Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Wraps Up Round One of League Action with Army at Sojka Pavilion Saturday
1/30/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (10-9, 2-4) vs. Army (12-8, 3-3) WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa. WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m. RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com TV: none STREAMING VIDEO: Bison Vision LIVE STATISTICS: GameTrackerComplete Bucknell-Army Game Notes
With a Victory Over Army, Bucknell Would...
- Finish its first run through the Patriot League with a 3-4 record.
- Win four straight and seven of the last eight against the Black Knights. A four-game streak would be the second-longest in series history for the Bison.
- Keep its overall record better than .500 at 11-9.
- Avoid its third losing streak of the season.
About the Game
Both Bucknell and Army will feature some of their most prolific scorers in program history as the Bison's Amanda Brown (1,223 points) and the Black Knights' Alex McGuire (1,320) will face off on Saturday. Bucknell's Lauren Schober also will go for her 1,000th career point. While Bucknell enters the contest having lost its most recent game, Army is the opposite, having defeated Lafayette 56-46 on Wednesday. Saturday is Mother-Daughter Night and Upward Basketball Night at Sojka Pavilion.
Bucknell-Army Series
Bucknell leads the quarter century-long series, 25-16, with its longest winning streak coming from January 2000 through January 2003 when the Bison took eight straight contests. The Orange and Blue has suffered through just three losing streaks, including a five-game skid in the first set of games in the series, back-to-back losses in February 2003 and January 2004, and three consecutive losses from January 2005 to February 2006. Bucknell is 15-4 against the Black Knights on its home court.
Last Meeting - March 8, 2008
- Bucknell defeated Army in overtime, 50-47, in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament last season. The victory marked the third time that season the Bison had tallied a win against the Black Knights. The two teams had played just a week earlier to complete their regular-season schedules.
- The win improved Bucknell's record against Army in tournament games to 3-1.
- Amanda Brown hit a three-point shot with .7 seconds remaining in overtime to secure the win. Brown tallied a game-high 19 points, including 13 in the second half and overtime. Former Bison Kesha Champion added 13 points, and Hope Foster led with 11 rebounds to help fifth-seeded Bucknell topple No. 4 Army.
- Army's Cara Enright led all scorers with 25 points, and Alex McGuire chipped in nine points. The Black Knights outrebounded the Bison, 52-42.
Quick Facts
Lauren Schober needs just one more point to join the 1,000 point club ... Cosima Higham posted her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds at Colgate ... Amanda Brown leads the Patriot League in assists (5.1) ... After tying her career high with 23 points against American Jan. 14, Brown set a new high with 26 points at Holy Cross Jan. 17 ... Brown's 21 points at Lafayette marked her sixth game this season and 14th of her career with more than 20 points ... Brown also moved into the Bucknell top ten in assists with 303 ... After recording two double-doubles in the first three games of the season, Cosima Higham repeated with 17 points and 13 rebounds vs. Navy Jan. 10 ... Lauren Schober tied a Sojka Pavilion record against Cornell with seven steals by a Bison ... Joyce Novacek posted her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with 19 points and 14 rebounds at Howard ... Trisha Krewson earned her first Patriot League honor for her play during the week of Dec. 28, being voted Rookie of the Week ... Morgan Wrightson also collected a Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor this season (Dec. 7) ... Bucknell has two of the top 20 scorers in program history on this year's team in Amanda Brown (12th) and Lauren Schober (19th).
History vs. Army
- Bucknell's 25-16 all-time series record against the Black Knights gives the Bison a .610 winning percentage against Army. The Bison have posted records better than .500 against three other Patriot League foes - Colgate (.640), Navy (.634) and American (.524).
- The Bison have struggled against Army on the glass in the past four years. In nine meetings, Bucknell has outrebounded the Black Knight just twice and tied them in rebounds once. Army is averaging 40.8 boards per game in those meetings, while Bucknell comes in at 36.8 per game. Despite the statistic, former Bison Hope Foster recorded five contests in double-figure rebounding, including two games with 13 boards.
- Bucknell has held the Black Knights to 30 percent shooting or less from the field in each of the teams' last three meetings. The best defensive percentage came in the Patriot League Tournament on March 8, 2008, as the Bison held Army to 25.8 percent shooting. Army managed just 30.0 percent and 28.6 percent in the last year's other two matchups.
- Most Recent Results:
About the Black Knights
Army avoided a three-game losing streak on Wednesday with a win against Lafayette, bringing its overall record to 12-8. The Black Knights enter the weekend contest with a 3-3 Patriot League record. Army registered some difficult non-conference losses, including a 92-58 decision to Ohio State, then ranked 18th in the country, and a 59-38 defeat to Rutgers, which was also a top-25 team at the time. The squad has registered league wins against Colgate (63-51), Lehigh (54-52) and most recently Lafayette (56-46).
