LEWISBURG, Pa. (Interstat) — The Army women’s basketball team used a dominant defensive performance and a game-high 15 points from Kya Smith to secure a 56-43 victory over Bucknell in a Patriot League contest Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion.

The Black Knights (23-6, 14-3 Patriot) never trailed, holding the Bison to their second-lowest scoring output of the season while avenging a loss to Navy in their previous outing. Bucknell concluded its regular season with a 10-18 overall record and a 7-11 mark in conference play.

Army established control from the opening tip, which Smith won to initiate the game’s first sequence. Taylor Wilson of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, converted an and-one opportunity just 33 seconds into the contest, setting an immediate physical tone. The Black Knights’ defense forced four Bucknell turnovers in the first five minutes, fueling an early 8-1 run. While the Bison settled, cutting the deficit to 11-8 late in the quarter, Army’s Soleil Montrose connected on a 3-pointer in the final minute to give the visitors a 16-11 lead after one period.

The second quarter saw Bucknell’s offense find brief rhythm, with Tuana Coskun of Istanbul hitting a 3-pointer and Reese Zemitis adding another to pull the Bison within 23-21 with 2:18 remaining before halftime. However, Army’s defense tightened again, holding Bucknell scoreless for the remainder of the half. The Black Knights took a 26-23 advantage into the break despite shooting struggles from the field, their lead preserved by forcing 10 first-half turnovers.

The most important stretch of the game came early in the third quarter, where Army effectively put the contest out of reach. After Bucknell’s Mariah Hardy opened the second-half scoring to trim the lead to 26-25, the Black Knights unleashed a decisive 13-2 run over the next six minutes. Smith, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Lubbock, Texas, was instrumental during the surge, scoring five points. Reese Ericson of Lake Oswego, Oregon, added a pull-up jumper, and Wilson contributed a driving layup. The run was punctuated by stifling defense that limited Bucknell to 1-of-8 shooting during the span and extended Army’s lead to 39-27.

Bucknell could not mount a sustained challenge thereafter. The Bison managed only two field goals over the final six minutes of the third quarter, and Army carried a 41-36 lead into the final period. The Black Knights then sealed the victory by holding Bucknell to just seven points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-13 shooting. A 7-0 Army run, capped by a Brooke Wilson layup with 36 seconds left, provided the final margin.

Smith’s 15 points led all scorers, and she added four assists in 32 minutes. Ericson finished with 12 points, while Wilson and Montrose each added nine. Montrose’s efficiency was notable, scoring her nine points in just 10 minutes of action.

For Bucknell, Hardy led the way with nine points, four assists and two blocks. Coskun also scored nine points and dished out three assists. Anna Kunzwiler of Leesburg, Virginia, contributed seven points and two blocks, and Zemitis had seven points and three blocks, but the Bison shot just 30.2% from the field as a team and committed 18 turnovers.

Army’s defense was the story, consistently generating stops at critical junctures. The Black Knights scored 19 points off Bucknell turnovers and outscored the Bison 28-18 in the paint. The victory keeps Army in contention for a high seed in the upcoming Patriot League tournament, improving to 14-3 in conference play with one regular-season game remaining.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 285. Army concludes its regular season on the road against Lehigh on Saturday.