Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Takes on First-Place Lehigh Wednesday
2/24/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (15-10, 7-5) vs. Lehigh (21-6, 10-2)
WHERE: Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pa.
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
TV: None
STREAMING VIDEO: BucknellBison.com
LIVE STATISTICS: None
Complete Bucknell-Lehigh Game Notes 
With a Victory Over Lehigh, Bucknell Would...
- Win four in a row for its longest unbeaten streak this season since it won five consecutive from Dec. 28 to Jan. 10.
- Snap Lehigh's unbeaten streak at home. The Mountain Hawks are 12-0 in Stabler Arena this year.
- Stop the three-game losing skid against the Mountain Hawks that dates back to Jan. 30, 2008.
About the Game
Bucknell will try to maintain the momentum it has been gathering over its past three wins to upset Lehigh, the top-ranked team in the Patriot League. The game will be played at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., the same facility that will hold the opening rounds of the Patriot League Tournament in two weeks.
Bucknell head coach Kathry Fedorjaka will also be coaching her 450th career game. Fedorjaka's record entering the matchup is 255-194. At 97-61 in Patriot League play, the 12-year head coach for the Bison is also seeking to become the third coach with at least 100 league wins.
Bucknell-Lehigh Series
Bucknell and Lehigh have been very evenly matched since the all-time series began in 1977. Although the Mountain Hawks lead the series, 32-30, Bucknell has narrowly outscored them, 65.9 points per game to 65.6.
Last Meeting - Jan. 28, 2009
- Bucknell trailed by 22 points at the half, putting its second consecutive win out of reach as the Bison fell 66-53 a month ago. Bucknell outrebounded Lehigh, however, 37-22. The Mountain Hawks were virtually shut out on the offensive glass, gathering just five offensive boards on the night. The Orange and Blue were more successful, grabbing 20 rebounds on their own offensive side.
- Amanda Brown led the team with 13 points, and Lauren Schober added 12 to put her at 999 career points at the end of the game. Schober also grabbed nine boards for the team high. Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham rounded out the squad's double-figure scoring with 11 apiece.
- Lehigh shot 52.3 percent (23-for-44) overall. Tricia Smith led with 17 points, while Erica Prosser had 13 and Alex Ross added 10. No Mountain Hawk had more rebounds than Courtney Dentler at four.
Quick Facts
Bucknell won its 400th game in program history on Feb. 18 vs. Lafayette ... Trisha Krewson and Morgan Wrightson have each won two Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors this season ... Bucknell has outrebounded its opponent 12 times this season ... 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 fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds vs. Lafayette ... Amanda Brown leads the Patriot League in assists (5.1) ... 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 333 ... Lauren Schober set a Sojka Pavilion record against Colgate with nine 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 ... Bucknell has two of the top 15 scorers in program history on this year's team in Amanda Brown (9th) and Lauren Schober (15th).
History vs. Lehigh
- Bucknell has been making slow but steady progress over the teams' past 20 meetings. The Orange and Blue have beaten Lehigh by an average of 2.2 points per game since Jan. 24, 2007. While not a huge margin, it is an improvement over the mere 0.2-disadvantage the Bison held in their previous 15 games dating back to their 96-91 double overtime loss on Feb. 16, 2000.
- The Bison are 12-18 on Lehigh's turf. They last won at Stabler Arena on Feb. 20, 2007. That game also marked the last time Bucknell came away victorious against the Mountain Hawks at any site.
- The largest margin of victory for either team is 34 points. Bucknell defeated Lehigh 90-56 at Davis Gym on Jan. 27, 1993. The Mountain Hawks earned a 23-point victory (85-62) on Nov. 27, 2984 for their biggest win.
- Most Recent Results:
Jan. 24, 2007 Bucknell, 64-37
Feb. 20, 2007 Bucknell, 63-53
Jan. 30, 2008 Lehigh, 59-53
Feb. 27, 2008 Lehigh, 55-48
Jan. 28, 2009 Lehigh, 66-53
About the Mountain Hawks
Lehigh enters the game on a league-leading four-game unbeaten streak. The team has also won 10 of its last 12, all coming in Patriot League action. The Mountain Hawks' two losses came at Army (54-52) in mid-January and at American (65-56) in early February. Lehigh is outscoring its Patriot League opponents by 10.7 points per game this season.
Most recently, the Mountain Hawks defeated Lafayette 73-58 in Easton, Pa. Four Lehigh players finished in double-digit scoring. Alex Ross led the team with 16, while Erica Prosser and Emily Gratch each chipped in 15. Kristen Dalton added 10 points. Gratch also had a team-best nine boards, although Lehigh was outrebounded 40-36.
Last Time Out
Bucknell held Colgate to just nine points in the first half of the Senior Night game on Saturday. The Raiders were held without a field goal until 6:46. They were unable to score a two-point field goal until 17:32 in the second half. The Bison played tight defense throughout the contest, tallying a season-high 20 steals. Bucknell was victorious in the end, 53-35.
Morgan Wrightson posted a team-best 12 points, helping her to her second Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor. Lauren Schober added 11 points as well as nine steals. The steals total tied the Sojka Pavilion record for an individual in a single game. It was also a new facility high for a Bison. Joyce Novacek's 11 rebounds led both teams, while Amanda Brown chipped in nine assists.
