Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Goes for Record-Tying Seventh Straight Win Tuesday Against American
2/6/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2006
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Bucknell will look to continue a number of winning streaks again on Tuesday night when it hosts American at 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison will attempt to tie the program record for consecutive victories as well as improve to 8-1 in the Patriot League to match their best-ever start. Bucknell will also try to defeat American for the third straight time and win for the seventh consecutive time by at least 13 points. Bucknell has outscored its Patriot League opponents by an average of 17.0 points per game. Freshman Amanda Brown, classmate Lauren Schober and junior Lindsey Hollobaugh are the top three scorers on the team, each averaging better than 10 points per game. The 1975-76 team was the last to have its top two scorers freshmen, while the 2000-01 squad was the last Bison team to not have a senior among its top three scorers. American enters Tuesday's game looking to keep its two-game winning streak intact as well as win in Sojka Pavilion for the second straight season.
ABOUT AMERICAN
American has won two games in a row following a stretch where it won just once in 11 games. The Eagles, who are 2-8 on the road this season, are led by senior guard Tala Hadavi, the Patriot League Player of the Week. The lone person on the team scoring in double figures, the Uppsala, Sweden, native is averaging 15.0 points per game. She is also among the team leaders in assists (51) and steals (25). Junior guard Tara Williams, who is the lone Eagle to start all 21 games, is second on the squad at 9.8 points per contest. Sahar Nusseibeh, a freshman forward, is the PL Rookie of the Week.She leads the team with 40 steals. American is coached by second-year mentor Melissa McFerrin who owns a career record of 18-31.
BISON VS. THE EAGLES
American leads the all-time series 8-6, but Bucknell owns a 6-4 advantage since ending the Eagles' series-opening four-game win streak. Bucknell has a 5-4 advantage since American joined the Patriot League in 2001-02. The Bison have won three of the last four meetings and are 1-1 in Sojka Pavilion.
LAST MEETING - Jan. 10, 2006 (Bender Arena) - Bucknell 66, American 43
Lauren Schober scored a career-high 22 points and pulled down four rebounds, while Hope Foster added 12 points and 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season as Bucknell won 66-43 at Bender Arena. The win helped the Bison improve to 2-0 in the Patriot League for the first time since 2001-02. It was the third straight game Schober netted double figures.
WITH A VICTORY OVER AMERICAN, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ...improve to eight games over .500 for the first time since ending the 2001-02 season with a 21-10 record
• ...improve to 8-1 in the Patriot League for the second time in program history and match the 1999-2000 squad for the best conference start
• ...tie the program record of seven consecutive victories that has stood since 1986-87
• ...post nine wins in a 10-game span for the first time since 2001-02
• ...sweep a season series from American for the first time since 2001-02
• ...reach 15 wins for the fifth time in nine seasons under head coach Kathy Fedorjaka
• ...win eight league games for the first time since 2001-02
QUICK FACTS
Lauren Schober has reached double figures in eight of the last 10 games ... with 21 points against Colgate she fell one point short of her career high ... Lindsey Hollobaugh became the 15th Bison to eclipse 1,000 points earlier this season ... Kathy Fedorjaka has 200 career victories ... Bucknell is one win shy of the longest winning streak in program history ... Hollobaugh has 394 career rebounds to top active Bison ... Hope Foster is the all-time blocks leader in Bucknell history ... Amanda Brown is in position to become the first Bucknell freshman to lead the team in scoring since Molly Creamer in 1999-2000 ... Creamer was the fourth freshman, and just second since 1980, to top the team in scoring ... Brown and Schober are attempting to become the first Bucknell freshmen to rank one-two in scoring since 1975-76, the second year of the program ... despite holding opponents to 34.5 percent shooting, Bucknell has given up the most field goal attempts in the Patriot League ... Bucknell has won seven straight road games and eight in a row overall away from home - both program records.
SIX WINS IN A ROW
Bucknell has won six games in a row for just the fourth time in the 33-year history of the program. The 1986-87 team that opened the campaign 7-0 owns the record for most consecutive wins in Bison history.
