Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Looks to Continue Winning Steak vs. UMBC
11/28/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (2-3) vs. UMBC (2-2)
WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 29
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: BucknellBison.com
LIVE STATISTICS: BucknellBison.com
Complete Bucknell-UMBC Game Notes 
About the Game
Bucknell will try to keep its winning ways alive as it hosts UMBC at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Bison will be going for their third straight win this season and second straight against the Retrievers. Both teams will be playing for their first shot at improving their record to better than .500 this year.
Sunday is Take A Kid to the Game Day. Kids get into the game free when an adult purchases a ticket. The Bison will also host a clinic for kids 12 years old and younger following the game.
With a Victory Over UMBC, Bucknell Would...
► Extend its first winning streak of the season to three games.
►Improve its home record to 3-1 this year.
► Stay perfect against UMBC in Lewisburg at 2-0.
► Finish November with at least a .500 record for second consecutive season and for the sixth time in the last 11 years.
► Even its non-conference regular-season record at 31-31 since the 2005-06 season.
Last Meeting - Nov. 20, 2008
► Bucknell 76, UMBC 67 (UMBC Fieldhouse)
► Five Bison finished in double-digit scoring, including eventual 1,000-point scorers Kim Delfs and Vicki Quimby. Delfs led all scorers with 16, 12 of which came in the second half, while Quimby added 13.
► Bucknell shot exceptionally well throughout the game. In addition to finishing 54.9 percent from the field, the Bison shot 90.5 percent from the free throw line, including going 11-for-11 in the second half. Amazingly, UMBC was even better, connecting on 92.3 percent of their free throws.
► The win, which came at the UMBC Invitational, advanced the Bison to the championship game where they fell to Duquesne, 72-58.
Quick Facts
Bucknell outscored Loyola (Md.) 40-26 in the paint and 25-8 off turnovers on Tuesday night ... Joyce Novacek earned the third double-double for Bucknell in as many games by posting 10 points and 15 rebounds vs. Fordham, followed by 15 points and 10 rebounds vs. Loyola (Md.) ... Cosima Higham recorded the first double-double of the season and the seventh of her career with 11 points and 11 boards against the Lady Lions ... in their Sojka Pavilion debut, the Bucknell freshmen scored half of their team's 62 points vs. Penn State ... Higham was named to the Iona Tip-Off All-Tournament Team after leading the Bison in scoring, rebounding and blocks last weekend ... Trisha Krewson was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season ... in addition to Krewson's All-Rookie Team selection, former teammates Amanda Brown (First Team) and Lauren Schober (Second Team) were honored by the Patriot League ... Higham (36) and Novacek (33) both rank in the top 10 at Bucknell for single-season blocked shots in 2008-09 ... Higham and Novacek are also on the verge of breaking into the top 10 for career blocks with both needing fewer than three rejections to join the list ... Bucknell has finished with an overall record of .500 or better in 17 of the program's 36 years.
History vs. UMBC
► Bucknell leads the all-time series with UMBC, 4-1, including an 82-49 victory in 1995, the only time the Retrievers have been to Lewisburg. In their five meetings, Bucknell has outscored UMBC by an average of 13.6 points.
► The Bison have had some success shooting against the Retrievers, posting field goal percentages of 40 or better in three of five chances. The best mark came when the teams last met in 1998 with Bucknell finishing at 54.9 percent.
► Bucknell earned a 35-point win over UMBC when the team's first competed in 1979. The Bison nearly matched that margin in rebounding as well, coming out ahead of the Retrievers on the glass, 70-39.
► In Bucknell's only series loss, the Bison failed to shoot the ball well. They registered a 24.1 field goal percentage after being outscored 23-9 in the first half of the 1997 matchup. Even with the defeat, the Bison began the 1997-98 season by winning six of their first seven contests.
