Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Hoops Looking for First Patriot League Win at Lehigh Tonight
1/14/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2004
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THIS EVENING'S GAME: This evening's contest pits 7-7 Bucknell (0-1 in the Patriot League) against the 4-9 Mountain Hawks of Lehigh (1-0 in conference).
The Bison come into today's game looking for their first conference victory after dropping a heartbreaking 50-49 decision at American on Saturday in the league opener.
Lehigh might just be finding its rhythm as the winner of three of its last four games, including the conference opener against Navy, 71-61.
THE LEHIGH SERIES: The Bison hold a slim 25-24 advantage in the series which began in 1977 and is the second longest rivalry in school history (Lafayette = 51 games). Lehigh has won two-straight, however, sweeping the Orange and Blue in two games last season.
BU has won six of the last 10 outings between the two schools, including four of the last five in Bethlehem, Pa. Other than last year's 68-61 win at Stabler Arena, the Mountain Hawks only other victories in the stretch were in Davis Gymnasium in the form of a 96-91 double overtime outcome in 2000, and a 74-67 game in 2001, and in the Sojka Pavilion opener last year (74-67).
BUCKNELL AND THE RPI: The RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) is the measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule.
In the latest RPI rankings, updated Tuesday, January 13, Bucknell is ranked 233 of 324 schools. Of the seven Patriot League schools, Bucknell is the sixth-highest ranked team. Today's opponent, Lehigh, is fifth in the conference at 229. Holy Cross is the conference leader at 129.
As a conference, the Patriot League is 25th out of 32 conferences.
IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR: This evening's contest will feature the first time sophomore Lindsey Geosits will face her younger sister, Emily, a freshman at Lehigh, on the court.
Both Geosits children are contributing to their respective teams. Lindsey has started 13 of Bucknell' 14 games, and recently scored a career-best 17 points at Iona. Emily has played in all 13 games for the Mountain Hawks, starting three of them. She is scoring 3.7 ppg.
It truly is a family affair with the Geosits clan. Lindsey and Emily's father, Ed, and mother, Jill, both played college basketball at another Patriot League rival school - Lafayette.
LAST YEAR IN BETHLEHEM: The road woes continued as the team fell at Lehigh, 68-61.
Bucknell led 6-5 with just under five minutes gone in the game before a 13-2 run by the Mountain Hawks gave the host team an 18-8 lead. Jessica DePalo, who had 10 of Lehigh's first 18 points, scored eight of those during the stretch. Katie Hettler ended the Orange and Blue drought with a layup at the 11:33 mark. The 5-7 guard followed with her first three-pointer of the season just 26 seconds later to cut the deficit to five, 18-13.
Bucknell outscored Lehigh 12-0 over the final five minutes of the half to carry a 32-27 lead into the locker room.
Lehigh opened the second half with two quick three-pointers to take over the lead, 33-32. Sandwiched by two Carli Toliver three-pointers, the Mountain Hawks outscored BU 12-2 over a three minute span to take over 49-44. The Bison got within one, 49-48, with 11:29 left in the game, but Lehigh eliminated the hopes of a comeback with an 8-0 spurt over two minutes to go up nine, 57-48. Bucknell could only get as close as five the rest of the way before falling 68-61.
LAST TIME OUT: For the second year in a row, American spoiled Bucknell's Patriot League opener with a last second bucket, as the Eagles defeated the Bison 50-49.
Kaitlin Schuyler took a pass from Chanel Hunt and made a tough layup with 1.2 seconds remaining to give AU the lead and the win.
BU trailed by four with 4:11 left before two consecutive three-pointers from junior Brooke Tomovich gave the Orange and Blue a 47-45 lead with 2:51 to play. The Eagles took the lead again on a three-point play by Kim Salem, and a minute later, junior Lillian Drumgold put Bucknell back on top with two free throws. Neither team scored again until Schuyler's game-winning basket.
