Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Kicks Off Patriot League Play with Navy
1/8/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (8-5, 0-0) vs. Navy (7-8, 0-0) WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa. WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 10, 7 p.m. RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com TV: None STREAMING VIDEO: Bison Vision LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker Complete Bucknell-Navy Game Notes
With a Victory Over Navy, Bucknell Would...
- Win five games in a row, its longest winning streak since the 2006-07 team won nine consecutive contests between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20.
- Carry a 16-11 record in league-opening games since 1982-83.
- Earn its fourth consecutive victory at Sojka Pavilion, having previously beaten Wofford, Buffalo and Cornell.
- Tie its second-longest winning streak against a Patriot League opponent with eight. The Bison registered a 13-game streak against Navy between 1999 and 2004, and a pair of eight-game streaks against Army (2000-03) and Lafayette (2001-04).
About the Game
The Bucknell women's basketball team opens Patriot League play with Navy for the fourth straight season. The Bison have won each of those meetings, including a 71-45 victory in January 2008. Bucknell will try to extend its current winning streak to five, while Navy will aim for two consecutive victories.
Bucknell-Navy Series
Helped by the current seven-game winning streak against the Midshipmen, Bucknell has taken 20 of the teams' last 22 meetings. Three of those victories (2000, 2002, 2003) came during the Patriot League Tournament, and the two losses came back-to-back in Feb. 2004 and Jan. 2005.
Last Meeting - Feb. 9, 2008
- Bucknell defeated Navy, 65-50 at Sojka Pavilion, marking its seventh consecutive victory over the Patriot League foe. The Bison started 0-for-13 start from the field but followed the drought by making 10 of its next 16 field goals. They used a 14-0 run to take a 20-10 lead with five minutes left in the first half. Navy was unable to pull ahead for the remainder of the game despite a combined 27 points from Cassie Consedine and Kalen Kropa.
- Five Bison scored in double figures, led by Lauren Schober with 17. Joyce Novacek also made her second career appearance in the starting lineup and responded with her first career double-double (11points-12 rebounds). Hope Foster, Kesha Champion and Taylor Phillips each contributed 10 points.
Quick Facts
Amanda Brown moved into the Bucknell top ten in assists with 268 ... Lauren Schober tied the Sojka Pavilion record for seven steals by a Bison in a single game ... Joyce Novacek posted her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with 19 points and 14 rebounds at Howard Monday ... Trisha Krewson earned her first Patriot League honor Monday, being voted Rookie of the Week ... Krewson's 11 points against Buffalo was a season high for the freshman ... 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 ... 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. Navy
- Bucknell leads Navy 25-15 in a series that began in 1981. The Bison recorded two losing streaks of five games, first in the team's initial five meetings and again from 1997-99. Fortunately, the Orange and Blue responded to the second skid by putting together a 13-game winning streak, the longest in program history against a Patriot League opponent.
- The Bison have had at least four players in double-digit scoring in each of the three matchups with Navy, including the Feb. 9, 2008 contest when five Bison achieved the feat. Current players Amanda Brown, Lauren Schober and Taylor Phillips have also had substantial success against the Mids. Brown is averaging 15 points over five games against Navy, while Schober is averaging 14.7 over six games and Phillips has two games with 10 points apiece. Phillips' previous rebounding high of eight and current-high five steals came at Navy on Jan. 12, 2008.
- Most Recent Results:
About the Midshipmen
Bucknell and Navy, which is 7-8 heading into its first Patriot League game of the season, have faced some common opponents this year. The Midshipmen played Howard early in the season, defeating them 59-49. They also came away with a 76-66 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.), a 65-53 loss at the hands of Towson and a recent 16-point win over Fordham. Other recent wins for Mids include Radford (61-44) and Rider (71-64). Notches in the loss column have come from Dayton in overtime (64-58), Penn (61-58) and Air Force 65-62).
Most recently, Navy pulled out an overtime victory at Fordham, 70-66. Preseason All-League selection Cassie Consedine led the Midshipmen with 18 points. The center also grabbed eight rebounds, tying Angela Myers for the squad high, and blocked two shots. Kalen Kropa finished with eight assists in addition to eight points as Navy outshot the Rams, 44.4 percent to 40.3 percent.
The showdown with Bucknell is the first league matchup of 2009 for a Navy team that is attempting to bounce back from a seventh-place 3-11 league finish a year ago.
Last Time Out
Bucknell won its fourth straight, 56-45, against Cornell at Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday. Amanda Brown and Lauren Schober each tallied 15 points, and Schober added seven steals. Although the Bison got off to a slow start against the Big Red, Brown scored 13 of her points and Schober posted six of her steals in the first half.
Bucknell also held its second consecutive opponent to sub-30 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded its third straight opponent. Cornell shot 29.6 percent (16-for-54) on the night, and the Bison won the battle of the boards, 39-36.
Dishing It Out
While most fans may recognize Amanda Brown as the team's leading scorer, she is also the Bison's most adept passer, dishing out 4.8 assists per game. That average is good for first in the Patriot League and, as of Jan. 4, 31st in the nation. The success is not new for the senior either, who is tied for eighth in program history with former Bison K.C. Vlah for most assists in a career with 268.
Keeping the Opponent Down
Bucknell has continued to play strong defense throughout the season and most recently held both Howard (29.8%) and Cornell (29.6) less than 30 percent shooting from the field. The contest against the Big Red marked the fourth time this year the Bison held their opponent to less than 30 percent shooting (Fordham, 27.4%; Drexel, 25.4%), although they also came close to the feat against George Mason (30.9%) and Buffalo (30.5%). Bucknell held its opponents to a sub-30 shooting percentage seven times last season.
Balanced Attack
The Orange and Blue are no longer relying on just one player for point production. Bucknell has received double-digit scoring from at least three players in five of its last six games, and six total players have contributed to that count. Amanda Brown has accomplished the feat in four of five games (Wofford, Saint Francis (Pa.), Buffalo, Howard), followed Cosima Higham (Saint Francis (Pa.), Wofford, James Madison, Howard), Lauren Schober (James Madison, Buffalo, Howard), Morgan Wrightson (Wofford, Saint Francis (Pa.)) and Trisha Krewson (James Madison, Buffalo).
Road Warriors
Bucknell has played just five of its last 13 games within the friendly confines of Sojka Pavilion. Despite the difficult schedule, the Bison are 5-3 on the road, including an 11-point victory over Colonial Athletic Association member George Mason in November and the most recent 10-point win over Howard.
Mixing It Up
After using the same starting lineup in each of their first three games, the Bison mixed it up for the next five. Bucknell again changed the starting five three games ago but has since stuck with the successful combo, having used the same lineup in each of those 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.
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 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.
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).
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 1,116 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 933 points, she is 67 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. The Orange and Blue has also outrebounded its three most recent opponents, Buffalo, Howard and Cornell.
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.
Plenty of Time
Three Bison are averaging nearly 30 minutes per game through the first 13 games of the season. Amanda Brown leads the trio, playing 37.5 minutes per game, including two games with 40 minutes. Her generous amount of time on the court ranks Brown first in the Patriot League for most minutes per game. She is followed by Lauren Schober (29.6 mpg) and Joyce Novacek (28.9 mpg). 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.
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 14Coaching 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. 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
Bucknell concludes its three-game homestand with a Wednesday, Jan. 14 matchup against American. The 7 p.m. game at Sojka Pavilion will be broadcast online on Bision Vision as well as on television on SPORTSfever. Check your local listings from broadcast information. Live statistics will also be available on GameTracker at BucknellBison.com.
