Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Returns to Baltimore for Saturday Showdown with UMBC
12/3/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2010
WHAT: Bucknell Bison (2-4) vs. UMBC Retrievers (2-5)
WHERE: RAC Arena, Baltimore, Md.
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5, SportsJuice.com
VIDEO: umbcretrievers.com
LIVE STATS: umbcretrievers.com
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
ABOUT THE GAME
For the second game in a row, Bucknell will take on an opponent in Maryland's capital. The Bison will challenge Maryland-Baltimore County at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the final contest before breaking for final exams. Both squads are looking for their third win of the season.
Live stats and video can be found at umbcretrievers.com. Live audio will be available on WVBU 90.5 FM and online at SportsJuice.com. Kevin Herr will call the play-by-play action.
WITH A VICTORY OVER UMBC, BUCKNELL WOULD...
► Avoid its first two-game losing streak to the Retrievers in series history.
► Earn its first road win of the season.
► Improve to 3-1 on the Retrievers' home court, having also won in 1986 and 1998.
► Improve to 3-4 on the season and 1-1 in December. A win would give the Bison its earliest December victory since they defeated George Mason in double overtime on Dec. 4, 2007.
LAST MEETING - NOV. 29, 2009
►UMBC 68, Bucknell 63 (Sojka Pavilion)
► Trisha Krewson (12 pts.), Joyce Novacek (11 pts.) and Morgan Wrightson (10 pts.) finished in double-digit scoring, but a slow first half on the offensive end put Bucknell women's basketball in an early hole it was unable to recover from.
► After only producing offensively in spurts through the first frame, Bucknell finally started to make some headway in the second. A 13-point halftime deficit was soon reduced to single digits at 15:32. With less than three minutes remaining, the Bison knotted things up at 60.
► Michelle Kurowski scored the final eight points for UMBC and kept Bucknell from pulling in front in the end. Kurowski finished with 29 points on the night.
► The Bison out-rebounded the Retrievers 48-34. Felicia Mgbada led all players with a career-high nine rebounds to help her team to a rebounding win for the third consecutive game.
QUICK FACTS
Lindsay Horbatuck claimed her first career double-double at Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday night ... Joyce Novacek was one basket and one rebound shy of her first career 20-20 game when she led Bucknell with 18 points and 19 rebounds at Loyola ... Bucknell is 2-1 in games this season when three players reach double-digit scoring ... Shelby Romine has three of Bucknell's four highest point totals this season (21 vs. Buffalo, 19 vs. Niagara, 17 vs. Rider) ... Romine led Bucknell in scoring in four of her first five collegiate games, including a 21-point performance vs. Buffalo on Nov. 21 ... Christina Chukwuedo led Bucknell in assists in each of the first four games this season and has a team-best 1.2 assist/turnover ratio ... Cosima Higham at least shared the team rebounding lead in four of the first five games this season ... Romine was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week on Nov. 15 and Nov. 22 ... Novacek claimed her 10th career double vs. Rider on Nov. 12, while Higham earned her 10th vs. Niagara on Nov. 28 ... Six of Rachel Voss' eight double-digit scoring performances have come at Sojka Pavilion ... Bucknell was picked eighth in the 2010-11 Patriot League Preseason Poll.
HISTORY VS. UMBC
► Despite a 4-2 series lead, Bucknell has had some relatively average individual performances against UMBC. Only two Bison have ever reached double figures in rebounds against the Retrievers - Jennifer Burke finished with 18 boards in 1979, while Marie Kocornik had 12 in 1986. The duo also has Bucknell's only two double-doubles in series history, as Kocornik totaled 21 points in the 1986 contest. Burke added 11 points in the scoring column in 1979.
► Jennifer Walz has Bucknell's all-time scoring high against UMBC, totaling 30 in 1986. Stacey Spitko also had eight assists in that game. No Bison has ever recorded more than one blocked shot in a single game against the Retrievers.
► The most lopsided outcome in series history came in the teams' first meeting in 1979 at the Pittsburgh-Johnstown Mountain Cat Classic. Bucknell came away the winner, 64-29, as UMBC shot just .183 (13-for-71) from the field and was outrebounded 70 to 39.
► With the help of two wins decided by more than 30 points (1979, 1995), Bucknell's average margin of victory over UMBC is 21.3 points. UMBC's wins have come by an average of 11.0 points per game.
► The Bison have never lost back-to-back games to the Retrievers.
