ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's basketball team dropped a Patriot League conference contest to Bucknell by a score of 61-34 on Wednesday night. Playing the reigning Patriot League champions, the Mids knew that they would be up for a stern test at Alumni Hall. On the strength of a 20-4 second quarter effort, the Bison (10-4, 3-0 PL) rolled to the victory over the Midshipmen (5-9, 0-3 PL) to stay undefeated in league play.
 
Sophie Gatzounas (Jr., South Hadley, Mass.) and Mary Kate Ulasewicz (Sr., Doylestown, Pa.) led Navy's individual production on Wednesday as Gatzounas netted nine points, while Ulasewicz was one back with eight. Gatzounas also added a team-high five rebounds on the night.
 
"I'm really surprised at that game and the way we played tonight," remarked head coach Stefanie Pemper. "We have to play better. We have to show more fight. Laurel wasn't healthy tonight, but that was it. I don't think we can really pull anything from this game, we just need to move on and get back to playing more like the team that played against Holy Cross on Saturday. I was really proud of the way we battled Holy Cross. We just have to be that team again and not the one you saw tonight."
 
The Mids opened the action on Wednesday night with seven early points over the first 3:03 of the quarter. Gatzounas put the exclamation point on this offensive streak with a three-pointer from the corner after Ulasewicz served her a quick one-touch pass from deep in the post. With the score 7-3 in favor of the Mids, the visiting Bison countered with an 8-0 run over the next 5:26 to go up 11-7. Ulasewicz ended that run with an athletic drive through the lane for a lay-up at 1:31. Bucknell netted the final four points of the period to take a 15-9 lead into the quarter break.
 
The Bison expanded that 4-0 streak out to a 17-0 run with 13 unanswered points and a 5-5 shooting start from the field during the first six-plus minutes of the second quarter. The combination of a Montana Braxton (Sr., Cape Elizabeth, Maine) entry pass and a Ciera Hertelendy (So., Martinsburg, W.Va.) layup quelled the run and made it a 28-11 game at the 3:52 mark. Bucknell closed out its dominant second quarter with seven of the final nine points. Gatzounas recorded the Mids' basket to give her seven points for the first half. Overall, the Bison shot 7-10 from the field in the quarter.
 
Coming out of the locker room with the score 35-13, the Mids registered the first basket of the second half as Ulasewicz drove the baseline and flipped a layup towards the hoop for her fourth point of the contest at 8:48. Trailing 41-16, Navy's offense gained some traction with six points over a span 1:23 to cut its deficit to 43-22 by the 3:24 mark. Jasmine Bishop (Jr., Twinsburg, Ohio) and Gatzounas both converted field goals to lead the Mids' effort. Bishop found her name in the scoring once again with a pull-up jumper at 1:36 to make it a 48-24 contest. The final four points of the frame were scored by Bucknell.
 
With the score 52-24 at the start of the fourth quarter, Navy quickly shaved four points off its deficit with two successful free throws by Hertelendy and a layup by Ulasewicz. After a Bucknell rebuttal, Ulasewicz scored again to make it 54-30 at 7:26. Nyah Garrison (Fr., Brookhaven, Pa.) knocked down Navy's second three-pointer of the game as she received a Braxton pass out on the wing and calmly sank the trey at 5:09. Over the last five minutes of the game neither team found much success on offense as they combined for just one made field goal, a Tessa Brugler jumper for Bucknell. Garrison went 1-2 from the foul line at 2:38 to send the game final at 61-34 in favor of the Bison.
 
For the game, Bucknell outshot Navy, 52.3 percent (23-44) to 27.9 (12-43) from the field, 38.5 percent (5-13) to 18.2 (2-11) from three-point territory and 90.9 percent (10-11) to 40.0 (8-20) from the foul line.
 
The Bison also controlled the rebounding battle with 34 caroms versus 24 for the Mids. Gatzounas and Braxton led the way for Navy with totals of five and four boards, respectively.
 
Navy's defense was pesky during Wednesday night's contest as it forced Bucknell into 21 turnovers. Gatzounas and Mimi Schrader (Fr., Plymouth, Minn.) each had three steals; as a team, the Mids finished with 11 thefts.
 
The Mids will continue Patriot League action on the road on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tip-off in Hamilton, N.Y. versus the Colgate Raiders.