Bucknell's Longest Winning Streaks Year Streak Final W-L 1986-87 7 17-11 2005-06 6 -- 2001-02 6 21-10 1995-96 6 18-9
WIN NUMBER 200 FOR FEDORJAKA
Ninth-year Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka, who is in her 13th season as a college head coach, picked up her 200th career victory Feb. 4 against Colgate. The all-time winningest coach in Bucknell history, Fedorjaka has a career record of 200-153 (.567) and a 133-115 (.536) at the helm of the Bison. Bucknell has clinched a .500 for the fifth time under Fedorjaka.
BEST PL STARTS
Bucknell has opened Patriot League play with a 7-1 mark. That record ties the 1999-2000 squad for the best-ever conference start in program history. That team opened with an 8-1 Patriot League record, but lost its final three games to finish second in the standings with an 8-4 mark.
Bucknell's Best Patriot League Starts Year Start Final PL W-L 1999-2000 8-1 8-4 2005-06 7-1 --
SAD TO SEE JANUARY GO
Bucknell posted a 6-2 (.750) record in January, its best mark since going 3-1 (.750) in March of 2002. The Bison last registered a higher winning percentage in a month in February 2002 when they went 6-1 (.857). Lauren Schober averaged a team-high 14.6 points per game during the month, while Amanda Brown poured in 12.3. Bucknell opened February with a win over Lafayette on Feb. 1. It was the first time the Bison opened a month with a win since January 2005.
PATRIOT LEAGUE SUCCESS
In addition to being at the top of the Patriot League standings, Bucknell tops the PL in scoring defense during conference games, and is second in scoring offense. The Bison are averaging more than 70 points per game (second to Army) and holding opponents to less than 54 in their eight league contests. Patriot League opponents are making just 31.9% of their field goal attempts against the stingy Bison defense.
HALFTIME LEADS
Bucknell owns an 11-2 record when leading at halftime. The Bison, who have won their last 10 games they led at the half, have trailed at intermission just twice since Jan. 1.
LARGE VICTORY MARGIN
Bucknell, which has won six consecutive games by at least 13 points, is outscoring its opponents by a league-best 5.7 points per game this season. After winning just five games by at least 10 points last year, the Bison have 10 wins by double figures this season. In Patriot League contests, Bucknell has outscored opponents by 17.0 points per game.
POINTS AT A PREMIUM FOR OPPONENTS
Over the last five games Bucknell has limited its opponents to a total of just 313 points (52.2 ppg). Bucknell is allowing just 59.0 points per game this season, equaling the second-best figure in program history. The Bison have allowed less than 63 points per game just once since the 1979-80 campaign.
Scoring Defense Year Points Allowed/Game 1. 1975-76 56.9 2. 2005-06 59.0 1974-75 59.0 1979-80 59.0
STRONG DEFENSE
Bucknell has limited its opponents to a Patriot League-best 34.5% shooting from the field this season. The Bison have held four opponents under 30 percent this year. The last time an opponent eclipsed 40.0 percent was Iona in the second game of the season. In the lastest NCAA rankings, which include games through Jan. 30, Bucknell ranked 12th in field goal percentage defense.
NCAA FG% Defense Leaders (through Jan. 30) Rank Team Opponent FG% 1. BYU 33.3 2. South Carolina 33.5 3. Duke 34.1 4. Oregon 34.1 5. Auburn 34.3 6. Connecticut 34.3 7. Georgia Tech 34.4 8. Western Illinois 34.8 9. LSU 34.8 10. Montana 34.8 11. Boston College 34.9 12. Bucknell 34.9
NCAA Scoring Defense Leaders (through Jan. 30) Rank Team Opponent PPG 58. Bucknell 59.4
12-3 IN LAST 15
Bucknell has won 12 of its last 15 games, marking the first time since the 2001-02 campaign it has experienced a stretch that good. The six-game winning streak the Bison are in the midst of is tied for the longest since the 1986-87 squad opened the season 7-0.
