Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Women's Basketball Aims for 2-0 PL Start Wednesday Night at Home Against American
1/9/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2007
What: American (6-10, 1-0 PL) at Bucknell (9-7, 1-0 PL)
Where: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007, 7 p.m.
Radio: WVBU 90.5 and SportsJuice.com
Live Video: Patriot League All-Access
Game Notes
Bucknell looks to open up Patriot League play 2-0 for the second consecutive season Wednesday night against American. The Bison, who are 11-4 in their last 15 Patriot League regular-season contests, outscored the Eagles by an average of 29.0 points per game in two meetings last year. Lauren Schober, who is coming off a season-high 19 points against Navy and is averaging 13.0 points per game against Patriot League foes in her career, owns a 16.0 average against the Eagles. Hope Foster will look to rejoin Schober atop the team's scoring list after totaling a season-low two points versus the Mids last Saturday. She did block three shots and now holds the top three positions on Bucknell's single-season rejections list. She is averaging 4.0 blocks per game to rank among the nation's leaders. Bison opponents have totaled just 35 blocks, while American has just 28.
ABOUT AMERICAN
American has endured a season of streaks. The Eagles lost seven in a row after winning their opener. They followed that streak with four wins in a row before losing their final three contests before Patriot League play. American then won at Lehigh on Saturday behind 15 points from Liz Hayes and 23 Mountain Hawk turnovers. Hayes, who has already made 47 3-pointers this season, leads the team, and is second in the PL, in scoring at 15.8 ppg. Nicole Ryan, a sophomore guard, is also an adept outside shooter as she has knocked down 33 3-pointers and is averaging 10.9 ppg. The duo is the only two players to start all 16 games this year for American, which has seen nine different players appear as part of the starting unit.
BISON VS. EAGLES
American leads the all-time series 8-7, but Bucknell owns a 7-4 advantage since ending the Eagles' series-opening four-game win streak. Bucknell has a 6-4 advantage since American joined the Patriot League in 2001-02. The Bison have won the last three meetings and are 2-1 in Sojka Pavilion.
WITH A VICTORY OVER AMERICAN, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ...win its fourth consecutive game over the Eagles
• ...open the Patriot League schedule 2-0 for the second consecutive year and the seventh time overall
• ...even its record on its current homestand at 2-2
• ...post its third two-game winning streak this season
• ...win 10 games in a season for the 13th consecutive year
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 556 career rebounds, 121 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 ... just once in the last 86 games has an opponent converted at least 50.0% of its field goals against the Bison defense ... Foster is 26th on Bucknell's career scoring list ... Kesha Champion is 34th on Bucknell's career scoring list ... senior guard Lindsey Hollobaugh has 73 career double-figure scoring games ... Hollobaugh became the 10th Bison to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career against Navy ... Foster is two points shy of 700 in her career ... senior forward Jacquie Seawright eclipsed 800 points in her college career against Navy.
HOLLOBAUGH JOINS 1,000-POINT, 500-REBOUND CLUB
Senior guard Lindsey Hollobaugh grabbed five rebounds last Saturday against Navy to push her career total to 503 and help her become the 10th member of Bucknell's 1,000-point, 500-rebound club. The Loganton, Pa., native passed the 1,000-point plateau last year and currently ranks sixth in program history in that category. Only three people who are ahead of her on the scoring list grabbed more than 500 rebounds in their careers (Desire Almind, Vicki Quimby and Ann Kirwin). Almind was the latest player to join the exclusive club in 2003-04.
BROWN NAMED BISON ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Amanda Brown was named the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week for the second time in her career on Monday. The sophomore guard returned to the starting lineup for the first time in more than a month and equaled her career high with 22 points as she led the Bison to a victory over Navy last Saturday. She is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game and is averaging 14.0 ppg over the last five contests. Just 59 points shy of becoming the fourth player on the roster with 500 career points, Brown is averaging 11.8 ppg in Bucknell's nine wins and just 7.5 ppg in its seven losses.
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS FOR SEAWRIGHT
Junior forward Jacquie Seawright has grabbed 59 rebounds, the third-highest figure on the team, despite playing just over 20 minutes per game. More than 40% of those boards (26) are on the offensive end, including five of her six last Saturday against Navy. Only Hope Foster, who is second in the Patriot League in rebounding, has more offensive rebounds than Seawright.
WINNING THE JUMP
Thanks to 6-feet, 2-inch forward Hope Foster, Bucknell has won the opening jump ball 12 times this season. The Bison are 6-6 in games they have possession first and 3-1 when the other team gains control of the opening tip.
60+ POINTS LEADS TO WIN
With a 67-47 victory over Navy last Saturday, Bucknell improved to 7-0 when scoring at least 60 points this season. The Bison are just 2-7 when tallying less than 60 points. Bucknell was 14-4 when registering at least 60 points in 2005-06 and is 24-5 in its last 29 games with at least 60 points.
WEEKDAY WARRIORS
Bucknell has posted a sparkling 8-3 mark on weekdays as opposed to its 1-4 mark on Saturdays and Sunday.
LARGE MARGINS
After playing 10 games last year that were decided by six points or less, Bucknell has played a game that close just three times this season. Eleven of the 16 games for the Bison have been decided by margins of at least 10 points.
9-3 WHEN LEADING AT HALF
Bucknell led Navy 34-29 at halftime on Wednesday, marking the 12th time this season the Bison led at halftime and they are 9-3 in those contests. Bucknell is outscoring its opponents by more than 50 points in the first halves of games this season.
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 (1,345) and Hope Foster (698) on that list. Hollobaugh is sixth on the career scoring list, while Foster ranks 26th. Champion currently ranks 34th.
Bucknell Career Scoring Leaders
25. Monica Nawarskas 701
26. Hope Foster 698
32. Brooke Tomovich 570
33. Jill Henry 557
34. Kesha Champion 547
SOJKA SUCCESS
Bucknell has posted a 5-3 home mark this year to improve its all-time record at Sojka Pavilion to 32-20 (.615). In their first four years playing at Sojka Pavilion, the Bison never finished below .500. Bucknell posted victories in six of its final seven home games in 2005-06.
PATRIOT LEAGUE ALL-ACCESS
The eight Patriot League institutions and College Sports Television Online will air more than 100 men's and women's basketball games live on the Internet as part of the new Patriot League All-Access package. Nearly every intraleague contest, including Bucknell's women's and men's games, will be available through video streaming on www.PatriotLeague.com or www.BucknellBison.com. The Patriot League All-Access package is available for $6.95 per month. The monthly fee allows a subscriber to watch any Patriot League basketball games that are part of the package.
UP NEXT
After the conclusion of its four-game homestand, Bucknell heads back on the road for the first time since Dec. 21 when it travels to Worcester, Mass., to take on Holy Cross Saturday. The Bison were 0-3 against the Crusaders last season, including a loss in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals. Saturday's contest begins a three-game road trip for Bucknell, which is 3-3 on the road this season.