► Series Results:
Dec. 1, 1979 Bucknell, 64-29
Dec. 9, 1986 Bucknell, 82-74 (OT)
Nov. 26, 1995 Bucknell, 82-49
Nov. 23, 1997 UMBC, 52-35
Nov. 20, 1998 Bucknell, 76-67
About the Retrievers
UMBC finished the 2008-09 season just under .500 at 14-16 overall and 6-10 in the America East, placing fifth in the conference. Since losing to Binghamton, 66-54, in the America East Quarterfinals, the Retrievers are 2-2 in 2009-10. They have alternated wins and losses so far this season, defeating Maryland-Eastern Shore and Towson, and falling to Virginia and Saint Joseph's.
The Retrievers' first win of the year came 102-65 over UMES two weeks ago. Their score set a school Division I record for total points. The team also set records for assists (28) and points in a half (59).
This Week's Community Outreach
Sunday's game vs. UMBC is one for the family. The contest has been designated Take A Kid to the Game Day. Children get in free when an adult purchases a ticket. The Bison will also host a clinic for kids aged 12 and younger following the game.
Double the Double-Double
When the Bison took on Loyola (Md.) on Tuesday, Joyce Novacek recorded her second double-double in as many games. After posting 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds vs. Fordham, the junior forward put up a season-high 15 points and 10 boards against the Greyhounds. The last Bison to earn a double-double in consecutive games was Hope Foster on Feb. 9 and Feb. 13, 2007. Foster had 19 points and 10 boards against Holy Cross, followed by 16 points and 11 rebounds vs. Lafayette. Like Novacek, both Foster's high-production nights came at Sojka Pavilion.
Ball Thief
Lindsay Horbatuck swiped a career-high six steals against Loyola (Md.) on Tuesday. The last Bison freshman to earn as many steals in a single game was current teammate Taylor Phillips. Now a junior, Phillips recorded six against Holy Cross on Jan. 20, 2008.
Prior to Horbatuck's defensive effort against the Greyhounds, the last Bison to record six or more steals was recent graduate Lauren Schober. Schober set the Sojka Pavilion record with nine steals vs. Colgate on Feb. 21, 2009.
One More Time
Tuesday's matchup with the Greyhounds was one of many “second straights.” The Bison won their second straight game. Joyce Novacek earned her second straight double-double. Morgan Wrightson led the team in scoring for the second straight night. Bucknell also recorded a field goal percentage of better than .450 for its second straight game and outrebounded its second straight opponent.
Underclassmen Leading the Way
Through the first five games, three of Bucknell's top five scorers are underclassmen. Sophomores Morgan Wrightson (14.6 ppg) and Trisha Krewson (8.0), and freshman Rachel Voss (9.4) help lead the way along with juniors Joyce Novacek (9.6) and Cosima Higham (10.0). High-scoring youngsters are not new to the Bison, however, as three of the top five scorers have been underclassmen in three of the last five years.
Should Wrightson maintain her position as Bucknell's leading scorer, the sophomore would be in rare company. The last sophomore to lead the squad in scoring average was Lindsey Hollobaugh in 2004-05 with 14.9 points per game. Hollobaugh finished her career with 1,386 points, ranking sixth all-time at Bucknell.
High Scoring
With a career-high 25 points vs. Fordham on Nov. 21, Morgan Wrightson became the first Bison this season to hit 20-plus. The sophomore did so on 8-for-17 shooting from the field and 7-for-7 shooting from the free throw line. Wrightson also had a 20-point game last year vs. Wofford.
Crashing the Boards
Joyce Novacek set a career high with 15 rebounds vs. Fordham Nov. 21. That bettered her previous mark of 14 boards at Howard last January. The performance was also just the third time in four seasons a Bison has recorded 15 or more rebounds in a single game. Hope Foster recorded 16 in the 2006-07 season opener vs. Hampton, and Cosima Higham had 19 in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals vs. Navy last March.
