Monday, November 4
University Park, Pa.
5 p.m.
Bucknell University
0-1,0-0Patriot
68
at
90
Penn State
1-0,0-0Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Bucknell
15
20
22
11
68
Penn St.
33
18
16
23
90
Women's Basketball Battles Penn State in Opening Day Loss
11/4/2024 7:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (0-1) found plenty of positives in its 90-68 opening day loss to Pennsylvanian rival Penn State University Nittany Lions (1-0) on Monday night. The Orange & Blue debuted several exciting freshmen and transfer players and kept the Lions on their toes throughout the second half. Bucknell rebounded after the tough opening minutes to keep the score within manageable deficits for most of the game.Â
Reese Zemitis made her collegiate debut scoring 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting to lead the Bison effort. The rookie sharpshooter went 4-of-7 from three-point land. Stetson transfer Anna Kunzwiler directed the offense and tallied 11 points. Redshirt junior Sophia Sabino was the third Bison in double-digits with ten points. Isabella King reworked her aerial stroke and delivered three treys on six attempts for nine points, inching herself closer to the program's top ten for career three-pointers.Â
The Bison used a bountiful three-point attack (12-of-29) to keep the score within range. Bucknell averaged 4.1 three-pointers per game in 2023-24 and a long-distance attack will open up more space for forward Ashley Sofilkanich and her cohorts.Â
Penn State also hit their share of treys, led by Moriah Murray's eight, for a 11-for-25 rate. Murray paced all scorers with 28 points. Gracie Merkle, a 6-6 center, provided 21 points. The Nittany Lions shot 26 free throws (making 19) to Bucknell's nine (six made).
Bucknell cut the score to 67-57 on a Kunzwiler three-pointer with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. The tally energized the Bison bench and silenced the Bryce Jordan Center crowd except for the healthy Bison contingent. The belief was palpable but short-lived as the Nittany Lions went on an extended run to lead 81-62 by the fourth quarter media timeout. The run essentially put the game to bed.Â
The Bison struggled out of the gate committing turnovers and falling behind 10-0. The Penn State press played havoc with the Bison's offensive forcing ten turnovers in the opening stanza. The Lions grew their lead to 33-15 entering the second quarter.Â
Bucknell settled down and outscored Penn State 42-34 in the second and third quarters. The opening and final periods were the Bison's kryptonite as Penn State deposited 56 points to Bucknell's 26.Â
The final Bison point came via Julia Heiden's free throw. Heiden, a freshman and daughter of Bucknell men's basketball player Bo Heiden, made her collegiate debut in the last 33 seconds and drew a foul. Isabella Casey also made her collegiate debut as Elana Weisman, who scored eight points. Overall, four Bison freshmen played against Penn State.
Bucknell remains on the road this Saturday when the team hits the Pennsylvania Turnpike and visits the Steel City for a showdown with Pitt.Â
Reese Zemitis made her collegiate debut scoring 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting to lead the Bison effort. The rookie sharpshooter went 4-of-7 from three-point land. Stetson transfer Anna Kunzwiler directed the offense and tallied 11 points. Redshirt junior Sophia Sabino was the third Bison in double-digits with ten points. Isabella King reworked her aerial stroke and delivered three treys on six attempts for nine points, inching herself closer to the program's top ten for career three-pointers.Â
The Bison used a bountiful three-point attack (12-of-29) to keep the score within range. Bucknell averaged 4.1 three-pointers per game in 2023-24 and a long-distance attack will open up more space for forward Ashley Sofilkanich and her cohorts.Â
Penn State also hit their share of treys, led by Moriah Murray's eight, for a 11-for-25 rate. Murray paced all scorers with 28 points. Gracie Merkle, a 6-6 center, provided 21 points. The Nittany Lions shot 26 free throws (making 19) to Bucknell's nine (six made).
Bucknell cut the score to 67-57 on a Kunzwiler three-pointer with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. The tally energized the Bison bench and silenced the Bryce Jordan Center crowd except for the healthy Bison contingent. The belief was palpable but short-lived as the Nittany Lions went on an extended run to lead 81-62 by the fourth quarter media timeout. The run essentially put the game to bed.Â
The Bison struggled out of the gate committing turnovers and falling behind 10-0. The Penn State press played havoc with the Bison's offensive forcing ten turnovers in the opening stanza. The Lions grew their lead to 33-15 entering the second quarter.Â
Bucknell settled down and outscored Penn State 42-34 in the second and third quarters. The opening and final periods were the Bison's kryptonite as Penn State deposited 56 points to Bucknell's 26.Â
The final Bison point came via Julia Heiden's free throw. Heiden, a freshman and daughter of Bucknell men's basketball player Bo Heiden, made her collegiate debut in the last 33 seconds and drew a foul. Isabella Casey also made her collegiate debut as Elana Weisman, who scored eight points. Overall, four Bison freshmen played against Penn State.
Bucknell remains on the road this Saturday when the team hits the Pennsylvania Turnpike and visits the Steel City for a showdown with Pitt.Â
Team Stats
Buck
PSU
FG%
.410
.455
3FG%
.414
.440
FT%
.667
.731
RB
32
44
TO
22
17
STL
7
12
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F/G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG/F
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