Army trailed at halftime, 21-17, in the matchup with the Leopards but were helped out of the hole by senior guard Alex McGuire who totaled 21 points on the night. Erin Anthony pulled down 15 rebounds, which is the second-highest mark in the Patriot League this year. Anthony also holds the number one tally with 16 rebounds at Colgate. The Black Knights won the rebounding battle convincingly. 48-28.
Army finished in fourth place in the Patriot League last year. The team fell in overtime to Bucknell in the first round of the league tournament.
Last Time Out
The Bison played a lackluster first half against Lehigh and found themselves trailing 41-19 at the end of the opening stanza. Bucknell bounced back in the second half, however, outscoring the Mountain Hawks 34-25 to end the game. The early deficit proved too much to overcome, unfortunately, as Lehigh eventually claimed the 66-53 victory. Despite the loss on the scoreboard, Bucknell won the rebounding test, 37-22. Lehigh's five offensive rebounds were the fewest by a Bison opponent since Lafayette recorded five on February, 14, 2006, and the Mountain Hawks' 22 total rebounds were the fewest since Holy Cross grabbed just 18 on March 6, 2002. Bucknell defeated the Crusaders in the Patriot League Tournament Championship to earn its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
Amanda Brown led the Bison with 13 points, and Lauren Schober was close behind with 12. Schober's dozen points gives her 999 for her career. Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham also reached double-figure scoring with 11 points apiece.
Almost There
Lauren Schober enters Saturday's matchup with Army needing just one point to reach 1,000 for her career. The senior is averaging 9.8 points per game, which is bettered only by her scoring average as a freshman at 10.3. With her next point, Schober will become the 19th Bison in program history and the second this season to reach 1,000. Classmate Amanda Brown reached the milestone at Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 29.
250 Wins for Fedorjaka
With the win over Colgate last Saturday, head coach Kathy Fedorjaka earned her 250th career victory. In 16 years as a head coach, Fedorjaka has amassed a 250-193 (.564) record and is 183-155 (.541) in her 12th season at the helm of the Bison. Prior to Bucknell, Fedorjaka coached at Connecticut College and Bloomsburg. She returned to Lewisburg after serving as a Bucknell assistant from 1990-93 to take over as head coach in 1997. Since then, she has led two teams to the NCAA tournament and twice earned Patriot League Coach of the Year honors.
Going Green
The contest with Lehigh on Wednesday was Go Green Night at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell is partnering with Coca-Cola and its "Give it Back" program to increase recycling efforts and reduce its carbon footprint. Among its many initiatives, the athletic department has placed recycling containers throughout all athletic facilities. Bucknell is encouraging its fans to recycle by reading public address announcements encouraging the practice at all events and games, while the video boards in Sojka Pavilion, Davis Gym and Kinney Natatorium also convey the message to fans. Reusable grocery bags were handed out for the Bison-Mountain Hawks matchup.
Block Party
Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham are approaching the program leaders in single-season blocks. Novacek has rejected 25 shots, while Higham has blocked 28 this year. Susie Hopper and Marie Kocornik are tied for 10th on the list with 32. Two pairs of teammates have made the top-10 list previously - Kocornik (36 blocks) and Ann Kirwin (33) in 1985-86, and Hopper (32) and Julie Bachman (34) in 1989-90.
Big Scores
With 21 points at Lafayette on Jan. 21, Amanda Brown earned her sixth game this season and the third consecutive game with more than 20 points. The senior is the first Bison to score more than 20 points in three consecutive games since Lindsey Hollobaugh recorded 20+ points in six straight in February and March 2004. Brown also has 14 career games with more than 20 points, ranking her 12th in program history. Former Bison Molly Creamer heads the list with 65 games.
Stepping Up
Although she is averaging 15.2 points on the season, placing her second in the Patriot League, Amanda Brown has upped her point production in league play. Through the first six games of conference action, the senior is averaging 17.8 points per game. That includes a 23-point performance versus American, a career-best 26 points at Holy Cross and 21 points at Lafayette. In non-league play, Brown averaged 14 points per game.
Milestones Surpassed
Several Bison recently passed some season and career milestones. Head coach Kathy Fedorjaka earned her 250th career win with the victory over Colgate on Saturday. Lauren Schober reached 450 career rebounds, Le' Le' LeSeur scored her 104th point as a Bison and Morgan Wrightson reached 106 points for her young career. Amanda Brown set a new personal single-season high in assists at Lafayette last Wednesday as she reached 83 on the year. Cosima Higham passed the 200 mark in career points and rebounds, and Joyce Novacek grabbed her 103rd rebound of the season against the Leopards. Most recently, Taylor Phillips collected her 102nd career rebound against Lehigh, and Brown reached 150 three-point field goals and 303 assists.
