Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Hosts Lycoming Wednesday
12/27/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 27, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (2-8) vs. Lycoming (2-7)
WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: 4 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 30
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: BucknellBison.com
LIVE STATISTICS: BucknellBison.com
Complete Bucknell-Lycoming Game Notes 
About the Game
For the second time this season, the Bucknell men's and women's basketball teams will host a doubleheader. The women lead off with their 4 p.m. matchup with Lycoming, while the men follow against Marist at 7 p.m.
Bucknell vs. Lycoming is the last non-conference home game of 2009-10 for the Bison. The Orange and Blue will close out their non-conference slate at Buffalo and Cornell and begin Patriot League action at Navy and American before returning to Sojka Pavilion on Jan. 16 to take on Holy Cross.
With a Victory Over Lycoming, Bucknell Would...
► Avoid its longest losing streak since the 2004-05 team dropped six in a row during Patriot League action. The current Bison have dropped their last five.
► Earn its first ever win over the Warriors despite being located less than 25 miles from each other.
► Claim its first win of the season over another Pennsylvania institution.
Quick Facts
Bucknell outrebounded Drexel 30-24 and outscored the Dragons in the paint 28-14 on Dec. 21 ... Joyce Novacek has recorded at least one blocked shot in six of the last seven games ... Lindsay Horbatuck has totaled 15 steals in the last six games, including at least two swipes in four of the last six ... Bucknell got a second consecutive game with a player scoring 20-plus points as Morgan Wrightson posted 22 against Yale on Dec. 5 ... Novacek had a career-high 22 points and led the team in blocks (3) and rebounds (7) at Niagara Dec. 2 ... the Bison had a season-high 48 rebounds vs. UMCB Nov. 29 ... Rachel Voss and Horbatuck have each been named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week this year ... 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. Lycoming
► Despite being located less than an hour from each other, Bucknell and Lycoming have never met.
► Bucknell has gone up against some of Lycoming's Commonwealth Conference foes in the past. The Bison ended their series with Messiah in 1982, leading the 6-4 through 10 matchups. They were also 3-8 against Elizabethtown after the last contest in 1984.
About the Warriors
Lycoming comes to Lewisburg with a 2-7 record overall and 0-2 in the Commonwealth Conference. Like the Bison, the Warriors had a long break in mid-December. Their matchup at Sojka Pavilion will be their first game since defeating King's College 66-60 on Dec. 10. The Warriors' other win came in their season opener, a 91-56 victory over the Penn College of Technology. Bucknell is Lycoming's only Division I opponent this season.
Jessica Zerbee has proved to be the standout for the Warriors this season. The only player averaging better than 10 points per game, Zerbee also leads her squad in assists and steals and shares the team high in blocked shots.
This Week's Community Outreach
Bucknell will be hosting its second food drive of the season when it takes on Lycoming. Both the Bison men's and women's basketball teams will be collecting nonperishable food items prior to their games on Wednesday. All food items will be donated to the Lewisburg Food Bank.
Controlling the Paint
Bucknell outscored Drexel in the paint, 28-14, on Dec. 21. That was thanks in large part to Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham. The juniors combined for 10-for-13 shooting from the field. At 6-for-8 against the Dragons, Novacek improved her season shooting percentage to .541, good for first in the Patriot League (as of Dec. 22).
Big-Production Nights
After placing at least three players in double-figure scoring in five of their first six games, the Bison struggled to get big-production nights from multiple people in their next few contests. That streak ended at Drexel when Joyce Novacek, Cosima Higham and Morgan Wrightson each posted double digits. Novacek led with 17 points, while Higham and Wrightson each chipped in 11.
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 eight games in which Horbatuck has come off the bench, she is averaging just 2.9 points, 1.3 steals, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 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.
Passing Milestones
A pair of Bison collected some personal milestones at Drexel on Dec. 21. Joyce Novacek passed some scoring marks with 17 points against the Dragons. She now has 506 points in her career and 110 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 hit the century mark in career rebounds with 100 exactly. Morgan Wrightson is next with 97 career boards.
On the Plus Side
Bucknell has a commanding lead in the Patriot League in rebounding margin. With a +4.4 mark, the Bison's closest contender is Colgate at +1.0 (as of Dec. 22). Lehigh is the only other league foe in the positive at +0.2, while American is even at +0.0.
Playing Time
Bucknell is sharing the playing time through the first 10 games of the season. Nine of 11 Bison are averaging double-digit minutes with Joyce Novacek and Morgan Wrightson leading the way. Each member of the trio is averaging better than 31 minutes per game.
Let's Compare
Despite having a 2-8 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 5-5 through its first 10 games. Six of the 10 opponents were the same in each season, including Penn State, Fordham, Loyola (Md.), Yale, Towson and Drexel.
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Points/gm | 55.5 | 55.9 |
| Rebounds/gm | 39.8 | 38.8 |
| Rebounding margin | +1.7 | +4.2 |
| FG% | .385 (219-569) | .423 (211-499) |
| 3FG% | .283 (32-113) | .280 (30-107) |
| Steals/gm | 6.2 | 8.4 |
| Assists/gm | 13.5 | 13.0 |
Finding Their Stroke
Bucknell recorded a season-best .846 average from the free throw line against Yale, shooting 11-for-13 from the stripe. The mark was a major improvement over their season average of just .550 prior to the game.
Helping Hands
Three Bison are averaging 2.1 assists or better this year. Morgan Wrightson regained the team lead with a squad-best four assists at Drexel on Dec. 21. She now has a season total of 25 (2.5 apg). Rachel Voss is second with 22 (2.4), while Trisha Krewson comes in with 21 (2.1).
The distribution is a different trend from one year ago when Amanda Brown had a commanding team lead with nearly five assists per game. Second on the squad was Lauren Schober with a 2.5 average.
Making Adjustments
Bucknell used its third different starting lineup of the season when it took on Yale on Dec. 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.
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.
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.
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 sixth 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 2009-10 season, the Bison have outrebounded seven of 10 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.
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.
Up Next
Bucknell returns to the road for its next four games. The Bison will close out their non-conference slate at Buffalo on Sunday, Jan. 3 and Cornell on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Patriot League action then gets underway with Navy and American up first.
