In its third loss in three games this young season, 6-1 fifth-year player Madison Stanley hit three 3-pointers to lead the Knights while Chloe Wilson scored 12. Dahomee Forgues had nine after averaging 23.5 in the first two games.
For the 1-1 Bison of the Pioneer Conference, O’Brien had 18 points while Walls added 14 and Collins contributed 10.
The Knights shot 21-54 (38.9%) overall. From the three-point line, FDU shot 6-14 (42%) and was 8-10 (80%) from the free-throw line. The Knights were outscored 22-6 in the final quarter.
Bucknell shot 23-53 (43.4%) overall and 4-12 (33.3%) from the three-point line. From the free-throw line, the Bison hit 16-18 (88.9%).
8:53 p.m.
Thanks for your patience. This game was a learning experience for this rookie sports live blogger. Much respect to the team putting this together. Kayoneil Wilson produced the blog and Naniyah McClain fed Twitter masterfully. Assistant sports editor Jen Malti will return for the next live blog and this professor can go back to critiquing and suggesting.
8:50 p.m.
A 66-56 loss for the Knights as Bucknell gets its first win of the season and its sixth against no losses in this non-conference pairing. FDU falls to 0-3 and will play at Cornell on Saturday in a non-conference game at 1 p.m.
Madison Stanley had 16 points to lead the Knights.
8:48 p.m.
Parade at the line as FDU has to foul for any chance. Bucknell drains two free throws and leads 66-53 with 4 seconds to play.
8:46 p.m.
Johnson hits two at the stripe to extend the lead to 64-53 with 20 seconds to play.
8:44 p.m.
Turnover Knights with 29 seconds to play. Timeout Bucknell.
8:42 p.m.
Timeout as time is slipping away for the Knights’ chances at the first win of the season.
FDU will need to foul and score for any chance. O’Brien at the line for two for Bucknell. Extends the lead to 62-53 with 33 seconds to go.
8:41 p.m.
Krsul scores from low to extend the Bison lead to 61-53 with 42 seconds to play.
8:40 p.m.
Basket down low and Bucknell leads 59-53.
FDU turns it over with 1:07 remaining.
8:38 p.m.
Stanley is at the line as FDU goes into the bonus. Swishes the first, misses the second and Bucknell rebounds ahead 57-53.
8:36 p.m.
Bucknell is in the bonus as Wall clangs a free throw. She hits the second at the stripe and FDU takes a timeout, trailing 57-52 with 1:59 remaining.
8:35 p.m.
FDU misses a three and Bucknell answers with an offensive foul. Niles takes a shot in the lane, misses, Wilson fouls and the ball goes to the Bison.
8:33 p.m.
FDU has 16 turnovers to Bucknell’s eight. Stanley banks a short shot under the goal and draws the foul and extends the lead to 56-52 after the free throw completes the three-point play the hard way.
8:31 p.m.
Correction. FDU trails 53-52. FDU possession Stanley hits the front of the rim and Bukenll has the ball with under four minutes to play. Miss and FDU has the ball. Turns the ball over on a Wilson travel.
8:29 p.m.
Bucknell fouls, team’s fourth, timeout with 4:31 to play and FDU clinging to a 53-52 advantage.
8:27 p.m.
Bucknell’s O’Brien is the leading scorer in the game.
Trailing 50-49, FDU goes inside. Wilson misses, collects the board and extends pushes FDU to a 51-50 lead with five minutes to play.
8:26 p.m.
Bucknell hits for a 51-50 lead, it’s first.
8:24 p.m.
Foul on Walls of Bucknell. FDU turned it over. Bucknell is on the offense, swinging the ball. Wilson rebounds for FDU. Foul on Bucknell. Scott misses, Wilson fouls and the lead is 50-49 with 6:10 to play.
8:23 p.m.
FDU’s ball. Both teams are packed in the paint while the officials check with the timers.
8:21 p.m.
A short shot by Bucknell and FDU holds a 50-49 lead with eight minutes to play.
Niles misses a three. Walls drives and draws the foul. Inbounds Bucknell. Niles hits the iron and FDU recovers, holding a 50-49 lead. Loose ball, tied up. FDU with possession with 7:20 remaining.
8:18 p.m.
Bucknell has the ball inbounds to start the final stanza. Long three misses, FDU gets the rebound, and layup is blocked. Another block on the inside shot by the Knights.
Bucknell scores to cut the margin to 50-47 with 8:42 to play.
8:16 p.m.
Scott swishes the first, and hits the second for a 50-44 lead.
O’Brien misses, ball goes out but still belongs to Bucknell. Another miss by O’Brien ends the quarter as FDU leads 50-44.
8:14 p.m.
Scott scores to cut it to 48-44 in the final seconds of the quarter. Foul on Bucknell sends Scott to the line for two with eight seconds remaining in the period.
8:13 p.m.
Aniya Bell gets fouled on a rebound and has two at the stripe. Hits the first and the second for a 48-42 lead with under a minute in the quarter.
8:11 p.m.
Bucknell ball. O’Brien misses, FDU rebounds, O’Brien fouls. FDU battles through the press and clangs a shot but recovers possession with 1:03 remaining.
8:10 p.m.
Wilson scores to extend it to 46-40 with 3:28. Miss by Bucknell and FDU is on the attack. But Sierra DeAngelo gets called with the foul.
