Bucknell Women’s Basketball hit the road for a match up against Patriot League competitor and preseason league favorites Loyola on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The pivotal moment for the Bison was the third quarter as they generated 23 points to establish a nice lead cushion against the Greyhounds.
Ashley Sofilkanich ’27 did what she does best and had yet another 20 plus point game to help boost her team. Reese Zemitis ’28 also scored in the double digits (14), with some big free throws when it mattered. Sophia Sabino ’25 added seven points as well.
The game started off slow for the Bison as they were only able to put up 16 points in the first half, only hitting five of their 26 shots. Both teams struggled offensively. Momentum shifted as they entered the third quarter. The Orange and Blue hit their stride and made nine of their 12 attempts. They improved their scoring to 13 of 23 in the second half alone and shot about 59 percent from the free throw line.
The Bison led 48-33 with about five minutes left in regulation. Despite the large gap, the Greyhounds hit a scoring streak and cut it to 48-44. A series of clutch free throws from Sabino, Zemitis, Tuana Coskun ’27 and Isabella King ’25 helped keep the Bison steady. The Orange and Blue generated a few turnovers to keep Loyola from making anymore of a comeback. The game finished in the Bison’s favor, 54-49 and marked their 11th straight win over the Greyhounds.
The Orange and Blue then opened the weekend with a close match up against Navy at home. The Bison came out strong in the first quarter and outscored their opponents 22-9. They shot over 50 percent and limited the offensive abilities of Navy. Heading into the half the Orange & Blue led 35-27.
Navy managed to catch up in the third quarter. Coskun helped lead the Bison’s rally with two free throws, and a combination of Sofilkanich and King put the Bison up 48-44. The team continued scoring to further the lead even more. But, Navy managed to put up 13 straight points in comparison to the Bison’s two and took the lead. King responded with a three pointer to steal it back.
As the teams both inched towards the final buzzer, Navy managed to out score the Bison with a 6-0 run. King’s fight did not stop as she pulled off a steal and scored her 20th point of the day. The teams sat at 69-69 when Navy called a timeout. After the huddle, Navy was unable to make the three pointer and Sabino grabbed the rebound. Sofilkanich made an attempt for a game winning shot but came up unlucky. As a result, the Bison headed into overtime.
Navy took control in extra time and the Bison struggled to respond, resulting in a 79-75 loss. Sofilkanich ended the day with an impressive 21 points and King with a career high of 20.
The Bison will be back on the court Saturday, Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. to host Army.
