The Bison women’s basketball team went 2-0 in their matchups this past week versus Lehigh on Wednesday, Feb. 16 and away at Lafayette on Saturday, Feb 19. In both very close games, the Bison were able to edge their opponents, strengthening their record to 19-7 on the season and 10-5 in Patriot League play. 

The first of the games was a two-point victory over the Mountain Hawks in Sojka Pavilion. In their “Play4Kay” breast cancer awareness game, the Bison were determined to win, and they did just that. While they trailed by 11 heading into halftime, the Orange and Blue came out fired up in the second half, holding Lehigh to only five points in the third quarter while tallying 18 of their own. This helped the Bison gain the edge over the Mountain Hawks, 41-39 heading into the final quarter of play. This two-point difference proved to be all the Bison would need, as both teams scored 15 points apiece in the fourth quarter, resulting in a final score of 56-54. A notable performance came from senior guard Taylor O’Brien ’22 who scored a career-high 27 points, which was critical in this comeback victory. 

With momentum building from the previous game, the Bison hit the road on Saturday to face-off against the Lafayette Leopards. This time, it was an overtime thriller that led the Bison to victory. The Orange and Blue had a strong performance in the first half, out-scoring the Leopards 27-20. Following the break, the Bison remained ahead by six for much of the third quarter, unable to strengthen their lead. The fourth quarter of play proved to be a struggle, as the Bison were outshot 20-10, unable to secure the game. This offensive effort by Lafayette ultimately sent the game into overtime, where the Bison regrouped and put 13 points on the board to the Leopard’s five. The game ended in a 68-60 victory. Combined, O’Brien and first-year guard Cecelia Collins ’25 tallied 39 of the points scored by the Bison, 23 from O’Brien and 16 from Collins.

When asked about both games, Collins acknowledged that they “were important wins [for the team] as they continue to build momentum going into the Patriot League tournament,” Collins said. She added that the team “has been playing some great defense and hope to keep the ball rolling as [they] head into some tough matchups this week!”

The Bison are down to their last regular-season games, with two slated in Sojka Pavilion and one on the road. The Orange and Blue will stay home for the beginning of this series, facing Army on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m., followed by a road trip to Boston University on Saturday, Feb. 26 in a 2 p.m. tipoff. They will cap off the season with a home game against Colgate on Wednesday, March 2, at 6 p.m. The Bison remain in the hunt for the playoffs and will continue to fight for a spot in these remaining matches.