► Recent Results:
Dec. 9, 1986: Bucknell, 64-29
Nov. 26, 1995: Bucknell, 82-49
Nov. 23, 1997: UMBC, 52-35
Nov. 20, 1998: Bucknell, 76-67
Nov. 29, 2009: UMBC, 68-63
ABOUT THE RETRIEVERS
UMBC hosts Bucknell with a 2-5 record. The Retrievers' wins came against Coppin State (58-51) and most recently Brown (75-55) on Nov. 28. Michelle Kurowski and Erin Brown were named to the Iona Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team where they split decisions with Toledo and Brown. Kurowski averaged 24.5 points on 17 of 30 (.567) shooting and 5.5 assists in the tournament. Brown wrapped up play with averages of 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Picked fifth in the America East Preseason Poll, UMBC is without its three-time all-conference selection in Carlee Cassidy. The recent graduate was the Retrievers' leading scorer and third-leading rebounder last season.
LAST TIME OUT
Bucknell put itself in a challenging position against Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday after they turned the ball over 20 times in the first half and found themselves trailing by 15 points at the break. A strong team effort at both ends of the floor made things interesting, however. The Bison worked their way back to within single digits as they held the Greyhounds without a field goal for more than nine minutes midway through the second and received strong inside play from Joyce Novacek and Lindsay Horbatuck. Both players finished with double-doubles, while Bucknell outrebounded Loyola, 51-27, in the game.
ODDS & ENDS
► Three Bison have combined for four double-doubles on the year. Joyce Novacek has two, while Cosima Higham and Lindsay Horbatuck each has one.
► Five Bison are shooting 40 percent or better from the field this season, including Lindsay Horbatuck (.550), Cosima Higham (.484)Christina Chukwuedo (.429), Joyce Novacek (.414) and Felicia Mgbada (.412).
► Bucknell has outscored its opponents in second chance points, 75-53, through the team's first six games.
► Both of Bucknell's wins this season have come by single digits. The Bison defeated Rider by five (53-48) and Niagara by seven (69-62).
► Of the 10 Bison to see game action this season, all of them have made at least one trip to the free throw line, all of them have scored and all of them have at least one rebound.
► Before their games with the Bison, Bucknell's first six opponents had a combined record of 4-20 (Fordham 1-1, Buffalo 1-2, Youngstown State 0-3, Niagara 0-4, Loyola 0-5, UMBC 2-5).
► Rachel Voss was held scoreless for just the third time in her career against Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday.
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
For the first time this season and the seventh time in the last 10 years, two Bison recorded double-doubles in the same game when Bucknell took on Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday. Joyce Novacek led the Orange and Blue with 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Lindsay Horbatuck finished with 11 points and 10 boards.
Novacek was also part of a double double-double last season, when her 16 points and 11 rebounds combined with Cosima Higham's 21-point, 13-rebound performance in Bucknell's win over Cornell. The Bison are 5-2 in the last 10 years when two or more players have earned double-doubles.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN THE SAME GAME (SINCE 2000-01)
| Date | Opponent | Score | Players |
| Dec. 1, 2010 | at Loyola (Md.) | L, 59-55 | Joyce Novacek (18 pts.-19 reb.) |
| Lindsay Horbatuck (11 pts.-10 reb.) | |||
| Jan. 6, 2010 | at Cornell | W, 69-55 | Cosima Higham (21 pts.-13 reb.) |
| Joyce Novacek (16 pts.-11 reb.) | |||
| Jan. 2, 2004 | vs. Manhattan | L, 54-49 | Desire Almind (13 pts.-18 reb.) |
| Lindsey Hollobaugh (18 pts.-11 reb.) | |||
| Nov. 30, 2003 | vs. Coppin State | W, 69-64 | Desire Almind (23 pts.-18 reb.) |
| Lindsey Hollobaugh (19 pts.-10 reb.) | |||
| Jan. 19, 2002 | at American | W, 85-76 (OT) | Kate Franks (10 pts.012 reb.) |
| Kate Rounsley (10 pts.-12 reb.) | |||
| Jan. 27, 2001 | at Lehigh | W, 89-79 | Monique LeBlanc (10 pts.-13 reb.) |
| Molly Creamer (26 pts.-12 assts.) | |||
| Kate Franks (12 pts.-12 assts.) | |||
| Jan. 6, 2001 | vs. Cornell | W, 74-57 | Vicki Quimby (33 pts.-13 reb.) |
| Desire Almind (10 pts.-10 reb.) |
NOVACEK KNOCKS GREYHOUNDS
Joyce Novacek seems to like playing Loyola (Md.). Throughout her career, the senior forward has averaged 11.8 points and 10.0 rebounds against the Greyhounds. After failing to register a single point or rebound in the teams' meeting as a freshman, Novacek went on to claim double-doubles in each of the next three matchups, including her performance on Wednesday night that ended in a season-best 18 points and a career-high 19 boards.
