Jan. 20, 2010
Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Lafayette was hoping to capture its third league victory of the season while keeping Bucknell winless in league action, but a 55-42 Bison win evened the Leopards' conference mark at 2-2.
The game was up for grabs after the first half, but the Lafayette offense fell cold in the final 20 minutes, scoring just 19 points en route to the loss.
The Leopards (4-14, 1-2) failed to see a player reach double figures for just the second time this season and Bucknell (5-12, 1-3) grabbed its first Patriot League win of the year.
Both teams struggled to find momentum in the early going before the Bison used nine unanswered points over a four-minute span to take an 11-2 lead eight minutes into the action.
Melissa Downey scored the next three points for the Leopards but they still trailed 12-7 more than midway through the half.
Lauren Jackson drained her squad's first three of the night with 3:07 on the clock to make it a four-point contest (17-13).
That basket seemed to light a spark under Lafayette as back-to-back buckets by Amanda Smith and Jackson tied the game at 20-all with one minute remaining.
Smith countered a Trisha Krewson three with 12 seconds on the clock by sinking a jumper at the buzzer to keep it a tie game, 23-23, at halftime.
Lafayette scored the first four points out of the break and went up 30-26 after three and a half minutes of play.
A three-point play by Bucknell's Rachel Voss cut it to a one-point Leopard lead (32-31) with 13 minutes remaining. Consecutive three pointers by the Bison handed a three-point lead (37-34) back to Bucknell.
Those baskets were part of a 16-2 Bison run that essentially sealed the outcome by giving Bucknell its first double-digit lead of the game (47-36) with six minutes on the clock.
Lafayette went five minutes without a point before Samantha Jordan ended the drought with two free throws at 4:41 that made it 47-38.
Sarah McGorry's layup at 1:21 kept the Leopards within nine (51-42), but three Bucknell free throws and three missed baskets by the Leopards over the final 80 seconds prevented a Lafayette comeback.
Elizabeth Virgin and McGorry tied for the team lead with eight points apiece. Bucknell's Krewson led all scorers with 21 points, 15 of which came from three-point range.
The Leopards are back home Saturday afternoon to host Patriot League foe Lehigh at 1 p.m. on Youth Cheerleader Day.
Postgame Notes:
- Lauren Jackson and Alicia Manning took the court for the first time in two games after suffering injures in the game vs. Holy Cross on Jan. 9. Jackson finished with six points in 26 minutes off the bench while Manning added two points in her six minutes of work.
- Saturday's game against Lehigh is Youth Cheerleader Day. All cheerleaders in eighth grade and under are welcome to attend to learn cheers and cheer with the Leopards during the game.
