Lehigh knocks off top-seeded Bucknell
Mountain Hawks are Boston-bound for Patriot League championship game
The Lehigh women’s basketball team will get its chance in Boston, only this time it’s for all the marbles.
Just one day shy of exactly one year since the Mountain Hawks’ Patriot League semifinal contest at Boston University was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lehigh advanced to the Patriot League championship game with a convincing 63-54 win at top-seeded Bucknell on Thursday night.
The semifinal win sets up a title game showdown between fourth-seeded Lehigh and second-seeded Boston University on Sunday at 4 p.m.
“Tonight definitely reiterated the fact that we’ve been playing this season with unfinished business,” said Mary Clougherty, a senior who scored a team-high 13 points. “We’ll be finishing our Patriot League season in Boston, where we wanted to play last year.”
To get to Boston, the Mountain Hawks beat the top-seeded Bison, ending Bucknell’s 18-game winning streak dating to last February and a 16-game home winning streak dating to November 2019.
“Bucknell has had our number for a number of years and four games this year,” said Lehigh coach Sue Troyan. “We talked a lot about tonight being more of a mental game than physical game. We talked about the importance of playing together and playing with toughness, especially on the defensive end.”
The Mountain Hawks ended up holding the Bison to a season-low 54 points — more than 16 points below their season average. It was Bucknell’s fewest points since Feb. 1, 2020, at Boston University, which was also the Bison’s last loss before Thursday night.
Perhaps most impressive was how Lehigh won. Five Mountain Hawks scored in
double figures, led by Clougherty’s 13. Emma Grothaus posted her second double-double of the season, totaling 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
In the final minute of a closely contested first quarter, Clougherty knocked down a jumper to give Lehigh a 14-13 advantage. The Mountain Hawks wouldn’t trail the rest of the way.
Lehigh outscored Bucknell 20-9 in the second quarter, holding the Bison scoreless for one
stretch of 5 minutes, 15 seconds, which helped Lehigh open leads of 27-17, 31-20 and eventually 34-22 at the half. Mackenzie Kramer scored eight of the Mountain Hawks’ final 12 firsthalf points.
Lehigh’s lead hovered between five and 12 for the entire third quarter. The Bison did get as close as three midway through the fourth, but Clougherty responded with a 3-pointer to put her team back up six, 50-44, and Bucknell wouldn’t get within two possessions the rest of the way.
Entering the game third
nationally in 3-pointers per game (10.4), the Mountain Hawks were just 5 of 20 on Thursday, but Lehigh held Bucknell to 4 of 22 from deep.
“I saw a lot of growth on the defensive end, on the mental end, staying together, staying focused and not getting down,” said Troyan. “Bucknell made a run to cut it to three, but we responded.”
Troyan knows her team will need the same type of resiliency Sunday to take home a championship and punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
The Mountain Hawks will be playing in their first Patriot
League championship game since 2015, eying their first title since 2010.
“We’ve proven we’re a pretty good offensive team,” Troyan said. “If we want a championship, we’ve got to put the offense and defense together.
“I thought we did that tonight.” Former Nazareth High star Tessa Brugler, a two-time All-Patriot League selection, led Bucknell with a game-high 14 points and 10 rebounds.