BALTIMORE – Neither Loyola University Maryland, nor visiting Bucknell University scored in the first three-plus minutes of Saturday's Patriot League game, but the Bison got their offense going and built an 18-4 lead by the end of the first quarter, en route to a 60-45 victory.
 
The Greyhounds made just two of nine shots in the opening quarter before fine-tuning their offensive game to make nine of 17 over the next two, but the 14-point lead the Bison built was enough to get past Loyola as it outscored them in the second half.
 
Taleah Dixon scored a team-high 14 points for Loyola, and Lex Therien had her ninth double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Loyola outscored Bucknell (15-5 overall, 6-3 Patriot League), 28-22, after halftime.
 
The teams combined to miss their first seven shots from the field before Julie Kulesza connected on a 3-pointer with 6:32 to go in the first, and Bucknell had scored 13 of the first 15 points with 2:44 to go in the frame when Carly Krsul had a layup in the paint.
 
Dixon got the margin back to 10, 23-13, just 2:37 into the second quarter, but Bucknell saw Loyola's 62.5 field-goal percentage in the second and raised it to the tune of 77.8 percent for a 38-17 lead at the break.
 
Dixon scored seven in the third quarter as Loyola outscored the Bison, 15-10, and Therien then had nine points and eight boards in the fourth.
 
Krusl led Bucknell with 14 points, matching Dixon for game-high honors.
 
The Greyhounds will conclude a three-game homestand on Wednesday, February 2, when they host the U.S. Military Academy at 2 p.m. in Reitz Arena.