Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Hosts Holy Cross at Sojka Pavilion Saturday
2/13/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (12-10, 4-5) vs. Holy Cross (10-14, 5-4)
WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: Saturday, Feb.14, 7 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
TV: None
STREAMING VIDEO: Bison Vision
LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker
COMPLETE BUCKNELL-HOLY CROSS GAME NOTES
With a Victory Over Holy Cross, Bucknell Would...
- Split the 2009 regular-season meetings with the Crusaders. Bucknell lost in Worcester, Mass., 66-60, on Jan. 17.
- Reach 13 overall wins for the 13th time in program history.
- Bring its Patriot League record to 5-5.
About the Game
Bucknell will try to improve on its last performance against Holy Cross, having fallen by six in Worcester, Mass., earlier this year. Both teams are trying to bounce back from recent losses after the Bison lost to American and the Crusaders lost to Army on Wednesday.
The Orange and Blue are hosting Think Pink Night at Sojka Pavilion to promote breast cancer awareness. It is also “Have Dinner on Us” Night with drawings for gift certificates to local restaurants.
Bucknell-Holy Cross Series
Bucknell has traditionally struggled against Holy Cross, managing just 11 wins in 45 tries. The Bison's longest winning streak against Holy Cross is two, achieved in 2004 and again in 2007. Bucknell has faired better against the Crusaders in year-end play, however, earning a 3-4 record in the Patriot League Tournament, including two wins in championship games in 2002 and 2008.
Last Meeting - Jan. 17, 2009
- Bucknell fell 66-60 at the Hart Center a month ago, giving it its second straight Patriot League loss. The Orange and Blue worked its way to a 10-2 run to give it a 29-18 lead with less than five minutes to go in the first half, but Holy Cross put together its own scoring streak, eventually ending the half ahead 32-31. Both teams played solidly down the stretch, and the Crusaders ultimately held on for the six-point victory.
- Amanda Brown scored a career-high 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting, and Lauren Schober added 14 to lead the Bison. Schober also had a team-high seven rebounds, and Brown dished out five assists. Both seniors played 40 minutes.
- The Crusaders' Bethany O'Dell, who scored 14 points in the final minutes of the first half, finished with a team-high 23 points. Briana McFadden finished with 13 points, nine boards and six assists.
Quick Facts
Bucknell has put four scorers in double figures in seven games this season ...Trisha Krewson earned her second Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor of the season on Monday ... Bucknell has outrebounded its opponent 12 times this season, including each of the last three games ... Lauren Schober became the 19th Bison to join the 1,000-point club vs. Army on Jan. 31 and was named the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week the following Monday ... Cosima Higham posted her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds at Colgate ... Amanda Brown leads the Patriot League in assists (4.9) ... After tying her career high with 23 points against American Jan. 14, Brown set a new high with 26 points at Holy Cross Jan. 17 ... Brown's 21 points at Lafayette marked her sixth game this season and 14th of her career with more than 20 points ... Brown also moved into the Bucknell top ten in assists with 314 ... Lauren Schober tied a Sojka Pavilion record against Cornell with seven steals by a Bison ... Joyce Novacek posted her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with 19 points and 14 rebounds at Howard ... Morgan Wrightson also collected a Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor this season (Dec. 7) ... Bucknell has two of the top 20 scorers in program history on this year's team in Amanda Brown (9th) and Lauren Schober (16th).
History vs. Holy Cross
- Holy Cross has long been a dominant team in the Patriot League. Bucknell has been making some inroads against the Crusaders in the last few years, however. In the teams' last 10 meetings, the Bison are 4-6 but have outscored Holy Cross 59.2 points to 57.7 points per game. That stretch includes the Feb. 9, 2007 in which Bucknell won 63-37, giving it its largest margin of victory in series history at 26 points.
- In its 11 wins against Holy Cross, Bucknell is averaging 12.2 more points per game than its opponent. The Bison have maintained that consistency on its home court, also winning by 12.2 points per game at either Davis Gym or Sojka Pavilion.
