Bucknell University
0-1,0-0Patriot
Penn State
1-0,0-0Big Ten
Bucknell Drops Season Opener to Penn State 83-55
11/3/2025 7:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Bucknell women's basketball team (0-1) fell to the Penn State Lady Lions (1-0) on Monday night in its season-opening game, 83-55. The Bison opened the night with a lot of power and took a 20-17 lead towards the end of the first quarter, but an 11-point run in the second gave Penn State a lead that the Bison were unable to come back from, despite closing the gap a couple times.
Reese Zemitis led Bucknell with 14 points on 8-of-19 shooting with three three-pointers on the night. Isabella Casey was the other Bison to notch double digits as she recorded 12 points on a 7-of-8 shooting performance. Casey hit two threes and five field goals. Tuana Coskun was just one-point away from her first double-double of the season as she led Bucknell in rebounds with 14 and notched nine points in the game.
The Lady Lions were led by two 20+ point scorers in Kiyomi McMiller (27 pts.) and Gracie Merkle (24 pts.). Merkle proved to be a problem on the inside for the Bison at 6'6", as she went 11-of-13 from the field.
The first quarter was a very back-and-forth battle with neither team backing down. After going down 11-4 early in the quarter, the Bison were able to come back and tie it at 15 before finding themselves in a three-point lead over the Lady Lions thanks to a layup by Coskun followed by a free-throw by Kunzwiler. Penn State was able to regain the lead with a 23-21 scoreline at the end of the first quarter after stringing together a six-point run in the final three minutes.
Casey made a contested layup to open the second quarter of play by tying the game at 23. The size of the Lady Lions, in particular Merkle, proved to be a challenge for the Bison as it kickstarted an 11-point Penn State run in the second quarter. Bucknell broke the scoring streak with Elena Houghton hitting a shot off the bench. Once the Lady Lions scoring run was stopped, the Bison outscored Penn State in the remaining minutes of the half 8-6 to cut their deficit to nine.
Much like the second quarter, Casey opened the third with another layup. Penn State answered with two of its own, before the Bison knocked down back-to-back threes thanks to Coskun and Elana Weisman to make it a five-point game.
Penn State then outscored Bucknell 20-7 in the remaining eight minutes of the third quarter to extend its lead to 16 heading into the final quarter of play.
The Bison kept the fourth quarter close with a pair of threes from Weisman and Zemitis, but Penn State didn't slow down in the final ten minutes of play as it outscored Bucknell 21-9 to take an 83-55 victory in Rec Hall.
Bucknell stays on the road as it travels to Virginia this weekend for a Sunday afternoon game against the Cavaliers.
