Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Continues Travels at Howard Monday
1/4/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (6-5, 0-0 PL) vs. Howard (0-11, 0-1 MEAC) WHERE: Burr Gymnasium, Washington, D.C. WHEN: Monday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m. RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com TV: None STREAMING VIDEO: None LIVE STATISTICS: None Complete Bucknell-Howard Game Notes
With a Victory Over Howard, Bucknell Would...
- Win three consecutive games and two straight on the road. The Bison defeated Saint Francis (Pa.), 61-56, in Loretto, Pa., on Dec. 28 before earning the win over Buffalo, 75-57, on Jan. 2.
- Extend its all-time series record against Howard to 3-0.
- Guarantee a winning record against non-conference foes on the road.
- Go 3-0 against other ungulates, or hoofed animal, mascots this season by defeating the Fordham Rams, Bufallo Bulls and Howard Bison.
About the Game
The Bucknell women's basketball team travels to Washington, D.C., to face a struggling Howard team. The contest marks the final non-conference road game of the season. Bucknell-Howard Series Although the series began in 1991, the two teams have met just twice prior to the 2009 contest. Bucknell has proved to be top Bison in each matchup, defeating the Howard Bison by an average of more than 10 points in those games.
Last Meeting - Nov. 19, 2007
- Bucknell defeated Howard, 89-79, when the two teams met last season. Five Bucknell players scored in double figures, led by Hope Foster, Lauren Schober and Taylor Phillips who each tallied 17 points. Kesha Champion added 16 points, and Kristina Collymore finished with 14. Collymore also finished with her first career double-double after totaling 11 assists on the night.
- Howard was not without its high scorers, however, as Shannon Carlisle posted a game-high 25 points, followed by Asha Santee with 24 and Zykia Brown with 12.
- Bucknell shot what was then a season-best 46 percent from the field, although the team also allowed Howard to shoot 40 percent, the first time that season that it allowed an opponent to shoot that well.
Quick Facts
At least three Bison have scored in double figures in each of the last four games, with Amanda Brown and Cosima Higham completing the feat three times ... Trisha Krewson's 11 points vs. Buffalo was a season high for the freshman and the second time she has scored in double figures (10 at James Madison) ... Christina Chukwuedo followed a career-high six points versus Wofford with a career-best four assists two days later at James Madison ... After earning Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Morgan Wrightson posted her first 20-point game versus Wofford, shooting 8-for-10 from the free throw line ... Amanda Brown scored 22 points against the Towson Tigers Dec. 3, which is her highest total since she scored 22 points in the season-opening game at George Mason and 21 points at Yale four days later ... Joyce Novacek recorded her first double-double of the season when she earned 14 points and 11 rebounds at Loyola (Md.) ... Cosima Higham recorded two double-doubles in the Bison's first three games, with the most recent one coming at Fordham (16 points-14 rebounds) ... Bucknell has two of the top 21 scorers in program history on this year's team in Amanda Brown (14th) and Lauren Schober (21st).
History vs. Howard
- As impressive as having five Bucknell players score in double figures in the 2007 game was, it was not the first time the Orange and Blue accomplished the feet against Howard. In 1991, Kelly Dee (17 points), Kirsten Ellison (13), Julie Bachman (13), Anne McGovern (10) and Juliet McGee (10) helped their team to an 11-point victory in Davis Gym.
- Similarities between the previous meetings continues into Howard's high scorers. Three players scored in double figures in 2007, which was also a repeat from the 1991 matchup. Felicia Oliver led with 22 points, followed by Willena Robson with 17 and Kim Wright with 10.
- Bucknell shot percent from the field in 1991, compared to Howard's 39.7 percent, nearly the same percentage the Washington, D.C., team shot in 2007 (40%).
- Previous Results:
About the Howard Bison
Howard has struggled under its new coach in 2008-09. The team has been unable to collect a victory through its first 0-11 games. The Bison have played three Patriot League teams as part of their non-conference schedule, including losses to Navy (59-49), American (77-50) and Colgate. Against the Raiders, which was their most recent contest, the Bulls lost, 57-41. Zykia Brown posted 26 points, while Natalie Day added nine rebounds to lead Howard.
