Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Kicks Off 2008-09 Season at George Mason Friday
11/13/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2008
WHAT: Bucknell (0-0) vs. George Mason (0-0) WHERE: Patriot Center, Fairfax, Va. WHEN: Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, 7 p.m. RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com TV: None STREAMING VIDEO: Mason All-Access LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker COMPLETE GAME NOTES
With a Victory Over George Mason, Bucknell Would...
- Extend its winning streak over the Patriots to four games.
- Earn its first season-opening win since it defeated Hampton, 85-77, on Nov. 10, 2006 in Sojka Pavilion.
- Earn its first road-opener since its 58-57 win over Pittsburgh on Nov. 20, 2001.
About the Game
Bucknell starts its 2008-09 season with vivid memories of one of its most successful postseasons in program history. The Bison, which were 16-16 overall and 8-6 in the Patriot League in 2007-08, were crowned the league's tournament champions last season on their way to the second NCAA tournament appearance in program history. George Mason, which was 9-21 overall and 3-15 in the Colonial Athletic Association last year, enters the season with a number of newcomers both on the court and on the sidelines as the Patriots have an entirely new coaching staff.
Bucknell-George Mason Series The Bison are 4-2 against George Mason with three of those victories coming in the teams' last three meetings. The Bison and the Patriots have played only intermittently since they first faced off in February 1982.
Last Meeting - Dec. 4, 2007
- Bucknell 67, George Mason 64 (2OT) (Sojka Pavilion)
- Amanda Brown scored a career-high 23 points and Hope Foster tallied her 15th career double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. The game featured 11 ties and 12 lead changes with a three-point play from Lauren Schober in the final minute of the second overtime giving the Bison the lead for good.
Quick Facts
Amanda Brown and Lauren Schober were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team in 2008 ... Bucknell has two of the top 25 scorers in program history on this year's team in Brown and Schober ... the Bison were ranked among the national leaders in field goal percentage defense, blocked shots, scoring defense, turnovers and personal fouls in 2007-08 ... Bucknell has finished with an overall record of .500 or better in 16 of the program's 35 years.
History vs. George Mason
- Amanda Brown: Career-high 23 points and four steals in 49 minutes of play
- Lauren Schober: five points, six rebounds, one block
- Joyce Novacek: six points, six rebounds, three blocks
- Past Results:
2008 Patriot League Champions
Bucknell captured the Patriot League Tournament championship last year despite being the No. 5 seed. With their win in the title game over Holy Cross, the Bison became the only team in history seeded as low as fifth to be crowned tournament champions. They also became the fourth team in the last five years to go from losing in the first round of the tournament to claiming the title the next season.
Saving the Best For Last
The Bison saved their best winning streak for last, going 4-0 from March 1 to March 12. After taking the 59-47 victory versus Army on Senior Night, Bucknell won its next three in the Patriot League Tournament and claimed the tournament title. The streak came to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when Bucknell ran into North Carolina. The four-game winning streak was the first time during the season Bucknell had won more than two consecutive games. The victory at Holy Cross also marked the Bison's first defeat of the Crusaders in 2008. Opponent Score Army 59-47 at Army 50-47 (OT) vs. American 60-52 at Holy Cross 57-45
NCAA Tournament Appearance
The Bison made their second trip in history to the NCAA Tournament last year. With their automatic bid from winning the Patriot League Tournament, they earned the opportunity to face North Carolina in a first-round matchup in Norfolk, Va. North Carolina came out on top, 85-50. In Bucknell's only previous appearance at the NCAA Tournament in 2002, the Bison were defeated by Baylor 80-56 in Waco, Texas.
Tournament Defense
Bucknell limited its three opponents in the Patriot League Tournament – Army, American and Holy Cross – to just 144 points. The mark was the best three-game total in the tournament as none of the Bison's foes shot better than 30 percent.
Program-High 32 Games
With its run in the Patriot League Tournament and its NCAA Tournament appearance, Bucknell played a program-high 32 games last season. The previous high of 31 games was held by the 2001-02 and 2006-07 teams.
.500 Consistency
With an 8-6 finish to Patriot League play, the Bison have finished at .500 or above in 13 of the past 14 seasons. The 2007-08 campaign marked the third consecutive season in which Bucknell had a winning record in league play. The 2005-06 squad completed its Patriot League schedule with a 10-4 record, followed by a 12-2 league performance in 2006-07.
