Lehigh Triumphs Over Bucknell 65-53 in Thrilling Patriot League Kickoff

LEWISBURG, Pa. Lehigh secured a 65-53 victory against Bucknell during the Patriot League opener on Thursday night at Sojka Pavilion. The Mountain Hawks marked their fourth consecutive win, improving to 10-3, whereas the Bison fell to 5-7 (0-1 PL).

“I’m thrilled with our start,” remarked head coach Addie Micir. “Our goal was to get off to a strong beginning and establish a lead, which I believe we accomplished. In the third quarter, they came out and executed exceptionally well, and I want to commend them for that. Execution is something Bucknell will present. I’m extremely proud of how we handled the situation, and I felt we had some vital moments late in the game with Maddie making plays in transition and Ella securing her own rebound. Those are the types of actions seniors must take to win games on the road.”

Lehigh made a strong start, leading 25-14 after the first quarter. They showcased their best shooting performance of the night during the opening period, with a remarkable shooting percentage of 66.7% by making 8-of-12 attempts from the field.

The Mountain Hawks maintained the pace in the second quarter, heading into halftime with a commanding 43-23 advantage.

The Bison commenced the second half with a 6-0 surge as Reese Zemitis hit two three-pointers, narrowing the margin to 14 points, and continued to claw back at Lehigh’s lead. With 4:50 remaining in the game, Isabella King made a jump shot to reduce Lehigh’s lead to four, but Lehigh countered with a 7-0 run.



“We had everyone take a deep breath, release and smile because we held a lead, and we aimed to play with that confidence,” Micir stated. “When this team plays freely and has fun, great things occur.”

Fifth-year senior wing Maddie Albrecht contributed the first five points of the 7-0 run, followed by junior forward Lily Fandre who sank two free throws. The Mountain Hawks were able to keep their lead from then on.

Albrecht finished with a game-high of 17 points after shooting 7-of-12 from the field. Additionally, she collected four rebounds and made two steals. Senior guard Ella Stemmer also reached double figures, scoring 12 points, including a critical three-pointer that clinched the victory with just 30 seconds remaining.

Senior forward  Meghan O’Brien was just shy of double figures with nine points. O’Brien was also the top rebounder of the game with seven boards and she distributed three assists.

Lehigh shot 21-of-53 (41.5%) from the field on Thursday, hitting 5-of-17 (29.4%) from three-point range. Bucknell managed to shoot 20-of-49 from the field (40.8%) and 4-of-18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc. Lehigh out-rebounded their opponents 31-27, also holding a 9-6 edge in offensive rebounds.

Ashley Sofilkanich led Bucknell with 15 points.

Looking ahead, Lehigh will host Loyola on Sunday at 2 p.m. This game’s broadcast will be available on ESPN+.