8:09 p.m.
O’Brien at the line for two and cuts the FDU lead to 44-40 with 4:00 to go in the quarter.
8:08 p.m.
Collins answers and cuts it to 44-37 with 4:26 to go.
FDU is controlling the lead and Bucknell goes into the zone press.
8:07 p.m.
FDU in its home white. Scott to Wilson layup and a 44-35 lead with 4:30 to go in the quarter.
8:06 p.m.
FDU is seeking its first win in the home opener. A loud crowd is supporting the Knights. A good feeling after last year’s games without fans.
8:05 p.m.
O’Brien misses and FDU goes on transition, but the short shot by Scott gets blocked. Time out.
8:04 p.m.
Rachel Niles at the line for FDU with 2. Nice form, swish. Second hits long and it’s 42-35 with 5:09 to go.
8:03 p.m.
Stanley three extends the lead to 41-32. Bucknell hits a three to make it 41-35 with 5:30 minutes to play.
8:02 p.m.
O’Brien for Bucknell hits a turnaround to cut the lead to 38-32 with six minutes to go.
8:00 p.m.
FDU takes a 36-28 lead, Bucknell misses and FDU gets the ball and turns the ball over with 7:33 to go.
7:59 p.m.
O’Brien misses and FDU takes over. Scott scores on a layup for a 34-28 lead with 8:24 to go.
7:58 p.m.
Bucknell has possession to start the second half. FDU on offense Stanley jumper from the left, her 9th points, 32-28 FDU leads with just under nine.
7:54 p.m.
FDU shot 44.4%, hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
7:43 p.m.
We are at the half of the home opener for FDU. The first half was good for the Knights, and bad for me, encountering technical difficulties in my home studio. Got a second computer up and running and will bring you a half-time report.
7:42 p.m.
Bucknell ball with 13 seconds remaining. Long miss, FDU recovers at the buzzer. FDU leads 30-26 at the half.
7:41 p.m.
O’Brien shoots and misses, FDU down the floor and Stanley cans a three.
7:40 p.m.
FDU puts the ball in play at mid-court and goes into its offense, swinging around the perimeter. Wilson misses from under.
7:39 p.m.
Bucknell misses the jumper and its FDU ball.
7:38 p.m.
FDU loses the ball out of bounds.
7:37 p.m.
Bucknell bringing the ball up the floor. O’Brien scores on a paint jumper, cutting the lead to 25-23 with just over two to go.
7:36 p.m.
O’Brien scores from in close to cut the lead to 25-21 with 3:41 remaining as we go into a time out.
7:34 p.m.
FDU leads 25-17 with just over four to go in the half.
7:33 p.m.
FDU makes the turnover and makes the 3-point shot, putting FDU at a three point lead.
7:29 p.m.
After some technical difficulties, we are back. FDU is holding a 16-14 lead with 7:54 to play in the second half.
7:11 p.m.
FDU leads 5-2 with 7:05 remaining. Turnover FDU.
7:10 p.m.
Tie at 2-2 after free throws by Bison.
FDU spreads on the offensive end of the floor. Short miss, rebound Bison.
7:08 p.m.
Collins fouled on the rebound by Scott of FDU. Inbounds Bison.
7:07 p.m.
Tip goes to FDU, Wilson scores for a 2-0 lead.
Pre-game Update
Good evening and welcome to The Equinox live-blog coverage of FDU women’s basketball.
Tonight, the Knights of third-year head coach Angelika Szumilo celebrate the home opener at the Rothman Center, hosting Patriot Conference opponent Bucknell. It is Youth Team/Poster night as fans celebrate in the stands for the first time after COVID precautions halted all in-person attendance last season.
COVID precautions are in place under New Jersey and federal guidance. Fans and media are asked to mask and maintain social distance.
Hi everybody, I’m Mo Krochmal, academic advisor for The Equinox, sitting in to get tonight’s game started. I will be joined by assistant sports editor Jen Malti later in the game. Staff writer Kayoneil Wilson is producing tonight’s live blog and student lifestyle editor Naniyah McClain is masterfully updating Twitter throughout. Hit us up at @equinoxfdu.
Both teams are looking for their first win. FDU, which has lost all five previous meetings with Bucknell since 1987, has two losses on its ledger, falling 89-68 to St. John’s in the opener and 68-59 at Loyola Maryland on Sunday. The Knights were tabbed to finish fifth in the Northeast Conference in the preseason coaches’ poll. FDU ended its season last year in the conference tourney semifinals.
Bucknell, under third-year head coach Trevor Woodruff, went undefeated in eight games in last year’s abbreviated schedule, but lost its opener at No 17 Ohio State last Wednesday.
FDU is led by Dahomée Forgues, who is averaging 23.5 points a game and has played from tip to buzzer in the first two games. The 5-8 junior guard from Quebec transferred to FDU from Robert Morris, where she played for the first two years of her college career.
Chloe Wilson, a 5-10 sophomore forward from Freeport, New York is averaging 14 points a game while Madison Stanley, a 6-1 fifth-year player from Woodbridge, New Jersey, leads the Knights on the board with 7 rebounds a game. Rachel Niles, a 5-3 senior guard from Ontario, leads the Knights with 4.5 assists a game.
FDU looking to win against Bucknell in tonight’s game.
Art by Aurora Rifkind
