LEWISBURG, PA. – The Army West Point women’s basketball team was unable to overcome a slow start and ultimately fell to Bucknell, 60-36, in a Patriot League road game on Friday night at Sojka Pavilion.
For the third consecutive contest, Aliyah Murray paced the Black Knights (8-6, 1-2 Patriot League) offensively by pouring in 16 points. The Delran, N.J., native finished with a double-double after collecting a team-best 10 rebounds. Madison Hovren and Janae McNeal followed in the scoring column with five points each, while combining for 12 boards against the Bison (8-6, 2-1 Patriot League).
It was a slow start to the game as both sides combined for just four points in the opening five minutes of action. Army’s first basket came on a Daizjah Morris steal and score with 8:52 on the clock and the next Black Knight bucket did not occur for another five minutes. Following that score, Bucknell went on to put in 13 unanswered points on 5-of-6 shooting to close out the quarter and grab a 15-4 advantage.
The Bison continued to extend their lead and by the midway point of the second frame, led 22-10. Bucknell’s double-digit lead dropped to six, 24-18, by the half after Army outscored the Bison 10-2 over the final 6:37 of the quarter.
After a quick Bucknell three to start the new half, Army turned to Murray and she scored five straight points, including an and-one to cut the deficit to four, 27-23. It would get as close as a three-point game, before Bucknell went on a 15-2 run to bring the lead back to double-digits and begin to pull away.
The two teams went back-and-forth during the opening portion of the final quarter of play, but the Bison extended their lead to over 20 before eventually sealing the league win on their home court.
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