ONE POINT AT A TIME
Bucknell put three players in double-digit scoring at Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday - Joyce Novacek (18), Shelby Romine (13) and Lindsay Horbatuck (11). Novacek and Horbatuck reached their totals the hard way, earning most of their points from the free throw line. In 37 minutes of play, Novacek was 10 of 14 from the charity stripe and just 4 of 6 from the floor. Horbatuck saw 19 minutes of action and went 5 of 6 from the free throw line. The sophomore was also 3-for-4 from the field.
As a team, Bucknell finished the game 16 of 24 (.667) from the free throw line.
MID-WAY REPORT
With six games in the books, Bucknell is half way through its non-conference schedule. While the 2010-11 Bison are on pace with their 2009-10 numbers in some categories - last year's rebounding margin of +4.8 is just a touch higher than this year's +4.7 and both teams' records are 2-4 - the squad has seen some key changes in other areas. Below is a side-by-side comparison of both campaigns.
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Points/Gm | 60.7 | 54.8 |
| Scoring Margin | -5.7 | -7.8 |
| Rebounds/Gm | 41.5 | 38.2 |
| Rebounding Margin | +4.8 | +4.7 |
| FG% | .415 (136-328) | .380 (117-308) |
| 3FG% | .309 (25-81) | .294 (15-51) |
| FT% | .578 (67-116) | .615 (80-130) |
| Assists/Gm | 14.2 | 11.5 |
| Turnovers/Gm | 25.2 | 23.2 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Leading Scorers | Morgan Wrightson (13.8) | Shelby Romine (14.7) |
| Leading Rebounders | Cosima Higham (8.6) | Joyce Novacek (9.3) |
| Assists Leaders | Trisha Krewson (3.0) | Christina Chukwuedo (3.3) |
SEVENTH INNING STRETCH
When the Bison take on the Retrievers on Saturday, they will be looking to improve their record to 3-4 for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Although Bucknell has hovered around .500 after its first seven games in each of the last 10 years, only two squads have gone over that mark. The 2006-07 Bison were 4-3 with wins over Hampton, Columbia, Cornell and Monmouth. Even better, the 2000-01 team was 6-1 in their opening run. The unit's lone loss came by one point at Cornell and interrupted a five-game winning streak that started the season.
GETTING IT DUNN
Alyssa Dunn has been picking up steam steadily during her sophomore season and recently put together the best performance of her young career. Through the first four games this winter, the guard combined for 21 points on 9 of 30 shooting (.300). Against Niagara on Nov. 28, Dunn netted a career-best 16 points on 7 of 14 shooting (.500) to go along with a personal-best six rebounds. As a freshman, Dunn averaged 1.9 points. Now in her second year with the Orange and Blue, she is third on the squad in scoring with 6.7points per game.
TURNING THEM AWAY
After not registering a blocked shot in the first game of the season, Cosima Higham is trying to make up for lost time. Since the season opener vs. Rider, the senior has eight blocks, including a season-best three vs. Buffalo and at Youngstown State. Higham now has 83 rejections in her career, ranking seventh all-time at Bucknell and four shy of sixth place.
Joyce Novacek tallied a pair of blocked shots vs. Niagara on Nov. 28. The outing moved her into fifth place and she has since improved her total to 89 career rejections.
POWERFUL PAINT PLAY
Bucknell showed off its inside game at Youngstown State on Nov. 24. Forty of the Bison's 57 points came in the paint, compared to just 24 points inside for the Penguins. It was Bucknell's first time outscoring its opponent in the paint since its season-opening win vs. Rider.
UPS AND DOWNS
After shooting .720 (18-for-25) from the free throw line against Rider on Nov. 12, the Bison have seen their opportunities at the charity stripe decline in each of the next three contests. After facing the Broncs, Bucknell shot .696 (16-for-23) against Fordham, .563 (9-for-16) against Buffalo and .357 (5-for-14) at Youngstown State.
It has been a different story from the field. After shooting .321 against Rider, Bucknell has steadily improved its percentage with each game, finishing at .453 opposite Niagara on Nov. 28.
