Feb. 13, 2008
Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The American University
women's basketball team held off Bucknell to claim a 50-46 Patriot
League win at Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday. The win marks the fifth
straight for the Eagles, the first such winning streak since the
2002-03 season, and the first-ever five game unbeaten streak in the
PL.
With American up 50-46 with 30 seconds left, Bucknell's Lauren
Schober forced up a desperation three but could not connect. After
retrieving her own missed shot, Schober missed a 20 foot jumper
that found AU's Talicia Jackson
on the rebound. A foul sent Jackson to shoot one-and-one, but the
junior guard could not connect. Time expired as Bucknell reeled in
the loose rebound, as American grabbed a 50-46 win.
Bucknell (10-13, 5-4 PL) went on a 6-0 run coming out of the
locker room to knot the score at 25-25, but AU responded with a
10-3 run sparked by a Liz Hayes' third three-point basket of the
game to take a 35-28 lead with 12:18 to play. The Bison were down
two, 38-36, after a Hope Foster three from the top of the arc, but
the Eagles responded, and extended its lead back to five, 48-43, on
a Liz Leer hoop.
American (12-12, 6-3 PL) jumped out to an 11-3 run courtesy of
two Hayes treys and five Pam Stanfield
points, marking the second straight game the Eagles came out of the
gate hot. AU held a 21-13 advantage on a pair of Sahar Nusseibeh
lay-ins at the 8:55 mark before Foster made a free-throw to break a
three minute scoring draught for both sides. The Bison used a 6-2
run to get within four, down 23-19, but Hayes hit a basket as time
expired to give American a 25-19 halftime lead.
For the second straight game, the freshman Leer led the Eagle
offense, tying a career-high in points with 18 and adding five
rebounds and four blocks. Hayes finished with 13 points, hitting
3-5 from beyond the arc, and Stephanie
N'Garsanet grabbed a team-high 11 boards in the AU win.
Foster led Bucknell with 17 points while Joyce Novacek picked up
a game-high 13 rebounds for the Bison.
The win over Bucknell ends a six game winning streak over AU and
puts the Eagles at the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 22.
American will look to extend its winning streak to six games
when it hosts Colgate at Bender Arena on Saturday at noon.
