Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Travels to Yale Tuesday
11/17/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2008
WHAT: Bucknell (1-0) vs. Yale (1-0) WHERE: John J. Lee Amphitheater, New Haven, Conn. WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, 7 p.m. RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com TV: None STREAMING VIDEO: Yale All*Access LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker Bucknell-Yale Game Notes
With a Victory Over Yale, Bucknell Would...
About the Game
Bucknell will seek to even the series with Yale, as it trails 1-2 all-time against the Bulldogs. The only two Bison with a history with Yale include head coach Kathy Fedorjaka, who was at the helm for the Bison when they last played the Bulldogs in 1997, and first-year assistant coach Stephanie Marciano. Marciano is a 2008 Yale graduate with four years of experience playing on the Bulldogs' home court.
Bucknell-Yale Series
The series between the Bison and the Bulldogs is not a long one and includes just three games in the 1990s. Bucknell was 1-1 against Yale in Lewisburg but just 0-1 in New Haven.
Last Meeting - Dec. 7, 1997
Quick Facts
Cosima Higham recorded career highs in points (12) and rebounds (13) at George Mason on Friday on her way to achieving her first career double-double ... Bucknell has two of the top 25 scorers in program history on this year's team in Amanda Brown and Lauren Schober ... Brown and Schober were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team in 2008 ... 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. Yale
About the Bulldogs
Yale defeated Holy Cross, 65-63, is its season opener Saturday. Three Bulldogs finished in double-figure scoring: Melissa Colborne (14 points), Yoyo Greenfield (12) and Haywood Wright (10). Mady Gobrecht also tallied a game-high 11 rebounds. Holy Cross's Briana McFadden, who was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, led the Crusaders with 24 points as Yale was outscored in the second half 36-30.
Last Time Out
The last time they took to the court, the Bison defeated George Mason, 62-51. The win marked the first time Bucknell had won its road opener since 2001 when it defeated Pittsburgh, 58-57. Amanda Brown led all scorers with 22 points, nearly equaling her career high of 23, which she posted against the Patriots last season. Brown's six assists was also a game high. Cosima Higham had a career outing by shooting 4-for-4 from the field and the free throw line for a total of 12 points. She also tallied 13 rebounds and two blocks.
Crashing the Boards
The Bucknell sophomore class is taking its rebounding seriously in the early stages of the 2008-09 season. Adding to Cosima Higham's team-leading 13 boards at George Mason was classmate Joyce Novacek's six. Ten of Higham's rebounds came on the defensive side of the court, while Novacek totaled five on the offensive side. As a team, the Bison had 10 offensive boards.
Once a Bulldog, Now a Bison
Bucknell assistant coach Stephanie Marciano is returning to her old stomping grounds. A 2008 Yale graduate, Marciano had a very productive playing career for the Bulldogs. In four years, she amassed 310 assists and 91 three-point field goals, ranking her seventh in Yale history for shooting behind the arc. She also led the Ivy League in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and was second in the league in assists (116) as a junior.
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 57-45NCAA 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.
Thousand 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 (956) needs just 44 points, while classmate Lauren Schober (823) is 177 points short of the 1,000-point mark.
.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.
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.
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.
Up Next
Bucknell will wrap up its three-game season-opening road trip on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Fordham in Bronx, N.Y. Tip off in Rose Hill Gym is slated for 1 p.m.
