Lewisburg, PA – The Hofstra women's basketball team erased a 13-point Bucknell lead in regulation and scored the final seven points of overtime as the Pride secured a 76-71 road win over the Bison from Sojka Pavilion.
 
Hofstra's record improves to 4-6 heading into the holiday stretch, and Bucknell falls to 5-6. It marks the first home loss of the season for the Bison.
 
Chloe Sterling shined against Bucknell, recording the first double-double of her collegiate career with 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Bison while contributing five assists and a pair of steals. Meanwhile, Emma Von Essen went 7-16 from the floor, including 4-7 from downtown, and hit her only two free throws to finish with a season-high 20 points, and LaNae' Corbett chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds versus the Bison. Maddie Pounds played a crucial role off the bench in the win, scoring eight points in 15 minutes.
 
Hofstra opened up a five-point lead against the Bison inside the game's first three minutes thanks to eight points by Von Essen and a Swint layup. Bucknell kept the game close, matching Hofstra bucket-for-bucket for the remainder of the first quarter before taking a two-point lead with 1:53 remaining. Corbett evened the score at 19-19 with a layup at 1:13, but the Bison retook the lead on an Ashley Sofilkanich layup with 26 seconds remaining. Sterling knocked down a step-back trey with three seconds left to give the Pride a one-point lead.
 
Corbett sunk a layup to open the second quarter, but Bucknell scored baskets on back-to-back possessions to take a one-point lead inside the opening minute. Sterling gave the Pride the lead with a long jumper, but a three-pointer by Ashley O'Conner sparked a 12-2 run lasting from 8:30 until the media timeout at 4:54. Sterling ended Hofstra's scoreless run with a driving layup following the timeout, but Isabella King connected on consecutive three-point attempts to grow the host's lead to 13 with 1:49 left before halftime. Hofstra ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to make it a 45-39 scoreline.
 
Bucknell kept a 10-point cushion against the Pride for most of the third quarter before a fast break layup by Sterling at the 5:41 mark jumpstarted an 8-2 run to end the third quarter with the Pride trailing by four. Sterling's two-pointer, followed by a three from Von Essen and a layup and free throw by Corbett put the Pride down 53-49 going into the fourth quarter.
 
Bucknell converted consecutive threes from O'Connor and Reese Zemitis to put the Bison ahead by eight with 9:03 remaining in regulation before Hofstra clawed to within two on a Von Essen trey at 8:06, a pair of free throws at 5:54 by Sabrina Larsson, and a Pounds three at the 6:15 mark. Sofilkanich scored on a fast break layup to make it a four-point game, but Hofstra rattled off nine unanswered points on a run lasting shy of five minutes, giving the Pride a five-point lead with 41 seconds left. O'Connor connected on a corner-three with 18 seconds to make it a two-point difference, and the Bison took possession after a free throw from Sterling made it a 69-66 difference with 15 seconds remaining. O'Connor got free on the bench-side corner and she knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the game with five seconds left to send the game to overtime.
 
Bucknell went 2-4 in two trips to the free throw line to take a two-point lead with 3:50 remaining in the extra quarter. The Pride hung tough with the Bison, and Ramatoulaye Keita tied the game at 71-71 on a contested layup at 1:22. After a missed jumper from Bucknell, Von Essen collected the rebound and pushed the ball to an unmarked Janaia Fargo, who hit nothing but net on the Pride's seventh three-pointer of the game, giving the guests a 74-71 lead with 38 seconds left. Hofstra put the game out of reach with 16 seconds left thanks to two free throws by Von Essen.
 
Sofilkanich led Bucknell with 20 points, and Tuana Coskun and Sophia Sabino tied for the team-lead with six rebounds each.
 
Hofstra closes out 2024 at home on Sunday, December 29, with a home game against Iona. Tip-off from the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex is set for 2 p.m. For ticket information, visit HofstraTickets.com, call (516) HOF-TIXX, or visit the Hofstra Athletics Ticket Office in the Mack Sports Complex lobby during normal business hours.
 
NOTES:
-Hofstra improves to 14-9 all-time against Bucknell. This was the first meeting in women's basketball between Hofstra and Bucknell since  December 3, 1999.
-Hofstra outscored Bucknell, 32-12, in the paint, and finished with 18 bench points to Bucknell's 14.
-With four three-pointers, Von Essen has connected on 165 three-pointers for her career. She passes Krystal Luciano (164, 2014-17) for the sixth-most threes in a career at Hofstra.