Saturday, March 9
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
13-17,9-9Patriot
77
vs
71
American (PL First Round)
10-20,8-10Patriot
1
2
3
4
F
American
18
13
24
16
71
Bucknell
27
18
17
15
77
Women's Basketball Advances in PL Tournament With 77-71 Home Win Over American
3/9/2024 8:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Eighth-seeded Bucknell made 13 of 18 fields goals in the first quarter to race out to a 27-18 lead after 10 minutes of play and held on to defeat ninth-seeded American 77-71 in Patriot League tournament women's basketball action Saturday evening in Davis Gym. Blake Matthews posted her second straight double-double with 17 points and a career-high 11 assists to lead the Bison.
Bucknell (13-17) had balanced scoring with four of the five starters reaching double figures. Emma Theodorsson had 16 points, Ashley Sofilkanich posted 13 and Grace Sullivan added 12. The Bison shot 53.6 percent (30-for-56) for the game with the starting unit making 26 of 49 field goals. Isabella King contributed nine points and three rebounds, including a pair in traffic in the closing minutes, off the bench.
Bucknell finished the first half shooting 21 of 33 from the field and held a 45-31 edge at halftime. The Bison led by as many as 17 points late in the first half. American (10-20) closed its deficit to 70-68 in the closing minutes, but Bucknell stretched its lead to 77-69 before the Eagles converted a buzzer-beating basket.
The Bison will now play at top-seeded Holy Cross in the PL Quarterfinals Monday at 7 p.m.
Bucknell trailed 3-2 in the first 59 seconds of the game but would never lag behind again. The Bison immediately jetted on an 11-2 run to separate themselves. Sofilkanich notched four points and an Ashley O'Connor three finished the streak. The Orange & Blue continued to tally points and created a 19-9 advantage. American would score but Bucknell would answer every time and established a 27-18 lead after the first quarter.
The Eagles cut the deficit to 29-23 before the Bison used a 18-4 run to restore the double-digit lead and evolve into its greatest proportions. Sofilkanich tallied six points during the run. King's three-pointer polished off the run. It was King's 100th made trey in her career. American gained some momentum by finishing the half on a 4-1 run. Bucknell still led 45-31 but the Eagles were far from finished.
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The fourth quarter became a frantic cauldron but started sluggish with few points scored in the first three minutes. Bucknell emerged up 66-57 after the stretch. Theodorsson drained two free throws for a 68-57 lead. American made its move cutting the deficit to 70-68, on an Anna LeMaster's three-pointer with a 1:07 left. The Eagles attempted to play straight-up defense without intentionally fouling. The strategy almost worked until Sofilkanich drew a shooting foul. The freshman calmly deposited both free throws. American was fouled on their possession but only hit one of two attempts. Matthews was fouled and drained both. The Eagles missed their shot and the Bison took advantage. Three more free throws followed. American scored a lay-up as time expired for the final 77-71 result.
Up Next
As mentioned earlier, the Bison head to Worcester to play the one-seed Holy Cross on Monday at 7 p.m.
Bucknell (13-17) had balanced scoring with four of the five starters reaching double figures. Emma Theodorsson had 16 points, Ashley Sofilkanich posted 13 and Grace Sullivan added 12. The Bison shot 53.6 percent (30-for-56) for the game with the starting unit making 26 of 49 field goals. Isabella King contributed nine points and three rebounds, including a pair in traffic in the closing minutes, off the bench.
Bucknell finished the first half shooting 21 of 33 from the field and held a 45-31 edge at halftime. The Bison led by as many as 17 points late in the first half. American (10-20) closed its deficit to 70-68 in the closing minutes, but Bucknell stretched its lead to 77-69 before the Eagles converted a buzzer-beating basket.
The Bison will now play at top-seeded Holy Cross in the PL Quarterfinals Monday at 7 p.m.
Bucknell trailed 3-2 in the first 59 seconds of the game but would never lag behind again. The Bison immediately jetted on an 11-2 run to separate themselves. Sofilkanich notched four points and an Ashley O'Connor three finished the streak. The Orange & Blue continued to tally points and created a 19-9 advantage. American would score but Bucknell would answer every time and established a 27-18 lead after the first quarter.
The Eagles cut the deficit to 29-23 before the Bison used a 18-4 run to restore the double-digit lead and evolve into its greatest proportions. Sofilkanich tallied six points during the run. King's three-pointer polished off the run. It was King's 100th made trey in her career. American gained some momentum by finishing the half on a 4-1 run. Bucknell still led 45-31 but the Eagles were far from finished.
Â
At first, in the third quarter, everything seemed harmonious for the Bison. Bucknell restored its lead to 17 points (54-37) by the 5:00 minute mark. Then the Eagles went on a 11-3 run to cut the advantage to under ten points. Matthews used a traditional three-point play to go up 60-48. American was undaunted and concluded the quarter on a 7-2 run.HISTORY!
— Bucknell WBB (@Bucknell_WBB) March 10, 2024
Isabella King drains her 100th career three-pointer!
A royal moment for the junior markswoman!
Watch: https://t.co/7cfJAZlMfR@PatriotLeagueTV |@ESPN#rayBucknell | #tst pic.twitter.com/0Vq5HYOX3e
The fourth quarter became a frantic cauldron but started sluggish with few points scored in the first three minutes. Bucknell emerged up 66-57 after the stretch. Theodorsson drained two free throws for a 68-57 lead. American made its move cutting the deficit to 70-68, on an Anna LeMaster's three-pointer with a 1:07 left. The Eagles attempted to play straight-up defense without intentionally fouling. The strategy almost worked until Sofilkanich drew a shooting foul. The freshman calmly deposited both free throws. American was fouled on their possession but only hit one of two attempts. Matthews was fouled and drained both. The Eagles missed their shot and the Bison took advantage. Three more free throws followed. American scored a lay-up as time expired for the final 77-71 result.
Up Next
As mentioned earlier, the Bison head to Worcester to play the one-seed Holy Cross on Monday at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Americ
Buck
FG%
.424
.536
3FG%
.333
.273
FT%
.714
.824
RB
34
24
TO
10
4
STL
1
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F/G
/ Women's BasketballPG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF/G
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