LEWISBURG -- About a month ago, Bucknell's women went to Annapolis, Md., and suffered a 30-point loss, easily their worst beating of the season and in their 44-game series history with Navy.
Saturday the teams met for the second time in Patriot League play and the Bison lost by 15.
At face value that would appear to be a degree of progress. Fact is the 61-46 loss last night blindsided Bucknell coach Kathy Fedorjaka, and stung more than losing by twice as much Jan. 8.
"I'm really disappointed in this one," said Fedorjaka. "Especially coming off (winning) three of four; the Army win on the road (a week earlier) showed me something. I just didn't think we battled enough (Saturday). It's very disappointing."
A month ago, the Bison were in the midst of a 4-10 start and still searching for answers with a relatively young roster. Recently the team had played better, winning games with defense and improving offensive execution.
Saturday, in a battle for sole possession of third place in the Patriot, Bucknell struggled to score early and Navy couldn't miss, particularly from long range. The Midshipmen drilled seven of eight 3-point tries in the game's first 12 minutes, and that, coupled with an early Bison slump, produced an enormous 15-point margin.
"I was really not happy with our defensive performance," said Fedorjaka.
Bucknell (7-14), which had beaten Navy four times in a row at home, fell into a four-way tie for fourth place in the league at 3-5. The Midshipmen (12-11, 4-4) sit third behind American and Lehigh (both 7-1).
In the teams' first meeting, the Bison had a crippling six-minute drought early in the first half that led to a 14-0 Navy run and set the stage for the 70-40 rout. Saturday, Bucknell scored just four points in the first eight minutes and trailed by 12.
The Bison had trouble freeing shooters and often had to force up the ball to beat the shot clock. When they attacked the rim, Navy junior Cassie Consedine was waiting to wreak havoc. Consedine blocked three shots by the midway point of the first half, twice ripping the ball from Bison hands under the hoop.
While Bucknell tried in vain to create offense early, Navy filled up its basket. Jasmine Pitts was the fifth Midshipmen to nail a 3-pointer in their initial 7-for-8 spree, making it a 26-11 game at the 8:10 mark of the first half.
Fedorjaka had challenged her team, which allowed an average of 43.3 points in its last three wins, to hold Navy to 52 points. The visitors were on pace for 87.
"I think Navy's a team that does a real good job of hitting open looks. My whole (pre-game) message was contested looks," said Fedorjaka. "First possession of the game, we work to the level we need to work at, they're under duress ... and it results in a shot clock violation. From there, I don't think we worked to that level of intensity for very many possessions on the night.
"Wide-open looks are hard to swallow."
The 6-foot-3 Consedine buried a pair of 3-pointers in that early run, scoring nine points in that early run to nearly match her team-leading average (10.6). She finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.
Navy went three minutes without scoring late in the half, and Bucknell was able to close to within 29-21.
The lead was still eight early in the second half, but after Joyce Novacek (team-high 16 points) scored a bucket deep in the post the Bison had another three-minute drought. The Midshipmen hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions and Angela Myers, who scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the second half, drove for a hoop that made it 50-31 with 13 minutes left.
"I think your starts (of halves) are huge, because I think a team gets confidence early on," said Fedorjaka.
Bucknell leading scorer Trisha Krewson, who scored double figures in each of the previous 10 games, had seven at halftime but finished with just nine.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Robert Inglis
-
Robert Inglis
Discussion
Navy sinks Bison
- Sports
-
-
Defense helps Crusaders snap skid
The going hasn't been easy for the Susquehanna University women's basketball team this season. So much so, that it hasn't won a game in more than a month.
-
SU rides Harley to win
With the chants of "ride the Harley" coming from the student body, sophomore Harley Sellinger certainly took visiting Goucher for a spin Friday night.
-
HS Roundup: Braves close in on playoff bid
Counted for dead not too long ago, the Shikellamy Braves are still alive and kicking and they are now one win away from making the District 4 playoffs.
-
Danville stays in HAC-I title race
When their 13-point lead had been whittled to seven midway through the fourth quarter Friday, the Danville girls were at a tipping point.
-
Harold Raker's column on high school wrestling: Playing the name game
Going into last weekend, with four Valley teams competing in the District 4 Class AA and AAA Duals Tournament, I had already made tentative plans to be in Hershey this week. Had things gone really well, I would have still been in Chocolatetown, covering at least one of them in the state tournament.
-
NCAA denies UConn APR waiver request
The NCAA on Friday turned down the University of Connecticut's request for a waiver that would allow its men's basketball team to play in the 2013 national championship tournament.
-
College Lacrosse: Bucknell men prepare to improve upon great season
LEWISBURG -- It started a handful of years ago, when the Bucknell men's lacrosse team put a big 'X' on the national map in Central Pennsylvania with an upset of No. 1 Maryland. From that point on Bison coach Frank Fedorjaka has had a difficult time getting big-time opponents on the schedule, even with Bucknell opting to travel under the worst of circumstances.
-
High school football: Pratt says Kutztown the right fit
SUNBURY -- When Shikellamy's Tyler Pratt joins the Kutztown University football team as a free safety next fall, he will already have a good feeling for what his position coach will expect from him. Pratt, who signed a national letter of intent this week to accept a scholarship offer to play for the Golden Bears, will be under the tutelage of his father's high school football coach.
-
Todd Stanford On high school boys basketball: Increasing the refs' workload
If two heads are better than one, does that mean six eyes are better than four? Not necessarily, according to some Heartland Athletic Conference officials. There is a move afoot in the HAC to cut the number of basketball referees from three to two for part of the season beginning next year.
-
High School Roundup: Greenwood boys complete perfect TVL season
Greenwood capped off an unbeaten 2011-12 Tri-Valley League season by crushing Halifax 61-38 on Thursday Night.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Defense helps Crusaders snap skid