BREAK OUT
Cosima Higham got off to a bit of slow start in her senior campaign, making just one field goal in each of her first three games. The senior forward broke out of her slump at Youngstown State, shooting 6-for-9 from the field for a team-best 12 points and her first double-digit scoring night of the season. Higham followed that up with her first double-double of the season vs. Niagara, recording 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
HOT OFF THE BENCH
Bucknell took a three-point lead into halftime against Youngstown State on Nov. 24, and a key to that early success was the shooting off the bench. As two of the game's first subs, Cosima Higham and Alyssa Dunn combined for 13 of the team's 15 bench points in the first half. Dunn contributed seven to the cause, tying her career high set at Lehigh last season.
That trend continued against Niagara in the next contest as Bucknell's reserves outscored Niagara's 41-11 in the contest. Dunn and Higham combined for 27 points off the bench, while Taylor Phillips added another seven.
POINTS OFF THE BENCH
Rider 21, Bucknell 11
Fordham 26, Bucknell 16
Buffalo 25, Bucknell 16
Youngstown State 30, Bucknell 27
Bucknell 41, Niagara 11
Bucknell 14, Loyola (Md.) 2
ROMINE TOP ROOKIE ... AGAIN
Shelby Romine became the first Bison to cop Patriot League honors when she was named the league's Rookie of the Week on Nov. 15. She repeated the feat on Nov. 22 when she was voted the Rookie of the Week for a second consecutive voting period, making her the sixth player in league history to be named the top newcomer in each of the season's first two weeks.
Romine's most recent honor came after averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds against Fordham and Buffalo. The freshman posted a career-high 21 points against the Bulls on Nov. 21 to give her the team lead in scoring for the third consecutive game. The guard's first award came just days after recording a squad-best 17 points and five assists against Rider. Romine earned the start in her first collegiate game and played 38 minutes opposite the Broncs.
RARE ROOKIE COMPANY
With her 21 points against Buffalo on Nov. 21, Shelby Romine became the first Bison this season and the fourth freshman in five years to reach the 20-point plateau. Other Bucknellians that scored at least 20 points in a game during their rookie campaigns include Romine's teammate Rachel Voss (20 vs. Colgate, Jan. 23, 2010), Morgan Wrightson (20 vs. Wofford, Dec. 19, 2008), Amanda Brown (20 at UMES, Dec. 17, 2005; 22 at Buffalo, Dec. 28, 2005; 21 at Navy, Jan. 7, 2006) and Lauren Schober (22 at American, Jan. 10, 2006; 21 at Colgate, Feb. 4, 2006).
Including Romine, 21 freshmen have scored at least 20 points in 68 game in program history. Leading the group are Lindsey Hollobaugh (2003-07), Molly Creamer (1999-2003) and Jane Meyer (1982-84) who each had nine 20-point performances as rookies.
FRESHMAN FEAT
Through Bucknell's first three games this season, the same name appeared atop the scoring column. Shelby Romine posted the team's highest point total in the first outings, tallying 17 against Rider, nine at Fordham and 21 against Buffalo. No other single Bison freshman has ever led the team in scoring in each of her first three contests.
During the 1975-76 season, which was Bucknell's third sponsoring women's basketball as a varsity sport, freshmen led the team in scoring in every game. No single player posted the high mark in three consecutive games, however. The 1975-76 roster was comprised of six freshmen, three sophomores and two juniors.
PHILLIPS OFF THE BENCH
After going scoreless in her first two 2010-11 appearances, senior Taylor Phillips connected for five points in 15 minutes off the bench against Buffalo. Phillips was 2-for-6 from the field, including 1-for-2 from 3-point distance against the Bulls. Phillips went on to score two points at Youngstown State and seven vs. Niagara in the next two contests.
The last time the guard recorded a three-game scoring streak came in 2008-09. Phillips scored in four straight games during the second round of Patriot League play that season.
PUTTING UP 20-PLUS
At the close of the 2009-10 season, Bucknell had received nine 20-point performances from five different players. Joyce Novacek, Cosima Higham, Trisha Krewson and Morgan Wrightson each had two games of at least 20 points, while Rachel Voss chipped in one against Colgate.
The last season that more Bison reached the 20-point mark in a single game came during 2005-06. Amanda Brown, Lindsey Hollobaugh, Jacquie Seawright, Lauren Schober, Hope Foster and Kesha Champion combined for nine 20-point games as well. Seawright is the only player in that group to not join the 1,000-point club at Bucknell.
