Hardy and Wilson's 18 points Each, Power Women's Basketball to Fourth Straight Win

Saturday, January 27

Lewisburg, PA

3:30 PM

Army West Point

8-10,5-3Patriot

Bucknell University

5-14,2-6Patriot

Army West Point

Bucknell

Hardy and Wilson's 18 points Each, Power Women's Basketball to Fourth Straight Win

January 27, 2024 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

LEWISBURG, PA. – The Army West Point women's basketball team (8-10, 5-3 PL) extended its win streak to four games, defeating the Bucknell Bison (5-14, 2-6 PL) on Saturday afternoon by a score of 75-66. The story of the game was Army freshman Taylor Wilson, who scored a career-high 18 points and sank five three-pointers to lead the Black Knights to a victory on Head Coach Missy Traversi's birthday.

How It Happened

Army sophomore guard Reese Ericson nailed a corner three-pointer to kick off the scoring for both teams as play began. Army raced out to an early 11-4 lead, that featured two baskets by another freshman standout, Kya Smith. The Bison answered the Black Knights' quick sprint out of the gate to tie the game at 12 a piece, as Bucknell's Ashley Sofilkanich scored eight of the Bisons' first 12 points.

Bucknell used an 11-0 run over the next three minutes of play to capture a 17-12 lead before the Taylor Wilson show began. The Bryn Mawr, Pa native, nailed her first three to stop the Bison run around the two-minute mark in the opening quarter. On the next possession, Wilson nailed another to give Army the lead again, 18-17. As the quarter ended, Wilson was true from deep again, her third three-pointer, as Army lead, 21-19 after the first 10 minutes. Wilson entered the game with only two made threes all season.

Wilson continued the hot shooting in the second quarter, making her fourth and fifth three-pointers of the first half, scoring 15 points in the half. Addison Ainsworth played a key bench role for Army, scoring layups on back-to-back possessions.

The Black Knights took a 41-37 lead into the locker room.

Bucknell was paced by Sofilkanich, who had 17 points at the break.

In the second half, Bucknell rallied to tie the game at 45-45 behind an 8-0 scoring run on a made three-pointer by Isabella King. Army's Trinity Hardy would convert on a three-point play on a driving layup in which he was fouled with under a minute to go in the quarter to take a 52-48 lead into the fourth.

In the fourth Bucknell's Ashley O'Connor knocked down a three to cut Army's lead to one-point, 54-53. Army began to distance themselves on a three-point play by Kya Smith and a layup by Fiona Hastick. Trinity Hardy scored seven fourth-quarter points in her 18-point effort, making several free throws to seal the game.

Inside the Box

Freshman Taylor Wilson scored a career-high 18 points on 5-6 shooting from three-point distance.
Wilson joins Reese Ericson (2023), Lauren Lithgow (2021), and Kelsey Minato (2012, twice) as Army freshmen to have made five or more threes in a single game, since 2009-10.
Freshman Kya Smith recorded her fourth double-double of the season, logging 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Hardy scored 18 points, sinking 8-9 from the charity stripe. She has scored 10+ in her last four games and is averaging 14.0 points per game in the recent four-game win streak.
It was Army's third time scoring 70+ points this season holding a 3-0 mark in those games.
The four-game win streak marks the fifth time Coach Traversi has had a four-game winning streak in her Army career, twice doing so in the 2022-23 season and twice in the 2021-22 season.
Addison Ainsworth scored a career-high eight points in 10 minutes of action.

Up Next

The Black Knights return to Christl Arena on Wednesday, January 31 at 11:00am to host Colgate University on what is an educational day, where local schools around the West Point area will pack the arena on what will be a loud and fun afternoon.

Follow Along

For complete coverage of Army West Point women's basketball, follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_WBB, on Instagram @armywestpointwbb, and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.