Saturday, March 2
Easton, PA
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
12-16,9-8Patriot
56
at
45
Lafayette
10-18,5-12Patriot
1
2
3
4
F
Bucknell
11
15
14
16
56
Lafayette
9
12
16
8
45
Matthews Sets Career-High in Points in Bucknell's 56-45 Win Over Lafayette
3/2/2024 3:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EASTON, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (12-16, 9-8 Patriot League) used a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Lafayette Leopards (10-18, 5-12 Patriot League) in a 56-45 victory on Saturday afternoon. Bucknell is now on a three-game winning streak and steadily moving up the Patriot League standings as the team heads into the heart of March. The Bison never trailed in the game and led for 38:21 minutes.
"Lafayette has always been a challenging place for us to play so getting out with the win is a good thing," said head coach Trevor Woodruff. "I like the emotional state of our team right now as we head down the stretch."
Blake Matthews tallied a career-high 15 points on a brutally efficient 7-of-9 shooting. The sophomore guard started the 12-0 run with a massive three-pointer and a jump shot. Matthews also provided four assists.Â
Emma Theodorsson led the Bison with 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds.Â
Ashley Sofilkanich scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from the foul line. She excelled in the distribution game, supplying four assists.Â
Grace Sullivan increased her stretch of double-digit games to seven by 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting. She grabbed nine rebounds, thus narrowly missing a second double-double.Â
Bucknell shot 23-of-57 (40.4) from the field and 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the line. Lafayette went 20-of-56 (35.7%) and 2-of-13 (15.4%) from the three-point line, as the Bison's defense proved suffocating on outside shooting.Â
Makayla Andrews, a Lafayette senior, led the Leopards with 22 points on 10-of-23 shooting, obtained on slashing drives.Â
Bucknell started the game on a 5-0 run, setting the tone for the contest. Neither team scored for the next two and a half minutes, which also set the tone of a defensive, grinding game. Bucknell kept ahead of the Leopards, but Lafayette obtained some momentum when they hit a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded. Bucknell still led 11-9.
Lafayette tied the game at 11-11. The Bison responded with a 13-4 run to establish some separation. Theodorsson started the rally with a traditional three-point play and made another basket. Matthews and Sofilkanich both scored four points to top off the run. If the first half of the second quarter belonged to Bucknell, the Leopards owned the second portion. Lafayette ended the quarter on a 6-2 run. The Bison led 26-21 at halftime.
The third quarter commenced with both teams answering each other's scores. Lafayette would sneak within three points, and Bucknell would reply. The Leopards broke through with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 32-32. Matthews tallied a basket. Theodorsson supplied an answer, scoring four straight points, and Sofilkanich added a basket. Lafayette scored five more points, but Bucknell had the 40-37 lead.
The final stanza began ominously for the Bison. Lafayette tied the game at 40-40 and had the Kirby Sports Center rocking. The Orange & Blue replied with a massive run as they did against Loyola (Md.). The Bison rattled off a 12-0 run to effectively seal the victory. Matthews started the run with a picture-perfect three-pointer and added a jump shot. Sofilkanich and Theodorsson combined to score three free throws. Sullivan added a layup, and Ashley O'Connor deposited a jump shot.
Lafayette ended the Bison run with a two-pointer. Bucknell was not concerned as Matthews and Theodorsson scored baskets. The Leopards drained a three-pointer, but it mattered not. Coach Woodruff cleared the bench, and the Bison partisans celebrated a third-straight triumph.
Up Next
The Bison conclude the regular season with a home date against Navy on March 6. The Midshipmen are 8-9 in the Patriot League. It is a crucial matchup for tournament seeding. Bison fans need to pack Sojka.
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"Lafayette has always been a challenging place for us to play so getting out with the win is a good thing," said head coach Trevor Woodruff. "I like the emotional state of our team right now as we head down the stretch."
Blake Matthews tallied a career-high 15 points on a brutally efficient 7-of-9 shooting. The sophomore guard started the 12-0 run with a massive three-pointer and a jump shot. Matthews also provided four assists.Â
Emma Theodorsson led the Bison with 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds.Â
Ashley Sofilkanich scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from the foul line. She excelled in the distribution game, supplying four assists.Â
Grace Sullivan increased her stretch of double-digit games to seven by 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting. She grabbed nine rebounds, thus narrowly missing a second double-double.Â
Bucknell shot 23-of-57 (40.4) from the field and 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the line. Lafayette went 20-of-56 (35.7%) and 2-of-13 (15.4%) from the three-point line, as the Bison's defense proved suffocating on outside shooting.Â
Makayla Andrews, a Lafayette senior, led the Leopards with 22 points on 10-of-23 shooting, obtained on slashing drives.Â
Bucknell started the game on a 5-0 run, setting the tone for the contest. Neither team scored for the next two and a half minutes, which also set the tone of a defensive, grinding game. Bucknell kept ahead of the Leopards, but Lafayette obtained some momentum when they hit a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded. Bucknell still led 11-9.
Lafayette tied the game at 11-11. The Bison responded with a 13-4 run to establish some separation. Theodorsson started the rally with a traditional three-point play and made another basket. Matthews and Sofilkanich both scored four points to top off the run. If the first half of the second quarter belonged to Bucknell, the Leopards owned the second portion. Lafayette ended the quarter on a 6-2 run. The Bison led 26-21 at halftime.
The third quarter commenced with both teams answering each other's scores. Lafayette would sneak within three points, and Bucknell would reply. The Leopards broke through with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 32-32. Matthews tallied a basket. Theodorsson supplied an answer, scoring four straight points, and Sofilkanich added a basket. Lafayette scored five more points, but Bucknell had the 40-37 lead.
The final stanza began ominously for the Bison. Lafayette tied the game at 40-40 and had the Kirby Sports Center rocking. The Orange & Blue replied with a massive run as they did against Loyola (Md.). The Bison rattled off a 12-0 run to effectively seal the victory. Matthews started the run with a picture-perfect three-pointer and added a jump shot. Sofilkanich and Theodorsson combined to score three free throws. Sullivan added a layup, and Ashley O'Connor deposited a jump shot.
Lafayette ended the Bison run with a two-pointer. Bucknell was not concerned as Matthews and Theodorsson scored baskets. The Leopards drained a three-pointer, but it mattered not. Coach Woodruff cleared the bench, and the Bison partisans celebrated a third-straight triumph.
Up Next
The Bison conclude the regular season with a home date against Navy on March 6. The Midshipmen are 8-9 in the Patriot League. It is a crucial matchup for tournament seeding. Bison fans need to pack Sojka.
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Team Stats
Buck
Laf
FG%
.404
.357
3FG%
.200
.154
FT%
.667
.500
RB
35
40
TO
8
15
STL
9
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
PG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF/G
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