- Most Recent Results:
Feb. 9, 2007 Bucknell, 63-37
Jan. 20, 2008 Holy Cross, 48-46
Feb. 16, 2008 Holy Cross, 73-67
March 12, 2008 Bucknell, 57-45
Jan. 17, 2009 Holy Cross, 66-60
About the Crusaders
With a 5-4 league record, Holy Cross finds itself part of a three-way tie for third place in the Patriot League. After defeating Bucknell in mid-January, the Crusaders dropped two straight decisions to Navy (59-50) and American (64-58). They stopped the skid with a 20-point win over Colgate (72-52) and eventually won convincingly over Lafayette (82-64) in early February.
Most recently, Holy Cross fell at Army, 63-62. The contest featured three ties and six lead changes, but a three-pointer at the buzzer from the Crusaders' Briana McFadden was not enough to give them the advantage needed for the win. Bethany O'Dell finished with a career-high 26 points, and Whitney Fremeau chipped in another 11 to lead Holy Cross. McFadden, who leads the Patriot League in scoring with 15.5 points per game, was held to just nine points.
Last Time Out
Bucknell stumbled for the second time this season to American, falling 71-63 on the road on Wednesday. Although they suffered through some scoring droughts, especially in the second half, the Bison shot better than 47 percent (27-for-57) from the field. American finished the game at 46.6 percent (27-for-58) from the field.
Amanda Brown led all scorers with 16 points, followed closely by Joyce Novacek who tallied 14, all in the first half. Lauren Schober and Trisha Krewson rounded out the double-figure scoring for Bucknell with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Cosima Higham finished with a team-high eight rebounds while helping to hold Liz Leer, American's top rebounder, to just two boards on the night.
Coming Home
Several former Bison will be roaming their old stomping grounds prior to Saturday's game. The Women's Basketball Alumni Game is slated for 1 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. Some of the Bison expected to play include Denise Cohen (1980-82), Lindsey Hollobaugh (2004-07), Lori Houck (1997-2000), Monica (Nawarskas) Trout (1991-94) and Kim (Delfs) Watkins (1996-99). Current coaches Kathy Fedorjaka and Stephanie Marciano will also play.
Saturday Specials
The Bison are hosting a number of special events during the matchup with Holy Cross. The game has been designated Think Pink Night to promote breast cancer awareness. Members of the team will be sporting pink t-shirts during warmups. Two of those shirts will be autographed by the team and auctioned on BucknellBison.com. Pink shirts will also be tossed into the stands during the game.
Bucknell is also hosting “Have Dinner on Us” Night during the game. All fans in attendance will be eligible to win $150 gift certificates to Damon's, Domino's, Applebee's, Vic's Pub, Towne Tavern, Temperance House, Lewisburg Hotel, Bull Run Inn and Brasserie Louis.
Double Digits x4
Throughout the season, Bucknell has aimed to place at least four of its scorers in double figures each game. The team has met that goal on seven occasions, most recently at American on Wednesday as Amanda Brown (16 points), Joyce Novacek (14), Lauren Schober (11) and Trisha Krewson (10) hit the high tallies. Four combinations of players, including Cosima Higham, Taylor Phillips and Morgan Wrightson in addition to the above four, have helped to accomplish the feat during the season. Schober is the only Bison to factor in each of the seven games. Bucknell is 5-2 in games in which four players score in double figures.
Two-Time Rookie of the Week
For the second time this season, Trisha Krewson was named the Patriot League Baden Rookie of the Week on Monday. The award follows a career night for the freshman in which she totaled a personal-best 18 points on 4-for-5 shooting from three-point distance against Navy. The long-range shots total is a career high for Krewson who had yet to make more than one three-pointer in a single game this season. The Ohio native also tied a career high in rebounds with seven.
Perfection On the Line
The Bison shot a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line against Navy last Saturday. Those 12 made shots is the second-most in Bucknell history, beaten only on Feb. 20, 1991 when the Bison shot 18-for-18 at Colgate. The Orange and Blue have had a perfect night from the free throw line in seven games in nearly 36 seasons.
| Date | Opponent | Free Throws |
| Feb. 24, 1876 | vs. Mansfield | 2-2 |
| Feb. 20, 1991 | at Colgate |
18-18 |
| Dec. 21, 2001 | vs. Lehigh | 11-11 |
| Feb. 7, 2006 | vs. American | 8-8 |
| Dec. 21, 2007 | at Duke | 4-4 |
| Dec. 9, 2008 | at Penn State | 3-3 |
| Feb. 7, 2009 | at Navy | 12-12 |
Novacek Earns Academic All-District Honors
Joyce Novack was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Feb. 5. A management major, Novacek has earned a cumulative grade-point average of 3.94, including two semesters with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Her success in the classroom, combined with her volunteer efforts in the community and her prominent role in the Bison's on-court success has earned her a spot on the ballot for Academic All-America Team to be voted on later this month. Novacek is the first Bison to earn Academic All-District honors since Lindsey Hollobaugh was named to the Second Team in 2006-07.