CLOSE GAMES
After going 4-7 in games decided by six points or less in 2004-05, Bucknell is 4-2 in games decided by six points or less in 2005-06.
UNSELFISH BISON = SUCCESS
Bucknell tallied 16 assists Feb. 1 against Lafayette. It marked the eighth time this season the Bison have dished out at least 15 assists and they have won each of those games.
DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORERS
Eight different Bucknell players have combined to total 59 double-figure scoring games this season. Five players - Amanda Brown, Lauren Schober, Kesha Champion, Hope Foster and Lindsey Hollobaugh - have tallied at least 10 points nine times. Last year, in 28 games, there were just 66 double-figure games registered by seven different Bison players.
SOJKA SUCCESS
Bucknell is 6-4 at home this season and owns a 25-16 (.610) all-time record at Sojka Pavilion.
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 6-4 .600 Totals 25-16 .610
SEVEN STRAIGHT ON ROAD
Bucknell's 81-63 victory at Colgate on Feb. 4 was the seventh straight road win for the Bison, which is a program record.
Consecutive Road Victories Year Streak Final W-L 2005-06 7 in progress 1986-87 4 17-11 2000-01 4 20-8
EIGHT STRAIGHT AWAY FROM HOME
Bucknell's win at Colgate on Feb. 4 was its eighth straight away from home. The Bison have outscored their opponents by an average score of 74.1-59.2 during the eight games.
Bucknell's Eight-Game Win Streak Away from Sojka Pavilion Opponent Score vs. High Point 71-60 at UMES 93-92 (3OT) at Cornell 62-57 at Buffalo 74-63 at Navy 88-51 at American 66-43 at Lehigh 58-45 at Colgate 81-63
BLOCKED SHOTS FOR FOSTER
Sophomore Hope Foster leads the Patriot League and has broken her own Bucknell single-season blocks record with 76 this year. She ranks sixth all-time in PL annals. The Washington, D.C., native has blocked at least four shots in a game 10 times this season and 17 times in 49 career games. Earlier this year she had a string of 33 games with at least one block snapped. In the latest NCAA rankings, which include games through Jan. 30, Foster ranked fifth in the nation in blocks. Ironically, Foster has more blocks than any Patriot League team.
Patriot League Career Blocks Player, School Years Games Blocks 1. Kathy Courtney, Holy Cross 1994-97 117 309 2. Lisa Andrews, Holy Cross 2002-05 118 201 3. Karen Juda, Holy Cross 1993-96 112 194 4. Kelly Roche, Fordham 1991-93 78 174 5. Leandra Fuller, Colgate 2002-05 119 170 6. Hope Foster, Bucknell 2005- 49 148
2005-06 Patriot League Blocked Shot Leaders Player, School Games Blocks Avg. 1. Hope Foster, Bucknell 21 76 3.6 2. Kaitlin Foley, Holy Cross 21 18 0.9 3. Carly Meyer, Navy 16 13 0.8
2005-06 Blocked Shots Player/Team Blocks Hope Foster 76 Holy Cross 51 Colgate 43 Navy 43
HOLLOBAUGH REACHES 1,000 POINTS
With her first field goal in a 58-45 win over Lehigh on Jan. 18, Lindsey Hollobaugh reached the 1,000-point mark in her career. She is the 15th Bison in the history of the program to reach that figure. She currently ranks 12th on Bucknell's career scoring list with 1,076 points. She is averaging 14.5 points per game in her career, good for fourth on the Bison career list.
UP NEXT
Bucknell begins the homestretch of the season with a three-game road trip beginning with a game at Holy Cross Saturday. Tip off for the contest is at 1 p.m. in Worcester, Mass. The Bison lost to the Crusaders 67-63 in overtime at Sojka Pavilion last month. Bucknell has won three of the last five games in the series, which Holy Cross leads 29-8 all-time.
