Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Makes Short Trip to Drexel Monday
12/18/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (2-7) vs. Drexel (4-4)
WHERE: Daskalakis Athletic Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
WHEN: 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 21
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: DrexelDragons.com
LIVE STATISTICS: DrexelDragons.com
Complete Bucknell-Drexel Game Notes 
About the Game
Bucknell returns from a long break to take on the Drexel Dragons in Philadelphia on Monday. The Bison hope to use the hiatus as an opportunity to bounce back from a recent four-game losing streak that most recently included an 11-point loss to Towson on Dec. 7.
With a Victory Over Drexel, Bucknell Would...
► Earn its first road win of the season.
► Get its first win at Drexel since defeating the Dragons 79-73 in the 1989 ECC Tournament. The Bison have played in Philadelphia just twice since then.
► Avoid its longest losing streak since the 2004-05 team dropped six in a row during Patriot League action.
► Finish 1-1 this season against teams from the Colonial Athletic Association.
Last Meeting - Nov. 25, 2008
► Drexel 44, Bucknell 35 (Sojka Pavilion)
► Drexel handed Bucknell its first loss of the season and dashed the Bison's hopes of a successful home opener last year. The Dragons held the Bison to the fewest points scored (35) and lowest field goal percentage (.254) by the home team in Sojka Pavilion.
► The Dragons' Gabriela Marginean set some Sojka Pavilion records of her own. Her 33 points and 11 field goals both mark opponent highs at the facility.
► Although Bucknell struggled to put points on the board, the team stayed close to Drexel throughout much of the game. The score at halftime was knotted at 20, thanks in large part to Marginean. The forward scored all 15 of her team's first points so that at the 6:55 mark, the Dragons led 15-13. Marginean finished the night with 33 of her team's 44 total points.
► With 10 points, Joyce Novacek was the only Bison in double figures against the Dragons. Taylor Phillips recorded her career high in rebounds with nine.
Quick Facts
Joyce Novacek has recorded at least one blocked shot in each of the last six games ... Lindsay Horbatuck has totaled 15 steals in the last five games, including at least two swipes in four of the last five ... Bucknell got a second consecutive game with a player scoring 20-plus points as Morgan Wrightson posted 22 against Yale on Nov. 5 ... Novacek had a career-high 22 points and led the team in blocks (3) and rebounds (7) at Niagara Nov. 2 ... Bucknell has outrebounded its opponents in five of the last six games ... the Bison had a season-high 48 rebounds vs. UMCB Nov. 29 ... Rachel Voss became the first Bison to earn a Patriot League honor this season, earning Rookie of the Week Nov. 30 ... Bucknell outscored Loyola (Md.) 40-26 in the paint and 25-8 off turnovers on Nov. 24 ... 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 in the opening weekend.
History vs. Drexel
► Before joining their current conferences, Bucknell and Drexel were members of the East Coast Conference. Seventeen of their 23 meetings came between 1983 and 1990 as conference foes. Three of those contests came in the ECC Tournament.
► With the exception of the teams' last meeting, high scoring totals have been common in some of the most recent games. Four Bison scored in double figures in the Jan. 20, 1990 game, as did four Dragons. Bucknell was led by Susie Hopper (31 pts., 13 reb., 44 min.) and Kirsten Ellison (15 pts., 13 reb., 45 min.) in that game. Hopper posted another double-double (16 pts.-10 reb.) in the next game that season, as did Julie Bachman (22 pts.-11 reb.). Ellison and Hopper both scored more than 1,000 points in their careers and rank among the top-10 rebounders in program history.
► Drexel's 44 points last season was its fewest against Bucknell in the teams' 23 meetings. Combined with Bucknell's 35 points, it was the lowest scoring matchup between the Bison and Dragons since the series began in 1982. Last year's meeting was not the first in which Bucknell was held to fewer than 40 points by Drexel, however. The Bison also lost 68-38 in the 1984 contest in Philadelphia.
► Recent Results:
Dec. 1, 1991: Bucknell, 77-66
Jan. 6, 1994: Drexel, 65-51
Feb. 16, 1995: Bucknell, 59-56
Nov. 29, 2002: Bucknell, 95-83
Nov. 25, 2008: Drexel, 44-35
About the Dragons
Drexel is looking to avoid its first losing streak of the season after dropping a 66-49 decision to Princeton on Thursday night. The loss brought the Dragons' record to 4-4 this year. Among their victories was a 50-40 win over American in Philadelphia earlier this season. The Dragons have also defeated Penn, Richmond and Saint Joseph's. In addition to their latest loss, they have also fallen to Penn State, Maryland and La Salle this season.
