Just a week after cementing its place atop the Patriot League, the AU Women's Basketball team now finds itself looking up from fourth place after a disastrous 51-39 loss at Bucknell Saturday.
The Eagles (10-11, 5-3 PL) started the game strong, getting an eight-point lead late in the first half, but a 12-0 Bucknell run left the Eagles down 23-19 at halftime. The Eagles tried to pull even in the second half, but a stifling Bucknell defense wouldn't let it happen.
The loss is especially damaging for the Eagles because Colgate and Lehigh both won their games to stay tied for first place, and Holy Cross had a weekend off so to maintain its second-place standing.
Junior center Kim Salem and reserve senior forward Angel McNatt led the Eagles with only eight points apiece. The Eagles' three leading scorers, junior forward Chanel Hunt and senior guards Kaitlyn Schuyler and Chanel Spriggs, combined to score only 15 points.
Hunt, who had broken out of her slump recently, shot 3-for-16 and scored only six points, but she grabbed eight rebounds and four steals.
Spriggs scored two points on 1-of-8 shooting.
The Eagles got a strong contribution from freshman center Kimeshia Junkins, who scored five points and pulled down three rebounds in just seven minutes of action.
The lone bright spot for the Eagles was the defensive intensity they put on Bucknell's top two scorers, Desire Almind and Lindsey Hollobaugh. Almind and Hollobaugh, who average over 30 points a game, combined for only 14.
Almind scored only five points, all from the free-throw line, as she was held to 0-for-5 from the field by Hunt. She was a force on the glass, securing 12 rebounds for Bucknell.
The Eagles were done in by Bucknell reserve Lillian Drumgold, who came off the bench to lead the Bison with 14 points. Bucknell point guard Lindsey Goesits chipped in with 11 points.
The upcoming week will go a long way in determining the seeds for the PL Tournament. Holy Cross hosts Colgate and Lehigh has to travel to Bucknell, while the Eagles stay home and entertain
Courtney Davidson and Navy on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Consistency has been a problem for the Eagles all year, as they have hovered around .500. If they are to jump back atop the league, starters like Hunt and Spriggs must step up. They have that chance when the Midshipmen come to town Wednesday.