Crashing the Boards, Part II
Bucknell out-rebounded Fordham, 44-29, as a team. That 15-board margin is the largest since the Bison outworked Loyola (Md.) on the glass, 51-36, last year. Joyce Novacek led the Orange and Blue in rebounds on both occasions.
Lycoming Added to Schedule
Bucknell has added a game to its 2009-10 slate. The Bison will host Lycoming at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Sojka Pavilion. The Bucknell men's basketball squad will follow by welcoming Marist at 7 p.m. the same night.
Pickpockets
All 10 Bison who saw game action against Penn State registered at least one steal in the contest with Alyssa Dunn, Christina Chukwuedo and Lindsay Horbatuck each earning a team-high two steals. The defensive effort marks the only time since at least the 1984-85 season that every Bison recorded a steal during their time on the court.
Young but Effective
If Bucknell's freshman class was nervous heading into its Sojka Pavilion debut, it did not show. The newest group of Bison, including Alyssa Dunn, Lindsay Horbatuck, Felicia Mgbada and Rachel Voss, scored 31 of the team's 62 points against Penn State. All four put up career-high scoring totals in the process. The freshmen shot a collective 12-for-18 (.667) from the floor, earned six steals and grabbed nine rebounds.
All-Tournament Team for Higham
Cosima Higham opened the 2009-10 season on a high note. After the first weekend of play at the Iona Tip-Off Tournament, Higham averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Her performance earned her Bucknell's only selection to the All-Tournament Team.
Quick Start for Voss
Bison fans did not have to wait long to see what Rachel Voss is capable of. The freshman guard opened her Bucknell career in the team's season opener vs. Miami (Ohio) with 10 points, four assists and three steals. Voss also earned her first start in the Orange and Blue.
Including the game with the RedHawks, Voss has started her career with double-figure scoring in four of five games, including a personal-best 13 points vs. Fordham on Nov. 21.
Home Stretch
Bucknell is beginning to wind down its longest homestand of the season. The Bison now have just two games left in a stretch where five of six contests will be held within the friendly confines of Sojka Pavilion. Still remaining in the homestand are UMBC (Nov. 29) and Yale (Dec. 5). Only a trip to Niagara on Dec. 2 breaks up the home stretch.
Filling Sojka Pavilion
The Bucknell-Penn State matchup in 2007 drew one of the largest crowds for a women's game at Sojka Pavilion since the facility opened in 2003. That game drew 1,682 fans, ranking it fifth in the court's brief history until last night's contest with the Lady Lions. The teams' latest meeting drew an attendance of 1,847, which is now the third-largest crowd to see a women's basketball game at Sojka Pavilion. The best-attended women's game at Sojka Pavilion came in 2003 when Bucknell hosted Lehigh in front of 2,641 fans.
400 Program Wins
Bucknell women's basketball recorded the 400th win in program history against Lafayette on Feb. 18, 2009. In their 36 years, the Bison have accumulated a 402-481 record. Bucknell began a varsity team in 1973-74 and, since its inaugural season, the Orange and Blue have made two trips to the NCAA Tournament, won two Patriot League regular-season titles and recorded three 20+ win seasons. Bucknell is the sixth team in the Patriot League to hit the 400-win mark, following Holy Cross (615 wins at the end of the 2008-09 season), Army (467), Navy (454), Lafayette (417) and Lehigh (414).
PL Postseason Honors
A trio of Bison earned Patriot League postseason honors prior to the league tournament last year. Former Bison Amanda Brown was named First Team All-Patriot League, while classmate Lauren Schober was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection. Trisha Krewson started off her career in the Orange and Blue with a bang, adding Rookie of the Year to her All-Rookie Team nod. Krewson is the fifth Bison to be named the Patriot League's top rookie.