Overtime All Over Again
Bucknell played in a record-tying four overtime games last season, including a double-overtime matchup with George Mason. The Bison were victorious on three of those occasions, defeating George Mason, 67-64, American, 67-64 and Army in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament, 50-47. The team's lone loss came at the hands of Lafayette, 64-58.
Stifling Defense
The Bison held seven opponents under 30 percent shooting during the 2007-08 season, including all three of its Patriot League Tournament opponents. Bucknell held Army and American to 25.8 percent and 24.3 percent, respectively, in the first two rounds of the tournament. It followed those performances by holding Holy Cross to 28.8 percent from the field in the championship game. That marked the first time in program history that Bucknell held three consecutive opponents to less than 30 percent shooting.
Mixing It Up
The Bison used nine starting lineups during the 2007-08 season, including six different lineups in the season's first six games. The team is tied for second on the list of most lineups used during a single season behind only the 1991-92 squad with 13. The 1981-82, 1983-84 and 1992-93 teams also had nine different starting lineups during the regular season.
Small But Strong Senior Class
After having the largest senior class last season since 2001-02, the Bison are back to just two seniors on the roster in Amanda Brown and Lauren Schober. Bucknell graduated five seniors from the 2007-08 campaign – Kesha Champion, Kristina Collymore, Hope Foster, Ashton Sprouse and Andrea Wright.
All-Patriot League Honors
Bucknell was no stranger to All-Patriot League Teams during the 2007-08 season. Hope Foster was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year, while Amanda Brown joined her teammate on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Foster later received First Team All-Patriot League honors at the conclusion of the regular season. It was the third consecutive year Foster earned the selection. Three Bison also were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team as they led Bucknell to its second tournament title. Brown, Kesha Champion and Lauren Schober were all honored. Champion was also named the tournament MVP.
Patriot League Preseason Poll
Bucknell was picked fifth with 53 points in the 2008-09 Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Bison were voted to finish first in the league prior to the 2007-08 season, then slipped to fifth before claiming the Patriot League Tournament championship. Bucknell has finished at or better than predicted seven times in the last 10 years. Holy Cross was picked first with 90 points. Lehigh (83 points), American (75) and Army (60) rounded out the top four.
Preseason Patriot League Poll Team (First-place votes) Pts. 1. Holy Cross (8) 90 2. Lehigh (6) 83 3. American (2) 75 4. Army 60 5. Bucknell 53 6. Lafayette 38 7. Navy 35 8. Colgate 14Thousand Point Club
Hope Foster (1,256 points) and Kesha Champion (1,016) last season became the 16th and 17th members of the 1,000-point club. Foster, who is the ninth on the list of all-time scorers at Bucknell, crossed the threshold against Penn State. Champion, now tied for 16th with former player Kim Delfs, achieved the milestone when she scored 13 points versus Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament. The two were the first teammates to reach 1,000 points in the same season since Desire Almind and Kate Franks in 2002-03.
Two more Bison are poised to join the ranks in the new campaign. Senior Amanda Brown (934) needs just 66 points, while classmate Lauren Schober (813) is 187 points short of the 1,000-point mark.
Coaching Staff Additions
Bucknell welcomes two new assistant coaches to the program in 2008-09. Mandy Olley, a 2002 graduate of Old Dominion, joins the staff after a playing career that included four trips to the NCAA Tournament and a two-year turn as an assistant at Susquehanna University. Stephanie Marciano, a 2008 Yale graduate, ranks fifth all-time in assists for the Bulldogs, and brings valuable recent on-court experience to the coaching staff.
90 PL Wins for Fedorjaka
With the Bison's final regular season victory over Army, head coach Kathy Fedorjaka earned her 90th career Patriot League win. That total ties her for second-most league wins with Lehigh's Sue Troyan. However, Fedorjaka's Patriot League winning percentage at .616 is much better than Troyan's .529. Bill Gibbons of Holy Cross retains his commanding lead with 192 Patriot League victories in his career.
Up Next
Bucknell will continue on a string of road games, taking on Yale at 7 p.m. on Nov. 18 in New Haven, Conn. The Bison are 1-2 all-time against the Bulldogs, including a 62-43 loss in their last meeting on Dec. 7, 1997 at the John J. Lee Amphitheater.
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