Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Leads Off Round Two of Patriot League Action with Navy Saturday
2/5/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2009
WHAT: Bucknell (11-9, 3-4) vs. Navy (12-10, 5-2)
WHERE: Alumni Hall, Annapolis, Md.
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
TV: none
STREAMING VIDEO: BucknellBison.com
LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker
Complete Bucknell-Navy Game Notes 
With a Victory Over Navy, Bucknell Would...
- Take both games against the Midshipmen this season.
- Begin its third winning streak of the season. The Bison started the season at 3-0 before winning five in row in December and January.
- Even its Patriot League record at 4-4.
- End Navy's five-game winning streak.
- Achieve the second-longest winning streak against 2008-09 opponents at eight games. Bucknell had a 13-game run against the Mids from 1999-2003. The Bison have also won eight straight against Army (2000-2003) and Lafayette (2001-04).
About the Game
Navy will try to redeem itself as it enters the second round of Patriot League play. The Midshipmen dropped the opening game of league action to Bucknell at Sojka Pavilion in early December, but have since been on a hot streak, taking the last five games in a winning fashion. The Bison have had their ups and downs over the last seven games and are looking for their first winning streak of league play.
Bucknell-Navy Series
Bucknell continued its winning ways with a 16-point victory over Navy in January. The Bison have won eight straight and 21 of the last 23 against the Midshipmen. Three of those victories came in the Patriot League tournament.
Last Meeting - Jan. 10, 2009
- Bucknell opened its 2009 Patriot League schedule with a 66-50 win over Navy. The Orange and Blue dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Mids, 45-26.
- Cosima Higham posted a career-high 17 points for half of her double-double. The sophomore also grabbed 13 rebounds on the night. Three other Bison scored in double figures as Amanda Brown tallied 16, Joyce Novacek added 12 and Lauren Schober finished with 10.
- Navy's Kristin Bowen led with 11 points, and Whitney Donaldson and Kalen Kropa added 10 apiece. K.C. Gordon tallied just five rebounds to lead the team.
Quick Facts
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 on 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 (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 306 ... After recording two double-doubles in the first three games of the season, Cosima Higham repeated with 17 points and 13 rebounds vs. Navy Jan. 10 ... 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 ... Trisha Krewson earned her first Patriot League honor for her play during the week of Dec. 28, being voted Rookie of the Week ... 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 (11th) and Lauren Schober (17th).
History vs. Navy
- Bucknell has worked its way to a 25-16 all-time series advantage over the past 27 years. The Bison have dominated in all venues, not only earning a 13-6 record at home but also taking 10 of 18 at Navy's facility. Bucknell is also 3-1 against the Midshipmen at neutral sites.
- The last time the Bison lost at Navy's Alumni Hall was Feb. 14, 2004. The Mids came out on top 65-42. Navy outscored the Orange and Blue 11-3 over the final 5:08 of the first half, taking the lead back for good. A scoring drought to open the second half dampened any hopes of a Bucknell comeback. Navy eventually built its lead to as many 30 (60-30) with 7:07 left in the game, Bucknell's largest deficit of the season. The loss marked the first to Navy in 14 tries.
- Most Recent Results:
Jan. 6, 2207 Bucknell, 67-47
Feb. 3, 2007 Bucknell, 76-66
Jan. 12, 2008 Bucknell, 71-45
Feb. 9, 2008 Bucknell, 65-50
Jan. 10, 2009 Bucknell, 66-50
About the Midshipmen
Navy closed out the first round of Patriot League action with a 5-2 league record, which is good enough for a second-place tie with American. The Midshipmen are 12-10 overall, showing great improvement over their 7-23 record last season. Since the two teams last met, Navy started a five-game winning streak that it hopes to keep intact on Saturday. The team won be an average of 6.8 points in each of those games. The run followed back-to-back loses to start league play. After falling to Bucknell, the Mids lost 66-63 in overtime to Lehigh.
In their last game, the Midshipmen defeated Colgate 48-40. Colgate was held to just 14 points in the second half, helping Navy to its longest winning streak in six years. Angela Myers posted a game-high 16 points, followed by Kalen Kropa with 10. Kropa also finished with nine boards.
Last Time Out
Bucknell returned to its intense play against Army last Saturday, defeating the Black Knights 59-57. The Bison opened play by making five of their first six shots, but Army had the hot hand as well. The game featured 14 lead changes, and neither team was able to take more than a six-point lead throughout play. The Bison's two-point advantage at the half proved to be the difference as both teams scored 30 points in a nerve-wracking second stanza.
