
Lafayette scored on its first possession of the first quarter and its last, allowing Bucknell to go on a 7-0 run in between and enter the second quarter with a 7-4 advantage. The Leopards would never lead again after hitting just 2-of-11 (18.2%) and turning it over seven times in the opening 10 minutes.
Bucknell looked far better in the second quarter, shooting 44.4 percent and knocking down two triples. A 9-0 Bison run that included six points from Krsul and a Julie Kulesza 3-pointer put Bucknell up by 14 with 5:35 to play in the half. The Leopards made it a 9-point game with 1:27 to go in the second, but it was as close as they'd get the rest of the way as Bucknell scored the final six of the half to carry a 28-13 advantage into the locker rooms.
Both teams came out of halftime hot, and three of the first four makes were from beyond the arc. Bucknell went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the third quarter, with Walls, Kulesza, King and Cecelia Collins all hitting one apiece. The Bison got up by as many as 22 in the frame.
3rd | Bucknell 40, Lafayette 20
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) February 6, 2022
Bucknell and Lafayette opened the second half a combined 4-for-6 from the arc. Kulesza has two triples in the game, and the Bison are 5-of-11 on the day.
Watch: https://t.co/x7kQUjJN1t pic.twitter.com/LRpAKLNgI0
Lafayette's best shooting efforts came in the fourth, scoring 15 points on 7-of-12 (41.2%) shooting, but the Bison were better. Bucknell went 10-of-16 (62.5%) and hit three more from the arc. Bucknell led by as many as 30 late in the stanza, and all 12 players registered minutes before the final buzzer sounded.
Collins finished the day with eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Kulesza ended with six points, two steals and an assist. All 11 of Johnson's points were scored over the final 10 minutes of the contest.
The Bison hit the road next for a game at American on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
