The Bison women’s basketball team defeated the Boston University Terriers on Saturday, Feb. 29 55-53, in a game that was too close for comfort. The win tallies the team’s seventh consecutive victory, as they improved their record to 22-6 overall and 15-2 in the Patriot League. Autumn Ceppi ’21 had quite a night, scoring seven points and finishing the game with a career-high 13 rebounds.

“Thankfully, we were able to pull out the close win against a very good Boston team,” Ellie Mack ’20 said. “We lost to them earlier in the year, so beating them proved to ourselves that we are capable of beating any team in this league.”

In the first quarter, the Bison led by 13 points until the Terriers went on a 14-0 run, earning their 24-23 lead during the second period. The Bison took the initiative to respond with a 13-2 run coming out of half time, trailing only once in the final two quarters of the game. Taylor O’Brien ’22 and Mack combined for 10 points during this run, adding to their double-digit lead. With a little over six minutes left in the game, the Terriers had led the game and were shooting above 50 percent; nonetheless, the Bison’s defense was able to hold on. The Terriers had a chance to tie the game during their last possession, but a block by Abby Kapp ’21 and rebound by Ceppi secured the Bison victory at the sound of the buzzer.

The Orange and Blue shot 69.2% and executed all three of its three-pointers in the first 10 minutes alone. In contrast, the Bison only executed two points in the second quarter, giving the Terriers the opportunity to work their way back into the game.

Mack and Gia Hayes ’20 were celebrated as the two sole seniors on the team as they took the floor in the starting lineup. Mack led the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double this season. Mack scored nine of these 17 points in the initial 20 minutes. Hayes finished with a solid five points.

“Celebrating Senior Day was bittersweet. Although it was awesome being recognized for my accomplishments as a Bucknell student-athlete, it was also tough realizing that my final basketball season was coming to an end. Nothing felt more exciting that day than pulling out the revenge win at home with my amazing teammates in front of our very supportive fans,” Hayes said.

The Orange and Blue displayed its toughness with a 30-16 advantage in the paint and executing 17 points off turnovers. With tournament time coming around the corner, the Bison look forward to hosting the quarterfinal game on Monday, March 9.

The Bison finished their regular season play against the Lafayette Leopards on Wednesday evening, defeating Lafayette with a score of 57-47. With the win, the Bison finish the regular season with a 16-2 Patriot League record for a second consecutive season.

With tournament time coming around the corner, the Bison look forward to hosting the quarterfinal game on Monday, March 9 at 6 p.m in which the Bison will face either Army or Loyola (Md.).