BALTIMORE - Bucknell, the preseason favorites in the Patriot League, was able to use a 10-2 run over the final 1:30 of play to hold off the Loyola University Maryland women's basketball team Wednesday night, as the Bison came away from Reitz Arena with a 75-57 victory.
 
Junior Alexis Gray led all players with a season-high 19 points, while senior Bri Betz-White chipped in 16 and sophomore Isabella Therien added 12 for the Greyhounds. Betz-White also contributed four assists, while freshman Taleah Dixon had three.
 
Sophomore Delaney Connolly tied a game- and career-high of nine rebounds.
 
For Bucknell, Kaitlyn Slagus had 17 points, Ellie Mack had 14 and Kyi English contributed 13.
 
Betz-White connected from downtown and Therien followed it up with layup to give the Greyhounds an early 5-0 lead, but Bucknell answered with a 10-0 run to take a 10-5 lead into the first media timeout, at 4:25. Betz-White converted a pair of free throws out of the break, before the Bison stretched its lead to eight, at 15-7, forcing the Greyhounds to call a timeout.
 
Dixon got the Greyhounds within six, with a layup out of the break, and then Therien's 3-pointer pulled Loyola within five, 19-14 at the 1:39 mark. The Bison responded with an 8-2 run though, giving them a 27-16 lead with 7:32 to play in the first half. Loyola would come no closer than nine points after that, as Bucknell took a 43-29 advantage into the halftime break.
 
The Bison stretched their lead to as many as 21 in the third quarter, including at 59-38 at the 2:11 mark. Although Gray put together a three-point play and Betz-White knocked down a pair of free throws, Bucknell ended the quarter with a layup to maintain an 18-point advantage, 61-43.
 
Loyola continued to work and chipped away at their deficit early in the fourth quarter, with Gray's opening jumper sparking an 8-0 run that pulled the Greyhounds within 10, 61-51. Autumn Ceppi's layup snapped Loyola's streak before Kate Walker's jumper gave the Bison a 65-52 lead with 2:36 to play.
 
Betz-White swished a triple to get the Greyhounds on the verge of a single-digit deficit, 65-55, but Loyola would be unable to break through as the Bison scored 10 of the final 12 points to hold off the Greyhounds for a 75-57 victory.
 
Loyola will be back in action on Saturday when it travels to Colgate. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Cotterell Court.