Bucknell women top Navy 79-71 in OT; 1st NCAA bid since '08 (Mar 12, 2017)
LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) Claire DeBoer scored 30 points, Sune Swart blocked five shots - both career highs - and Bucknell beat Navy 79-71 in overtime on Sunday for the Bison's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2008.
The Bison won their 28th consecutive home game - the nation's second-longest active streak - and hosted the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in program history. It was their 10th straight win overall and third PL title.
DeBoer, the PL player of the year and tournament MVP, hit 5 of 6 3-pointers, 7 of 8 free throws and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Swart added 15 points and six rebounds. Kate Walker scored four of her 12 points in overtime, including a layup for a six-point lead with 1:57 left, for Bucknell (27-5).
Sarita Condie made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, and Taylor Dunham added three 3s and 14 points for Navy (23-9), which has lost five straight in the series. The Mids will play in the WNIT.
Navy opened the game on a 10-0 run and led 37-33 at halftime. But DeBoer, who had 10 points at the break, scored the first five points of the third quarter to give Bucknell a 38-37 lead.
Swart dominated the fourth with three blocks in the final two minutes. Her block on Kaila Clark's putback attempt led to two Kaitlyn Slagus free throws with 13.4 seconds left to extend Bucknell's lead to 67-64.
Dunham broke a double team in the corner by driving baseline and she passed it out to a wide-open Ashanti Kennedy for a game-tying 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left in regulation. Bucknell's Kyi English got in the lane but wasn't able to get off a shot before the regulation buzzer.
It was Kennedy's first 3-pointer since Feb. 8 and just her 10th of the season.