Last Time Out
Bucknell has now won two in a row with a 61-56 victory at Saint Francis (Pa.) in December and a 75-57 victory over Buffalo on Friday. Against Buffalo, the senior duo of Amanda Brown and Lauren Schober posted one of their best points totals of the season, each contributing 18 to the final. Cosima Higham also scored 14 points, her third consecutive game in double figures. Trisha Krewson set new career highs in points (11) and assists (4). The team as a whole also had one of its finer shooting nights, going 49.3 percent from the field, its best of the season. The Orange and Blue returned to their rebounding success against the Bulls.
After losing the battle on the glass at Saint Francis (Pa.), the Bison bounced back, earning 43 boards compared to 37 for Buffalo. Bucknell outrebounded their opponent 25-14 in the second half.
Road Warriors
Bucknell has played just four of its last 11 games within the friendly confines of Sojka Pavilion. Despite the difficult schedule, the Bison are 4-3 on the road, including an 11-point victory over Colonial Athletic Association member George Mason in November and the most recent five-point win over Saint Francis (Pa.).
Connecting with the Community
The Bucknell women's basketball team has always understood the importance of community service, but with the players in the midst of the winter break from classes, the Bison are taking their involvement to another level. The Orange and Blue spent the afternoon playing basketball and other games with children at the Donald Heiter Community Center in Lewisburg on Tuesday. Players and coaches also visited with families and helped prepare a spaghetti dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Danville on Saturday.
Long Distance Woes
After starting the season with the best three-point field goal percentage defense mark in the country at .167, Bucknell has faced some strong outside shooting teams. Wofford first made a dent in the Bison's defense by going 9-for-18 (.500) from behind the arc, followed by James Madison, which finished the game 10-for-24 (.417) from long range. On the flip side, Bucknell was unable to connect on any of its nine attempts from three-point range against the Dukes. The Orange and Blue bounced back at Saint Francis (Pa.), going 4-13 (.308) from behind the arc and holding the Red Flash to just 2-of-16 (.125).
Century Mark
With her appearance in Friday's contest versus Wofford, Lauren Schober reached 100 games in her career. Coming into the game versus Howard, she has played in 103. The senior has played in every game in her three-plus years as a Bison and has started 86 of them. Schober is the only player on the 2008-09 squad to reach the milestone, although classmate Amanda Brown is five games away from joining her.
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 1,091 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 904 points, she is 96 points 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.
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.
Quick to Three
The Orange and Blue wasted no time in stringing together three consecutive victories in the 2008-09 season. Although it earned victories in each of its first three games this year, Bucknell waited until the end of the season to accomplish the same feat last season. The 2007-08 Bison did not win at least three in a row until March when it defeated Army in the final regular-season game, before upsetting Army, American and Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament.
Plenty of Time
Three Bison are averaging nearly 30 minutes through the first 11 games of the season. Amanda Brown leads the trio, playing 37.3 minutes per game, including two games with 40 minutes. Her generous amount of time on the court ranks Brown second in the Patriot League for most minutes per game. She is followed by Joyce Novacek and Lauren Schober, each averaging 29.5 minutes per game. The high quantity of minutes is not new for Brown and Schober who have played a minimum of 40 minutes in a game a combined 18 times during their Bucknell careers.
20-Plus Points for Brown
Amanda Brown started the season with back-to-back games with more than 20 points. That scoring total makes her the first Bison to post at least 20 points in the first two games of the season since Molly Creamer in 2001. Creamer, who is the all-time leading scorer at Bucknell, tallied 26 versus Albany before dropping 27 to help upset Pittsburgh a few nights later. Brown posted her third performance with at least 20 points when she scored 22 versus Towson on Dec. 3.
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.
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 14Mixing It Up
The Bison have mixed things up after using the same starting lineup in each of their first three games. Since then, opponents have seen new lineups in six of their last eight contests. The switches are not new to Bucknell fans, as the team used nine different sets of starters last year, 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.
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.
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.
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. Although that ties her for second-most league wins with Lehigh's Sue Troyan, 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 career Patriot League victories.
Patriot 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
Upon returning from Howard, Bucknell will play their first back-to-back home games of the season. The Bison's non-conference schedule concludes with a Wednesday, Jan. 7 contest with Cornell at 7 p.m., followed by the Patriot League season opener versus Navy on Saturday, Jan. 10.