Approaching 400 Program Wins
Bucknell women's basketball is approaching its 400th win. Entering the contest with Holy Cross, the Bison have accumulated a 398-478 record over nearly 36 years. Bucknell began a varsity team for the 1973-74 season. 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.
One Down
The Bison will be without their lone junior for the remainder of the season. Le'Le' LeSeur suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice in late January. The forward earned four starts this year, all coming in the first games of the season. A former Patriot League All-Rookie Team selection, LeSeur was averaging 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in less than 10 minutes per game.
250 Wins for Fedorjaka
With the win over Colgate on Jan. 24, head coach Kathy Fedorjaka earned her 250th career victory. In 16 years as a head coach, Fedorjaka has amassed a 252-194 (.565) record and is 185-155 (.544) in her 12th season at Bucknell. Prior to Bucknell, Fedorjaka coached at Connecticut College and Bloomsburg. She returned to Lewisburg after serving as a Bucknell assistant from 1990-93 to take over as head coach in 1997. Since then, she has led two teams to the NCAA tournament and twice earned Patriot League Coach of the Year honors.
Block Party
Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham are approaching the program leaders in single-season blocks. Novacek has rejected 28 shots, while Higham has blocked 30 this year. Susie Hopper and Marie Kocornik are tied for 10th on the list with 32. Two pairs of teammates have made the top-10 list previously - Kocornik (36 blocks) and Ann Kirwin (33) in 1985-86, and Hopper (32) and Julie Bachman (34) in 1989-90.
Big Scores
With 21 points at Lafayette on Jan. 21, Amanda Brown earned her sixth game this season and the third consecutive game with more than 20 points. The senior is the first Bison to score more than 20 points in three consecutive games since Lindsey Hollobaugh recorded 20+ points in six straight in February and March 2004. Brown also has 14 career games with more than 20 points, ranking her 12th in program history. Former Bison Molly Creamer heads the list at 65 games.
Dishing It Out
While most fans recognize Amanda Brown as the Patriot League's leading scorer, she is also the Bison's most adept passer, dishing out 4.9 assists per game. That average is good for first in the Patriot League and 47th in the nation (as of Feb. 8). Brown is also ranked 27th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.85). The success is not new for the senior either, who is sixth in program history with 314 career assists.
Mixing It Up
After using the same starting lineup in each of their first three games, the Bison have been mixing it up ever since. The team recently used its ninth different starting combination at Colgate on Jan. 24. The switches are not new to Bucknell fans, as the team also used nine different sets of starters last year as well, 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 in the midst of the winter break from classes, the Bison took their involvement to another level. The Orange and Blue spent an afternoon playing basketball and other games with children at the Donald Heiter Community Center in Lewisburg. 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 Dec. 20. She was 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.
Thousand Point Club
Bucknell women's basketball has welcomed two new members to the 1,000-point club this season. Lauren Schober became the newest member on Jan. 31 as she scored 20 points versus Army. She now has 1,049 for her career. Amanda Brown achieved the milestone on Nov. 29 at Loyola (Md.). Since the game against the Greyhounds, Brown has reached 1,265 points in her career. Brown was the 18th Bison to score 1,000 career points, while Schober was the 19th.
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.
Brown and Schober will both be recognized for their scoring achievments during Senior Night on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Bison will face Colgate at 4:30 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.
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. Most recently, Bucknell won the battle of the boards against Lehigh (37-22), Army (40-36) and Navy (38-35). The Bison topped the Mountain Hawks on the offensive glass, 20-5, before tallying 22 offensive boards against Army.
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.
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 14
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 will continue its three-game homestand with a Wednesday, Feb. 18 matchup with Lafayette. The 7 p.m. game at Sojka Pavilion will include a celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Activities include face painting and snacks before the game, a halftime recognition ceremony for this year's athletes of the month and a post-game autograph session with student-athletes.
The contest is also Youth Basketball and Girl Scouts Night. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive free t-shirts.
