Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Wraps Up Homestand Saturday Afternoon Against Colgate
1/24/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2008
What: Colgate (1-18, 0-4 PL) at Bucknell (7-11, 2-2 PL)
Where: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, 2 p.m.
Radio: WVBU 90.5 FM and SportsJuice.com
Live Video: Patriot League All-Access
Promotions: J.J. Jumper Appearance/Young Alumni Day
Game Notes
With a Victory Over Colgate, Bucknell Would...
► Improve to 5-1 at Sojka Pavilion vs. the Raiders
► Avoid going five games under .500 for the first time since finishing 2004-05 10-18 ► Avoid its first three-game home losing streak since 2005-06
► Avoid being swept in a three-game homestand for the first time since 1983-84
► Snap its first Patriot League two-game losing streak since 2005-06
► Avenge the previous year's Patriot League Tournament loss with a win in the next meeting against that team for the fourth straight year
About the Game
Top-seeded Bucknell was upset in the first round of last year's Patriot League Tournament by eighth-seeded Colgate. The Bison will be looking to get back to their winning ways against the Raiders, a team they had beaten four straight times prior to last March. Colgate is just 1-18 this year and has lost 14 in a row. In their last meeting at Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell doubled up Colgate, winning 64-32. The Raiders failed to score for the first 14 minutes, 56 seconds, and the Bison jumped out to a 27-0 lead. Colgate used all five of its timeouts in just over 13 minutes. Bucknell has struggled to score in its last two games, tallying 46 and 58 points. Colgate has struggled offensively most of the season. The Raiders are averaging just over 43 points this season and have lost 16 games by at least 20 points.
Bucknell-Colgate Series
Bucknell leads the all-time series 29-18 and has won five of the last seven meetings. It's last four victories have come by an average of 22.3 points. The Bison are 16-4 at home against the Raiders, including 4-1 at Sojka Pavilion.
Last Meeting - March 3, 2007
► Colgate 69, Bucknell 62 (Alumni Hall - PL Tournament)
Colgate used a 14-2 run to open the game and a 14-1 run midway through the second half to defeat top-seeded Bucknell in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament. It marked the first victory by a No. 8 seed over a No. 1 seed in the history of the tournament. Lauren Schober led the Bison with 17 points and six rebounds, while TaHara Williams paced the Raiders with 17.
Upcoming Milestones
► Kesha Champion (865 points) - 135 points shy of 1,000 in career
► Kesha Champion (156 steals) - 13 steals shy of 10th place on Bucknell career list ► Kristina Collymore (374 points) - 26 points shy of 400 in her career
► Hope Foster (794 reb.) - 6 rebounds shy of 800 in her career
► Hope Foster (306 blocks) - 3 blocks shy of equaling Kathy Courtney for Patriot League career blocks record
► Hope Foster (1,090 points) - 10 points shy of 1,100 in her career
► Hope Foster (430 FGM) - 36 made field goals shy of 10th place on Bucknell career list
History vs. Colgate
► Kesha Champion: 8.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg in seven games
► Kristina Collymore: 40 points, 8 rebounds in seven career games
► Hope Foster: Two double-figure rebounding games
► Lauren Schober: 14.2 ppg in five career games
Three-Game Homestands
Bucknell will close out its three-game homestand against Colgate still aiming for its first victory. The Bison have not gone 1-2 on a three-game homestand since 2003-04. The last time they were swept on a three-game homestand was in 1983-84.
0-2 Patriot League Home Start
Bucknell has lost its first two Patriot League home games, marking the first time that has happened since 2002-03. It has only happened to the Bison four times in the 18-year history of the Patriot League. Bucknell opened its home Patriot League schedule 0-3 in 1990-91 and 0-5 in 1993-94.
Avenging PL Tournament Losses
Bucknell has been successful in recent years when it faces the team it lost to in the previous year's Patriot League Tournament. In each of the last three years the Bison have defeated the team that ousted them from the Patriot League Tournament a year earlier in their first meeting. Colgate upset Bucknell in the quarterfinals of last year's Patriot League Tournament.
PL Tournament Result Next Meeting 2004: Colgate 61, Bucknell 57 2005: Bucknell 67, Colgate 65 2005: Lehigh 54, Bucknell 52 2006: Bucknell 58, Lehigh 45 2006: Holy Cross 64, Bucknell 60 2007: Bucknell 63, Holy Cross 50 2007: Colgate 69, Bucknell 62 2008: ???
Overtime Games
Bucknell suffered its first overtime loss of the season Wednesday night against Lafayette. The Bison are still a solid 7-2 in their last nine overtime games. Under 11th-year head coach Kathy Fedorjaka Bucknell is 11-5, while overall it is 17-14. The Bison have now played three overtime games this season, equaling them with the 1985-86 and 1998-99 squads for the second-most in program history. The 1988-89 team had to go to overtime four times.
