Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball to Face Pair of Empire State Teams this Week
12/18/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2006
What: Binghamton (3-7) at Bucknell (6-5)
Where: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006, 7 p.m.
Game Notes
What: Bucknell (6-5) at Siena (2-8)
Where: Alumni Recreation Center, Loudonville, N.Y.
When: Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006, 7 p.m.
Bucknell continues its tour of New York schools this week as it hosts Binghamton on Tuesday and then travels to Siena on Thursday. The Bison, who have 12 games against teams from the Empire State on their schedule, are 3-1 this year against foes from New York. The Binghamton contest marks the first of four consecutive games against New York squads for Bucknell. The Bison (6-5) will be trying to avoid their first losing streak of the season against Binghamton (3-7), while both the Bearcats and Siena (2-8) enter this week's games coming off wins. Binghamton downed Colgate 79-54 on Saturday, while Siena edged St. Peter's 66-60 on Dec. 10. Despite struggling to score in recent games, Bucknell is still led by Hope Foster and Lindsey Hollobaugh on the offensive side of the floor. Foster is fourth in the Patriot League in scoring with a career-high 14.8 points per game average, while Hollobaugh is 12th at 11.1 ppg.
BISON VS. BEARCATS
Bucknell's only victory against Binghamton in three all-time meetings came in the first year of the program, 1973-74. The Bison trounced the Bearcats by a 60-29 score. Binghamton has won each of the last two meetings, which both came in the 2001 calendar year.
WITH A VICTORY OVER BINGHAMTON, BUCKNELL WOULD...
...open a season with a 7-5 record for the first time since 2000-01
...avoid first losing streak of season
...improve to 4-1 against teams from New York State this season
...open a campaign with a 4-1 home record for the second time since 2000-01
BISON VS. SAINTS
Last year Bucknell and Siena met for the first time in the history of the two programs with the Bison winning by a 54-48 score at Sojka Pavilion.
WITH A VICTORY OVER SIENA, BUCKNELL WOULD...
...even its record against MAAC teams this season at 1-1
...avoid first road losing streak of season
QUICK FACTS
Bucknell reached the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament for the fourth time in five years last year ... Hope Foster leads current Bison with 532 career rebounds, 145 shy of climbing into Bucknell's top-10 list ... the Bison were one of the best defensive teams in the nation last year as they ranked in the top 50 nationally in four defensive categories, including seventh in field goal percentage defense ... it has been a span of 81 games since an opponent has converted at least 50.0% of its field goals against the Bison defense ... the 58.4 ppg Bucknell is yielding this year would rank third all-time ... Kesha Champion eclipsed 500 career points against St. Bonaventure ... Champion is 37th on Bucknell's career scoring list, one point ahead of 38th-place Monique LeBlanc, a current assistant coach for the Bison ... senior guard Lindsey Hollobaugh has 70 career double-figure scoring games, but just one in her last five outings.
FOSTER CONTINUES TO PILE UP BLOCKS
Junior forward Hope Foster, who already owns the Bucknell career and single-season blocked shots record, has piled up an impressive 48 blocks in 11 games this year. After setting a Bucknell record for blocks in a single game with eight against Hampton, she surpassed that with 11 against Michigan State one week later to tie the Patriot League single-game standard.
Hope Foster's Blocked Shots Accomplishments
-Bucknell single-game record (11 vs. Michigan State)
-Tied Patriot League single-game record (11 vs. Michigan State)
-15 career games with at least five blocks (only 23 total in Bucknell history)
-Owns top two spots on Bucknell's career blocks list (Fr.-72/So.-95)
-Tied for Patriot League single-season blocks record (95)
-Second in Patriot League history in career blocks (215)
-First on Bucknell's career blocks list (215) - 83 ahead of second place
-At least one block in 64 of 68 career games
BUCKNELL VS. NEW YORK TEAMS
Bucknell will be playing its fifth and sixth games against New York teams this week with matchups against Binghamton and Siena. The Bison are 3-1 against squads from the Empire State this year. Bucknell is 10-3 in its last 13 games against New York foes.
NO 3-POINTERS FOR FOSTER
Junior Hope Foster leads Bucknell in scoring with 163 points this season. She has piled up those points without making, or taking, a 3-pointer. The last Bison to score more points without making a 3-pointer was Rachel Hanley, who tallied 164 points in 2004-05. In 2001-02 Kate Rounsley went the entire season without attempting a 3-pointer while scoring more than Foster's 163 points as she tallied 239.
OUTSCORED IN SECOND HALF
Coppin State outscored Bucknell 39-24 in the second half last Saturday, marking the sixth straight game the Bison had been outscored after halftime. Bucknell has been outscored 343-308 in the second half this season.
COLLYMORE BRINGS SUCCESS
Junior point guard Kristina Collymore has started just 16 games in her three-year career, but Bucknell has been very successful in those contests, posting a 10-6 record. She has been in the starting lineup three times this year and the Bison have posted a 2-1 mark in those games. In fact, Bucknell is 6-2 the last eight times she has been part of the starting unit dating to last year.
LOW SCORING
Bucknell's offense has hit a cold spell recently, failing to eclipse 55 points in each of its last five games. The Bison are averaging 47 points per game over that span, their lowest in a five-game stretch since 1981-82 when they averaged 45.8 points per contest from Jan. 21-Feb. 4. Just three Bucknell players (Foster, Hollobaugh, Seawright) have increased their scoring averages from last year.
NOT ENOUGH SHOTS
Bucknell is averaging just over 50 field goal attempts a game this season and has taken 104 less than its opponents. Just once in their last seven contests have the Bison taken 50 field goals. Last year just once (vs. Coppin State) did Bucknell not shoot at least 50 times from the field.
ALTERNATING W/L
Outside of a two-game winning streak late in November, Bucknell has been alternating wins and losses all season. The Bison alternated results for the first five contests and have now done it over the last six, starting with the second game of that two-game winning streak.
LARGE MARGINS
After playing 10 games last year that were decided by six points or less, Bucknell has played a game that close just once this season. Eight of the 11 games for the Bison have been decided by margins of at least 10 points.
6-2 WHEN LEADING AT HALF
Bucknell led Coppin State 26-25 at halftime on Saturday, marking the eighth time in 11 games it held a halftime advantage. By falling by a 64-50 score, the Bison fell to 6-2 on the year when leading at the half.
500-POINT CLUB
Kesha Champion became the 38th member of Bucknell's 500-point club earlier this season against St. Bonaventure. She joined teammates Lindsey Hollobaugh (1,281) and Hope Foster (654) on that list. Hollobaugh is eighth on the career scoring list, while Foster ranks 27th. Champion passed current assistant coach Monique LeBlanc for 37th with a five-point outing against Coppin State.
Bucknell Career Scoring Leaders 36. Jen Winhofer 529 37. Kesha Champion 523 38. Monique LeBlanc 522
SOJKA SUCCESS
Bucknell has posted a 3-1 home mark this year to improve its all-time record at Sojka Pavilion to 30-18 (.625). In their first four years playing at Sojka Pavilion, the Bison have never finished below .500. Bucknell posted victories in six of its final seven home games in 2005-06.
Bucknell's All-Time Record in Sojka Pavilion Year W-L Pct. 2002-03 4-2 .667 2003-04 8-5 .615 2004-05 7-5 .583 2005-06 8-5 .615 2006-07 3-1 .750 Totals 30-18 .625
UP NEXT
Bucknell will have its second break of at least a week in between games following Thursday's contest at Siena. The Bison will continue their streak of facing four consecutive New York teams as they host Buffalo at Sojka Pavilion on Dec. 29.