Drexel is led by senior Gabriela Marginean, who is the running for a number of national honors, including the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and All-America status. The center has also been named the Philadelphia Sports Writers' Outstanding Amateur Athlete of 2009. Marginean recently became the Dragons' all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 career points.
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. The teams will be collecting nonperishable food items prior to their games to be donated to a local food bank.
Standout as a Starter
Lindsay Horbatuck has made the most of her starting opportunities. In the two games in which the freshman has earned a spot with the starting five, Horbatuck is averaging 8.5 points, 4.5 steals, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In the seven games in which Horbatuck has come off the bench, she is averaging just 3.3 points, 1.4 steals, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists. Horbatuck's numbers were helped with her latest start at Towson on Dec. 7 when she posted a career-high 13 points and tied a career best with six rebounds.
The freshman's performance against the Tigers also earned her the first Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor of her career on Dec. 14.
Upcoming Milestones
A handful of Bison are looking to collect some personal milestones in the near future. Joyce Novacek has 489 points in her career and 93 on the season. As the only Bison with more than 400 points, the junior's career total is the highest on the team. Trisha Krewson and Morgan Wrightson are both looking to hit the century mark in career rebounds. Krewson has 98, while Wrightson is at 95 boards.
Let's Compare
Despite their 2-7 record, the Bison's statistics show that they are not far from where they were at this time last season. Many of this year's squad's averages closely resemble those put up by the 2008-09 team, which was 4-5 through its first nine games. Five of the nine opponents were the same in each season, including Penn State, Fordham, Loyola (Md.), Yale and Towson.
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Points/game | 54.9 | 55.9 |
| Rebounds/game | 40.6 | 38.8 |
| Rebounding margin | +2.9 | +4.2 |
| FG% | .376 (194-516) | .415 (192-463) |
| 3FG% | .280 (28-100) | .280 (28-100) |
| Steals/game | 6.2 | 8.9 |
| Assists/game | 13.2 | 13.1 |
On the Plus Side
Bucknell has a commanding lead in the Patriot League in rebounding margin. With a +4.2 mark, the Bison's closest contender is American at +2.8. Colgate is the only other league foe in the positive at +1.0.
Playing Time
Bucknell is sharing the playing time through the first nine games of the season. Eight of 11 Bison are averaging double-digit minutes with Joyce Novacek, Morgan Wrightson and Rachel Voss leading the way. Each member of the trio is averaging better than 31 minutes per game.
Making Adjustments
Bucknell used its third different starting lineup of the season when it took on Yale on Nov. 5. Christina Chukwuedo earned her first starting assignment of the year against the Bulldogs. The sophomore had five starts last year, with the last coming at Lafayette on Jan. 21.
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 nearly repeated that mark by putting up 22 vs. Yale on Dec. 5 on 10-for-14 shooting. The guard also had a 20-point game vs. Wofford last year.
No Stopping Novacek
In a season in which she already has posted back-to-back double-doubles, Joyce Novacek had yet another career night at Niagara on Wednesday. The forward recorded a career-high 22 points on 10-for-16 (.625) shooting. That scoring total gave her better than 53 percent of her team's points on the night. It was also her first career game with 20 or more points.
Novacek also tied for the game high in rebounds with seven and claimed three of her team's four blocked shots.
Voss Named Week's Top Rookie
Rachel Voss earned her first Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor on Nov. 30. The freshman averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds during that stretch, helping the Bison to a 1-1 record. Voss is third on the team in scoring and fifth in rebounds this season while starting each of the team's games. At the time of the award, she also ranked among the Patriot League leaders in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage.
Block Party
Bucknell women's basketball hosted quite the block party in 2008-09 and that has not changed much in the new season. With her first of two blocks against Loyola (Md.) last week, the junior moved into the top 10 all-time at Bucknell in career blocks. Since that game, she has improved her career total to 58 and is ninth on the list.
Last season, Cosima Higham and 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 their marks as teammates during the 1985-86 season.
Double the Double-Double
When the Bison took on Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 24, 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 Nov. 24. 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.
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 outrebounded 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. During the first outings of the 2009-10 season, the Bison have outrebounded six of their last eight opponents.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Up Next
The Bison will make a quick stop at home before continuing their long stretch on the road when they face Lycoming on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Tipoff at Sojka Pavilion is slated for 4 p.m., followed by the Bison men vs. Marist at 7 p.m.
