First-Place Bucknell Tops Women’s Basketball

Saturday, January 28

Lewisburg, Pa.

6 PM

Army West Point

14-6, 5-4PL

Bucknell

17-3, 9-0PL

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Army West Point	13	15	15	19	62
Bucknell	13	18	19	18	68

First-Place Bucknell Tops Women’s Basketball

January 28, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Army West Point women's basketball team cut a 13-point deficit down to one late in the fourth quarter, but never came all the way back in a 68-62 setback to Patriot League-leading Bucknell on Saturday evening at Sojka Pavilion.

Army slips to 14-6 overall and 5-4 in the Patriot League with the setback, while Bucknell stays unbeaten in the league and moves to 17-3 and 9-0. The win gives the Bison its 18th straight regular-season victory in the Patriot League action.

Junior Aliyah Murray scored 13 points and added five rebounds and a career-high-tying five steals, while classmate Janae McNeal also chipped in 13 points. Sophomore Madison Hovren contributed 11 points, nine boards and four steals, and junior Margaret Anne Hubbell netted eight points to tie her career best in a Patriot League game.

Kaitlyn Slagus had a double-double for Bucknell with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Claire DeBoer also reached a double-double, with 15 points and 12 boards. Suné Swart added 19 points.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army drops its second in a row to Bucknell and falls to 35-25 in the all-time series between the schools.
The Black Knights started the same five for the second game in a row, with Hovren, Murray, Jess Lewis, Daizjah Morris and Destinee Morris all drawing a starting nod.
Murray matched her career high with five steals, after setting the standard earlier this season versus Bucknell on Jan. 2.
Hubbell equaled her career best in a Patriot League game with eight points, matching the eight points she scored at Boston University on March 2, 2016.
Army forced 19 Bucknell turnovers and came away with 13 steals.
Lewis added five points and three assists.

TURNING POINT

Army closed the gap to one point, 60-59, after a lay-in from Murray with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Bucknell scored the next eight points, including five from Swart, to move out to a 68-59 advantage by the nine-second mark and ultimately close out the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Army netted the first four points of the evening, with baskets from Destinee Morris and Murray.
Bucknell held a pair of brief leads, at 10-9 and 13-11, before Murray corralled an offensive rebound and made a lay-up just before the first-quarter buzzer to knot the score at 13-13.
Slagus hit a three-pointer 1:27 into the second quarter to give the Bison a 20-15 advantage for the largest lead of the first half by either team.
The Black Knights responded with a 7-0 run that was capped by a three from Destinee Morris at the 5:30 mark of the second period and made the score 22-20, in favor of the visitors.
Bucknell came back to take the lead with six straight points during the next 2:58 to move to a 26-22 advantage with 2:31 left in the half.
Army got its deficit back down to one, at 27-26 and 29-28, but DeBoer made two free throws with four seconds left to give Bucknell a 31-28 lead at the half.
The Bison scored five of the first seven points to begin the third quarter and led, 36-30, at the 8:02 mark.
Lewis made a three-pointer with 7:30 left in the third to make the score 36-33, but the hosts answered with a 14-4 run that lasted 4:38 and left them with a 50-37 advantage with 2:29 left in the third.
The Cadets scored the final six points of the third quarter to cut their deficit to seven, 50-43.
Army extended its run to 8-0 early in the fourth quarter, after a lay-in from Hubbell made the score 50-45.
Hovren stole the ball in Bucknell's end of the court and drove all the way in for a lay-up to bring the Black Knights back to within four, 53-49, and force a Bucknell timeout with 7:01 remaining in the fourth.
Hovren went 1-for-2 at the free-throw stripe with 6:27 left to move the score to 53-50.
Bucknell regained a five-point lead before McNeal buried a mid-range jumper with 5:16 left to again pull the visitors back to within three, 55-52.
Army made the most of a steal by Murray and got back to within one, 58-57, following a three from the corner by Destinee Morris on its ensuing possession with 3:38 on the clock.
Murray scored from close to again make it a one-point game, 60-59, with 2:45 on the clock, but Bucknell closed the game with eight of the final 11 points.