Lauren Schober scored a season-high 20 points, pushing her over the threshold to 1,000 points for her career. Joyce Novacek and Amanda Brown each added 14 points, while Cosima Higham posted a team-high 10 rebounds.
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 Thursday. 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 Navy, the Bison have accumulated a 397-477 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.
Welcome to the Club
In last Saturday's matchup with Army, Lauren Schober became the 19th Bison to join the 1,000-point club. Schober has played in 112 games at Bucknell and is averaging 9.1 points per game. Through 20 contests this season, the senior is averaging 10.3 points per game, tying her previous season high set as a freshman.
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 251-193 (.565) record and is 184-155 (.543) 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.
Going Green
The contest with Lehigh on Wednesday was Go Green Night at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell is partnering with Coca-Cola and its “Give it Back” program to increase recycling efforts and reduce its carbon footprint. Among its many initiatives, the athletic department has placed recycling containers throughout all athletic facilities. Bucknell is encouraging its fans to recycle by reading public address announcements encouraging the practice at all events and games, while the video boards in Sojka Pavilion, Davis Gym and Kinney Natatorium also convey the message to fans. Reusable grocery bags were handed out for the Bison-Mountain Hawks matchup.
Block Party
Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham are approaching the program leaders in single-season blocks. Novacek has rejected 25 shots, while Higham has blocked 29 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 with 65 games.
Stepping Up
Although she is averaging 15.2 points on the season, placing her second in the Patriot League, Amanda Brown has upped her point production in league play. Through the first seven games of conference action, the senior is averaging 17.3 points per game. That includes a 23-point performance versus American, a career-best 26 points at Holy Cross and 21 points at Lafayette. In non-league play, Brown averaged 14 points per game.
Milestones Surpassed
Several Bison recently passed some season and career milestones. Head coach Kathy Fedorjaka earned her 250th career win with the victory over Colgate on Jan. 24. Lauren Schober reached 1,000 career points and 450 career rebounds, Le' Le' LeSeur scored her 104th point as a Bison and Morgan Wrightson reached 106 points for her young career. Amanda Brown set a new personal single-season high in assists at Lafayette as she reached 83 on the year. Against Army, she hit the 100 mark. Cosima Higham passed the 200 mark in career points and rebounds, and Joyce Novacek grabbed her 103rd rebound of the season against the Leopards. Most recently, Taylor Phillips collected her 102nd career rebound against Lehigh, and Brown reached 150 three-point field goals and 303 assists.
Still looking for a career milestone is Trisha Krewson with 97 career points.
Century Mark, Part II
With her appearance against American last Wednesday, Amanda Brown became the second Bison this season to play in 100 career games. Classmate Lauren Schober reached 100 against Wofford on Dec. 19. Brown played in all 31 games a sophomore before suffering injuries that limited her playing time last season. The senior has been a starter in 76 of her 105 career contests.
Protecting the Ball
Bucknell recorded its lowest turnover total of the season against American on Jan. 14. The Bison gave up the ball just nine times, a major improvement on their 18.9 turnovers per game average this year. Christina Chukwuedo aided in the team's positive assist/turnover ratio, dishing out a career-high six assists without committing a turnover.
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 5.0 assists per game. That average is good for first in the Patriot League and 41st in the nation (as of Feb. 1). Brown is also ranked 26th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92). The success is not new for the senior either, who is sixth in program history with 303 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 last Saturday. 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 Friday. She is 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, giving her 1,019 for her career. Amanda Brown achieved the milestone on Nov. 29 at Loyola (Md.). Since the game against the Greyhounds, Brown has reached 1,237 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.
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, and Army, 40-36. 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.
Coaching Staff Additions
Bucknell welcomes two new assistant coaches to the program in 2008-09. Mandy Olley, a 2002 graduate of Old Dominion, joins the staff after a playing career that included four trips to the NCAA Tournament and a two-year turn as an assistant at Susquehanna University. Stephanie Marciano, a 2008 Yale graduate, ranks fifth all-time in assists for the Bulldogs, and brings valuable recent on-court experience to the coaching staff.
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 continues on the road to play American on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tip off against the Eagles is slated for 7 p.m. in Washington, D.C. American defeated Bucknell, 61-55, in the first round of league action.