Still looking for career milestones are Novacek with 244 career boards and Trisha Krewson with 93 career points. Brown needs three more assists to reach 100 for the season and 11 points to reach 300 on the year. Although Higham has already crushed her previous single-season high in rebounds, the sophomore is five shy of 150 in 2008-09.
Century Mark, Part II
With her appearance against American last Wednesday, Amanda Brown became the second Bison this season to play in 100 career games. Classmate Lauren Schober reached 100 against Wofford on Dec. 19. Brown played in all 31 games a sophomore before suffering injuries that limited her playing time last season. The senior has been a starter in 75 of her 104 career contests.
Protecting the Ball
Bucknell recorded its lowest turnover total of the season against American on Jan. 14. The Bison gave up the ball just nine times, a major improvement on their 18.9 turnovers per game average this year. Christina Chukwuedo aided in the team's positive assist/turnover ratio, dishing out a career-high six assists without committing a turnover.
Dishing It Out
While most fans recognize Amanda Brown as the Patriot League's leading scorer, she is also the Bison's most adept passer, dishing out 5.1 assists per game. That average is good for first in the Patriot League and 37th in the nation (as of Jan. 25). Brown is also ranked 24th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94). The success is not new for the senior either, who is sixth in program history with 303 career assists.
Mixing It Up
After using the same starting lineup in each of their first three games, the Bison have been mixing it up ever since. The team recently used its ninth different starting combination at Colgate last Saturday. The switches are not new to Bucknell fans, as the team also used nine different sets of starters last year as well, including six different lineups in the season's first six games. That team 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.
Connecting with the Community
The Bucknell women's basketball team has always understood the importance of community service, but in the midst of the winter break from classes, the Bison took their involvement to another level. The Orange and Blue spent an afternoon playing basketball and other games with children at the Donald Heiter Community Center in Lewisburg. Players and coaches also visited recently with families at the Ronald McDonald House in Danville and residents at the RiverWoods senior living community in Lewisburg.
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Lauren Schober was named a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award on Friday. She is joined by 29 other Division I women's basketball players around the country exemplifying the "Four C's" - classroom, character, community and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings. The winner will be announced during the NCAA Women's Final Four.
Thousand Point Club
Bucknell women's basketball welcomed a new member to the 1,000-point club on Nov. 29. Since the game against the Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds, Amanda Brown reached 1,223 points in her career, making her the 18th player in program history to reach the milestone.
Hope Foster (1,256) and Kesha Champion (1,016) became the 16th and 17th members of the club last season. Foster, who is the ninth on the list of all-time scorers at Bucknell, crossed the threshold against Penn State. Champion, 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.
Lauren Schober is the next Bison in the hunt for the 1,000-point mark. With 999 points, she is a single point short of the milestone.
Turning the Tides
In the first three games of the season, the Bison were outrebounded by their opponents 41 rebounds per game to 36.3. The team started to turn things around in its home opener versus Drexel when it tied the Dragons with 43 boards. In the next five games, Bucknell pulled back on top in the category, claiming 42.6 rebounds per game compared to 34.6 for its opponents. That includes the matchup with Loyola (Md.) in which Bucknell outrebounded the Greyhounds 51-36. The Orange and Blue has also outrebounded four of its most recent opponents in Buffalo (43-37), Howard (42-30), Cornell (39-36) and Navy (45-26). Most recently, Bucknell won the battle of the boards against Lehigh, 37-22, including beating the Mountain Hawks on the offensive glass, 20-5.
Slides That Led to Success
The four-game losing skid earlier this season was the longest by a Bison team since the 2004-05 squad dropped six in a row. The slide came during Patriot League play and was finally stopped with a 66-60 win over American on Feb. 11. Before that, the 2001-02 team also experienced a five-game drought. The winless streak was not indicative of the team's final success, however, as the squad eventually went on to win the Patriot League Tournament and qualify for the program's first NCAA Tournament.
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.
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.
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 14Patriot League "Growing Our Community"
In 2008, the Patriot League received a grant as part of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Grant Program that allows it to help its member schools further promote women's basketball during the 2008-09 academic year. The league is working with its eight member institutions to develop a number of activities and initiatives targeted to include youth organizations, senior groups, community and civic organizations and students and alumni.
The goal is to increase the home attendance for the entire 2009 Patriot League women's basketball campaign through a variety of promotions and engaging local organizations to attend and learn more about the Patriot league women's basketball programs, as well as expose individuals to the academic institutions.
Up Next
After wrapping up their first run through the Patriot League, the Bison will return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 7 when they take on Navy for the second time this season. The contest in Annapolis, Md., is slated for 7 p.m.
