Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Hosts Albany in Final Home Game of 2003
12/21/2003 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
THIS AFTERNOON'S GAME: Bucknell enters this afternoon's contest looking to make it three in a row for the first time this season. The Bison are 3-4 after defeating Akron on Friday.
Albany comes to Lewisburg with a 2-4 overall record. The Great Danes snapped a three-game losing streak on December 13 with an 86-63 victory against Charleston Southern. A quick glance at the Albany schedule and one might think the Great Danes are the newest member of the Patriot League. Before facing the Bison today, Albany has already squared off against three other Patriot League teams. Navy defeated Albany in an early-season meeting, 77-55. The Great Danes traveled to Army in early December and dropped a close 79-72 decision, before falling at Colgate, 89-67, in the very next game.
THE SERIES: Bucknell and Albany have met four times since the 1999 season with the Bison holding a 3-1 advantage in the series history.
BU's first victory was an 89-65 decision against the Great Danes in the consolation game of the Cornell Classic on December 4, 1999. Albany's only victory in the series came that same season, a 64-63 nailbiter in Lewisburg on February 23, 2000.
The Bison have since won the last two meetings, an 80-64 game at Albany at the end of the 2000-01 season, and a 64-45 victory in Lewisburg to open the 2001-02 ledger.
LAST TIME OUT: Bucknell enjoyed a nine-point halftime lead that swelled to as many as 17 in the second half on the way to its second-straight win of 2003-04.
The Bison, back in action after a 13-day layoff for finals, trailed 4-0 in the opening minutes but two Kristin Valdner free throws gave the Orange and Blue a 6-4 lead they would never relinquish.
Valdner scored a season-high 10 points in the contest, while senior Desire Almind recorded her sixth-straight double-double with 21 points and a Sojka Pavilion record 19 rebounds.
ALMIND LEADING COUNTRY IN REBOUNDING: With her Sojka Pavilion record 19 rebounds against Akron (12/19/03), senior Desire Almind moved into first place in the country in rebounding with 14.4 caroms each night out. The 6-0 guard/forward entered the evening second in the nation at 13.7 rpg behind UNLV's Sherry McCracklin's 13.8.
HOPING FOR A HAPPY BIRTHDAY: For the second-straight year, sophomore Lindsey Geosits is suiting up on her birthday. Last season, as the rookie celebrated her 19th birthday, the Bison lost at La Salle, 85-74. Geosits had six points, five assists and two steals in that contest.