Bucknell has now placed 15 players on the league's first team, including one in each of the last four years in Hope Foster (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08) and Brown (2006-07). The Orange and Blue have also had 15 Second Team selections and 15 All-Rookie selections. Schober is the first Bison named to the Second Team since Lindsey Hollobaugh in 2005-06, while Krewson is the first member of the All-Rookie Team since current teammate Le'Le' LeSeur was chosen in 2006-07 and the first Rookie of the Year since Hollobaugh in 2003-04.
Wins, Wins...
By finishing the 2008-09 season with a 16-12 record, Bucknell women's basketball put together four consecutive seasons with a winning percentage of .500 or better for the first time in program history. During that stretch, the Bison are 70-49.
... and More Wins
Bucknell finished its 2008-09 Patriot League campaign with an 8-6 record, giving the team a .500 or better record in each of the last four seasons as well as 14 of the last 15. The Bison also posted an 8-6 record in 2007-08, a 12-2 tally in 2006-07 and a 10-4 record in 2005-06 to start the streak.
Two More for the Club
For the second straight year, two Bison broke the 1,000-point barrier in the same season. Amanda Brown achieved the milestone in just the fifth game of the season at Loyola (Md.), while Lauren Schober followed suit against Army later in the season. Brown finished her career with 1,344 points, ranking her seventh all-time at Bucknell. At 1,129 points, Schober is 15th all-time.
Teammates Who Reached 1,000+ Points During the Same Year
1. Jennifer Walz & Marie Kocornik (1987-88)
2. Jennifer Walz* & Lynne Walshaw (1988-89)
3. Molly Creamer & Vicki Quimby (2000-01)
4. Molly Creamer*, Desire Almind, Kate Franks (2002-03)
5. Hope Foster & Kesha Champion (2007-08)
6. Amanda Brown & Lauren Schober (2008-09)
* Scored 2,000th point
Patriot League Preseason Poll
Bucknell was picked fifth in the 2009-10 Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Bison were also picked fifth prior to the 2008-09 season on their way to finishing in a tie for third place by season's end. Bucknell has now finished at or better than predicted eight times in the last 11 years.
Lehigh was picked first in the 2009-10 poll with 97 points, including 13 first-place votes. The Mountain Hawks were trailed by American and Holy Cross, which tied for second with 76 points and Navy (54) in fourth place.
2009-10 Patriot League Preseason Poll
| Team (First-place votes) | Points | |
| 1. | Lehigh (13) | 97 |
| 2. | American (3) | 76 |
| Holy Cross | 76 | |
| 4. | Navy | 54 |
| 5. | Bucknell | 52 |
| 6. | Army | 50 |
| 7. | Colgate | 22 |
| 8. | Lafayette | 21 |
Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Michelle Kirk, American
Erin Anthony, Army
Briana McFadden, Holy Cross
Erica Prosser, Lehigh (Player of the Year)
Alex Ross, Lehigh
In the (Pink) Zone
The Bison will again be joining the national effort to promote the fight against breast cancer. Last season, Bucknell hosted a Pink Zone Night when it played Holy Cross on February 14. Bucknell players wore pink t-shirts during warm-ups, with two of those shirts being autographed by the team and auctioned on BucknellBison.com. More than 30 of the same shirts were also tossed into the stands during the game.
In 2009-10, those efforts will continue when the Bison welcome American on Feb. 10. Among the planned activities is another t-shirt giveaway, sponsored by Evangelical Community Hospital. The Bison are very pleased to be teaming up with Evangelical's Women's Resource Center to help spotlight breast cancer and promote women's health.
Block Party
Bucknell women's basketball hosted quite the block party in 2008-09. Cosima Higham and Joyce Novacek both joined the program leaders in single-season blocked shots. Higham completed her sophomore year tied for seventh with Marie Kocornik with 36, while Novacek finished tied for 10th with Anne Kirwin with 33. Interestingly, Kocornik and Kirwin also set those marks as teammates during the 1985-86 season.
Up Next
After playing their last four games at home, the Bison will return to the road briefly, facing Niagara on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Tipoff in Niagara University, N.Y. is 7 p.m.
