Murphy Burnatowski threw in a team-high 17 points, but Colgate dropped a 73-59 Patriot League outing against first place Bucknell Wednesday night. (Photo by Bob Cornell)
By John Painter
(Lewisburg, Pa. – Jan. 16, 2013) Bucknell’s Audrey Dotson scored the final two of her game-high 14 points as the buzzer sounded to edge Colgate 53-51 here Wednesday night.
The Raiders had rallied from 11 points down in the second half to tie the score at 51 when Jhazmine Lynch hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with exactly 1 minute remaining. Lynch was one of four Colgate players to finish with 10 points in the game.
Bucknell’s winning play came in the final 7.3 seconds. Shelby Romine took the inbounds pass and dribbled right of the lane, where she stopped and found Dotson inside the free-throw stripe. Dotson let it fly and the horn sounded just before the ball swished through the net.
Officials reviewed the play to make sure the shot beat the buzzer, but the play stood and Colgate dropped to 0-2 in the Patriot League and 6-10 overall. Bucknell improved 1-1 and 10-7.
Kelly Reid and Josie Stockill both scored six of their 10 points in the second half to rally the Raiders, who trailed 33-32 at intermission. Missy Repoli also had 10 for Colgate, including her first two 3-point baskets since Dec. 16 at Niagara.
The Raiders trailed 24-14 in the first half before putting together an 18-2 run for a 32-26 advantage. But Bucknell answered with the half’s final seven points, and then scored the first four after the break for a combined 11-0 spurt of its own that made it 37-32.
The Bison lead increased to 47-36 before Colgate mounted its comeback. Reid scored twice on the inside, as did Stockill, to make it 47-44 with 7:23 left. Bucknell pushed the lead back to 51-46 with 5:27 to play, but Colgate held the hosts scoreless until the final tick. Stockill scored on the inside to draw Colgate within 51-48 with 3:33 showing before the final heroics on both sides.
Baskets were at a premium in the second half, when the teams combined to make just 17 of 73 field goal attempts. Colgate finished at 26.6 percent for the game, while Bucknell shot 35 percent. Colgate won the rebound column 51-47, led by Reid’s 11 for a double-double.
Colgate hosts Lehigh on Saturday in the Patriot League home opener. Start time is 4 p.m.
Bucknell 53, Colgate 51
Colgate (6-10, 0-2): Kelly Reid 10, Lauryn Kobiela 6, Missy Repoli 10, Jhazmine Lynch 10, Josie Stockill 10, Carole Harris 5. Totals: 21-5-51.
Bucknell (10-7, 1-1): Audrey Dotson 14, Lindsay Horbatuck 10, Alyssa Dunn 10, Shelby Romine 11, Katherine Harris 2, Rachel Voss 4, Micki Impellizeri 2. Totals: 21-8-53.
3-Point Field Goals: Colgate 4 (Repoli 2, Lynch 2); Bucknell 3 (Romine 3).
Halftime: Bucknell 33-32.