Breaking Records
Four Sojka Pavilion records fell and three more were tied in the Saturday matchup with Colgate. The Bison recorded a facility-best 20 steals in the game. Nine of those went to Lauren Schober, who set the record for most steals by a Bison player and tied the mark for most by a player from either team. With only nine points in the first half, the Raiders broke the mark for fewest points in a half by an opponent. Colgate also held the previous record with 10 set in the first half on Feb. 17, 2007. Colgate's shooting percentage (.241) is also a new low mark, and its three free throws made and six attempted tied an opponent's previous low.
Double That
Morgan Wrightson earned her second Patriot League Baden Rookie of the Week honor on Monday after averaging a team-high 10.5 points per game last week. The freshman earned her first league accolade for the week of Dec. 7 following her performance at Penn State. Wrightson joins Trisha Krewson as the second Bison to earn the award twice this season. Bucknell has taken four of the league's 15 weekly rookie awards to date.
400 Program Wins
Bucknell women's basketball recorded the 400th win in program history against Lafayette on Feb. 18. Since then, the Bison have accumulated a 401-478 record in 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. Bucknell is the sixth team in the Patriot League to hit the 400-win mark, following Holy Cross (615 wins), Army (466), Navy (452), Lafayette (415) and Lehigh (410).
Schober Starts 100
With her place in the starting lineup against Colgate on Saturday, Lauren Schober accumulated 100 career starts in 117 games as a Bison. She played in her 100th career contest on Dec. 19 when Bucknell took on Wofford at Sojka Pavilion. No other current Bison has started as many games with classmate Amanda Brown in second with 81 career starts. Both seniors have a 29-game starting streak dating back to 2007-08. The last game in which they were not in the starting lineup was last year's Senior Night when then-seniors Hope Foster, Kesha Champion, Ashton Sprouse, Kristina Collymore and Andrea Wright made up the first five.
Fifty or Fewer
With the 53-35 win over Colgate on Saturday, Bucknell held its third consecutive opponent to less than 50 points. The Bison topped Holy Cross 58-44 on Feb. 14 and Lafayette 58-40 on Feb. 18. Bucknell has limited its opponent to 50 points or fewer on seven occasions this season, including Fordham (46 points), Drexel (44), Cornell (45) and Navy (50).
Senior Night
Bucknell recognized its seniors, Lauren Schober and Amanda Brown, prior to the game against Colgate on Saturday. Both have been key members of the team for the past four years, are members of the thousand-point club and hold several career and single-season records at the university. The Bison's team manager, Andy Rancourt, was also recognized for his dedication to the team this season.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Bucknell celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) on Feb. 18. Started in 1987, NGWSD is celebrated in all 50 states with community-based events, award ceremonies and activities honoring the achievements and encouraging participation of girls and women in sports.
Bucknell also promoted life-long participation in sports at the monthly Women's Sports Luncheon on Feb. 4. The luncheon included highlights of Bison women's sports and speeches from Page Kannor, a senior rower, Megan Mongan, a junior swimmer, and Lisa Verge, a current Bucknell staff member and volunteer softball assistant coach, who spoke about the importance of athletics and physical activity in their lives.
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 Feb. 11 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 Feb. 9. 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 on Feb. 7. 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.
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 earned her a spot on the ballot for Academic All-America Team. Novacek is the first Bison to earn Academic All-District honors since Lindsey Hollobaugh was named to the Second Team in 2006-07.
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 255-194 (.568) record and is 188-156 (.547) 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
Cosima Higham has joined the program leaders in single-season blocks. With her three rejections in the last two games, the sophomore has 33 on the year, tying her for ninth with Ann Kirwin. Joyce Novacek is on the brink of joining the group having posted 30 blocks the year. Two pairs of teammates have made the top-10 list previously - Marie Kocornik (36 blocks) and Kirwin (33) in 1985-86, and Susie Hopper (32) and Julie Bachman (34) in 1989-90.
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 5.1 assists per game. That average is good for first in the Patriot League and 35th in the nation (as of Feb. 15). Brown is also ranked 25th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9). The success is not new for the senior either, who is fifth in program history with 333 career assists.
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 with families at the Ronald McDonald House in Danville and residents at the RiverWoods senior living community in Lewisburg. The team regularly officiates games for Upward Youth Basketball as well.
Lucky 13
Just one day after Friday, Feb. 13, Bucknell earned its 13th win of 2008-09. It marked the 13th time in program history that the Bison had reached 13 wins in a season.
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 1,089 for her career. Amanda Brown achieved the milestone on Nov. 29 at Loyola (Md.). Since the game against the Greyhounds, Brown has reached 1,292 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 10th on the list of all-time scorers at Bucknell, crossed the threshold against Penn State. Champion, tied for 18th with former player Kim Delfs, achieved the milestone when she scored 13 points versus Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament.
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.
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 plays its final regular-season game on Saturday, Feb. 28 when it travels to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army. Tip off at Christl Arena is slated for 1 p.m.
The Patriot League Tournament begins Saturday-Sunday, March 7-8 in Bethlehem, Pa. The championship game is slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 at the home of the higher seed and will be televised on ESPNU.