Cracking the Top 10
While Hope Foster has made headlines throughout her career by blocking shots, she is now drawing attention for her rebounding prowess. The senior cracked the Patriot League top-10 list for rebounding with a team-high nine boards vs. Lafayette Wednesday night. Foster now has 794 rebounds in her career, good for fifth on the Bison career list and 10th on the Patriot League career ledger. Next up for her on the Patriot League list is ninth-place Alicia Yapsuga (Lafayette), who totaled 813 career rebounds. Marie Kocornik and her 842 career caroms are next on the Bison career list for Foster, who is averaging a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game this season.
A Lot of Minutes
Three of Bucknell's starters Wednesday against Lafayette played more than 40 minutes. It marked the first time that many Bison played at least 40 minutes since Dec. 2005 when they defeated Maryland Eastern Shore in a triple-overtime thriller. The last time at least three Bucknell players logged more than 40 minutes in a single-overtime contest was March 7, 2003 when Desire Almind (42 minutes), Kate Franks (42) and Molly Creamer (45) did it against Navy in a Patriot League Tournament victory.
Tireless at Home
Kesha Champion is averaging a team-high 39.2 minutes in home games this year. She has played 314 of a possible 335 minutes in home contests this season.
Ironwomen
Over the last four games Bucknell players have logged at least 40 minutes of playing time seven times. Five current Bison have combined to play at least 40 minutes 37 times in their careers.
Games Playing at Least 40 Minutes (Career) Amanda Brown 11 Hope Foster 11 Kesha Champion 10 Lauren Schober 3 Kristina Collymore 2
Breakout Game for Foster
Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Hope Foster had one of her best games of the season Wednesday against Lafayette when she scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots, all team highs. While she has reached double figures in scoring six straight games, it was the first time she led the team in that category in more than two months. It was also her highest rebound total in nearly a month, while it also marked her second consecutive game with at least four blocks after totaling that many just once in the previous eight contests.
One Behind Troyan
Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka has amassed 84 Patriot League victories in her time on the Bucknell sidelines. Last year she passed Lehigh coach Sue Troyan for second place on the Patriot League list, but thanks to a 4-0 start to the season, Troyan is now one win ahead of Fedorjaka. Fedorjaka is still second among active coaches in winning percentage in Patriot League games (.618).
Schober Strong vs. PL
As a freshman, Lauren Schober averaged 12.6 points per game during the Patriot League regular season. Last year that figured dropped off to 7.7 points per game. Schober is back to her freshman-year form this season, averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game against Patriot League opponents. Additionally, Schober is averaging a team-high 37.2 minutes in conference games and has made 8 of 22 from 3-point range.
Score is Even in Home Games
Bucknell's record is 4-4 at Sojka Pavilion this season. That is not all that is even in home games for the Bison. Bucknell and it opponents have each scored 491 points (61.4 ppg) at Sojka.
Keys to Success
Shooting better than the opponent, piling up the assists and jumping out to early leads have been keys in Bucknell victories this season. The Bison are 7-4 when outshooting their opponents, they are 5-0 when dishing out more than 15 assists and they have won six of the eight times they have had a lead at halftime.
Struggling on Weekends
Bucknell has struggled this year on weekends, going 1-8 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It has had success during the week, going 6-3 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On Saturdays, the day they play Colgate, the Bison are 1-3.
Experienced Starters
While Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka has utilized six different starting lineups this year, all within the campaign's first eight games, and has had just one player (Kesha Champion) start every contest, she has usually turned to veterans. In fact, among the 90 possible starts this year, 82 have gone to juniors or seniors.
Starts by Class (2007-08) 1. Senior 55 2. Junior 27 3. Freshman 6 4. Sophomore 2
Unselfish Play
In its seven victories this year, Bucknell has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio of 115-114, compared to 122-200 in losses. Kesha Champion has a sparkling 44-20 ratio in wins, while Kristina Collymore has a 29-16 ratio. Amanda Brown (13-10) and Lauren Schober (16-16) also at least break even. Brown, Champion and Collymore each have positive assist-to-turnover ratios overall this year, bettering last year's total when only Brown and Champion accomplished the feat.
Bucknell vs. New York
Colgate is the sixth team based in the state of New York Bucknell has played this year. The Bison are 1-4 against New York teams this season, with their lone win coming at Binghamton.
Difficult Schedule
Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka put together a very difficult non-league schedule for her Bison squad this season. In fact, the nine teams Bucknell has lost to this season owned a combined 102-54 (.654) record through Jan. 23.
Sophomore & Junior Classes
Among the Best Bucknell's sophomore and junior classes have racked up among the best winning percentages in program history. The current juniors own a four-year winning percentage of .577 to rank fourth in program history. The sophomores are sixth with a winning percentage of .551.
Winning % by Class 1. 1998-99 to 2001-02 .595 2000-01 to 2003-04 .595 3. 1999-00 to 2002-03 .590 4. 2005-06 to 2008-09 (Jr.) .577 5. 1975-76 to 1978-79 .569 6. 2006-07 to 2009-10 (So.) .551
Up Next
After facing last-place Colgate on Saturday, Bucknell will travel to first-place Lehigh on Wednesday, Jan. 30. It will be the 60th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Bison hold a slight 30-29 edge in the series and have won three straight, and four of the last five.
