LEWISBURG, Pa. – Trailing by 15 points heading into the final quarter, preseason Patriot League favorite Bucknell stormed back to make a it two-point game with five minutes to go, but the Boston University women's basketball held strong as it earned its first road win of the season, 70-62, Sunday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion.

Explosive performances by Payton Hauck and Lauren Spearman powered the Terriers to stay in control, as Hauck matched a season high and led all scorers with 20 points, while Spearman was lights out from 3-point range (5-for-9) as part of a career day with 19 points. Naiyah Thompson was critical on both ends of the floor, snagging five offensive and seven defensive rebounds for a game-high 12 boards.
 
How It Happened

• Spearman caught the hot hand early in the first, roping five straight points until Nia Irving hit a runner in the lane to guide a 7-0 run.
• Bucknell responded with eight straight points to tie the game up at 12-all with four minutes left in the first.
• Katie Nelson connected on a mid-ranger jumper to snap the streak and get BU back on the board as the quarter ended with the Terriers trailing by one, 16-15.
• Hauck started the second stanza off with two straight baskets from the paint to put the Terriers back in front.
• Nelson lit it up down the stretch, delivering eight straight points, including banking a fade away triple at the buzzer to send BU into the break with a 31-26 lead.
• After the Bison cut the gap to one, Spearman went into a zone with three 3-pointers in a three-minute span to give BU the upper hand at 51-38.
• The Terriers used the charity stripe to their advantage, hitting six straight free throws in the waning minutes of the third to stake a 57-42 command heading into the final 10 minutes.
• Bucknell staged a comeback to start the fourth, opening the frame with a 10-2 run to trim the deficit to single digits.
• Spearman stayed hot from deep with her fifth triple of the game, but the Bison made it a one-possession game, 62-60, at the halfway point.
• From there, BU's defense locked in, holding Bucknell scoreless down the final 4:18 of the game.
• Irving hustled for five straight points, including a putback and-1, to push the lead back to five with 2:39 to play.
• BU closed out the game from the free throw line, as Hauck and Thompson sealed the 70-62 road win.

Game Notes

• Hauck and Nelson combined for all 16 of BU's points in the second quarter.
• The Terriers snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Bison dating back to the first meeting in 2014.
• The victory also marked BU's first at Sojka Pavilion.
• BU held Bucknell to 32.6-percent shooting through the first three quarters.
• Connecting from the free-throw line was a major part of Sunday's triumph, as BU converted on 15-of-17 attempts.

Up Next

• The Terriers will remain on the road in preparation for their next matchup at Loyola on Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 11:30 a.m.