THE LAST TIME THAT HAPPENED, WE WON
After taking a three-point lead at halftime against Fordham on Nov. 17, Bucknell fell flat offensively in the second half and shot 3-for-14 (.214) from the field in the final 20 minutes. The last time a Bison squad made just three field goals in a single half was on Jan. 20, 1993. Bucknell played Army in Davis Gym and went 3-for-26 (.115) in the first half. Despite the poor shooting, the 1993 Bison took a 16-14 lead into halftime and ended the night with a 51-37 victory over the Black Knights. The difference came at the free throw line as Bucknell made 25 of 35 attempts, including 15 of 18 from Bucknell Hall of Famer Lisa Fink, compared to 5-for-15 shooting for Army.
SCORING STRUGGLES
It has not been as long as you might think since Bucknell scored as few as 17 points in a single half. Prior to suffering their scoring drought against Fordham on Nov. 17, the Bison posted 17 points in the second half against Lehigh on Feb. 24 and Holy Cross on Jan. 16 as well as in the first half against Lehigh on Jan. 27 last season.
100s UPDATED
Christina Chukwuedo hit the century mark in both career points and assists at Fordham on Nov. 17. The junior now has 108 points and 112 assists in the Orange and Blue. Chukwuedo's assists total is a team high.
Chukwuedo added to her list of 100s against Buffalo the following game. Chukwuedo currently sits at 107 career rebounds.
KEEPING THEM OFF THE GLASS
For the first time this season, Bucknell outrebounded its opponent, winning the battle on the glass against Fordham, 31-25. The Bison held foes to 25 or fewer rebounds eight times last season. Lycoming struggled the most, grabbing just 21 total rebounds on Dec. 30.
Bucknell also limited Fordham to seven offensive boards. That happened on five occasions during the 2009-10 season with the fewest being five against Navy on Feb. 6.
STILL STARTING
Joyce Novacek has emerged as one of the team's most steady veterans. The senior has made 72 career starts, more than any other Bison on the roster. Novacek also has the squad's longest streak of consecutive starting assignments, having been among the top five in each of her last 58 games dating back to the Nov. 29, 2008 meeting at Loyola (Md.).
NOT-SO-SHARP SHOOTING
After their first two games, the Bison were just 1 of 6 from 3-point range. The 2004-05 squad had similar shooting performances in its season debuts, combining for 1-for-9 from behind the arc against Florida International and Texas A&M. That team broke open the scoring in their third game, shooting 4-for-19 against Cornell. Following that trend, the current Bison pulled out of their funk by shooting 4-for-8 from 3-point distance opposite Buffalo on Nov. 21.
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE THROWS
Bucknell was 18 of 25 from the free throw line against Rider on Nov. 12. Those numbers turned out to be noteworthy for several Bison.
► Shelby Romine was 9-for-13 from the line. The freshman's outing was just the fifth time since 2005-06 that a Bison made at least nine free throws in a single game. Romine joins Cosima Higham and Hope Foster, who sank nine free throws on three occasions, during that stretch.
► Joyce Novacek made seven of her eight free throw attempts against the Broncs. The last time the forward posted similar success at the charity stripe was at American last season. Novacek was also 7-for-8 (.875) in that contest.
► The Bison reached 18 made free throws three times all of last season, including at Cornell (18-24), Army (20-24) and Lafayette (18-23).
DEFENSIVE POWER
Bucknell held Rider to .298 shooting from the field (17-57) on Nov. 12, and everyone is hoping that is a sign of good things to come. Despite posting one of the best scoring defense marks in program history last season, the Bison limited opponents to less than 30 percent shooting just twice, including Colgate (.295; 18-61) and Army (.278; 15-54).
STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT
There's something about season openers that seems to get Rachel Voss going. In Bucknell's 2009-10 opener vs. Miami (Ohio), Voss totaled 10 points and three steals. Against Rider in the 2010-11 season opener, the sophomore tallied 11 points and tied that career high in steals.
NEW FACE
The Bison coaching staff welcomed its newest addition to the sideline against Rider. Bill Broderick joined the team as an assistant coach during the summer after spending the last two seasons as an assistant at Elon. The Vienna, Va., native's career also includes stops at Potomac State College (1992-94), Frostburg State (1994-95), Arizona (1995-98) and Pittsburgh (1998-2002).
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Bucknell continued to excel in the classroom during 2009-10. As a team, the Bison were ranked 14th nationally in grade-point average when the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) released its Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll in July. With a 3.422 GPA, Bucknell was the only Patriot League team to earn recognition. Bucknell also led the pack on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. The Bison placed 11 of its 12 players on the list, while no other squad had more than seven.
Joyce Novacek and Trisha Krewson added ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team honors to their resumes as well. It was Novacek's second selection of her career.
COACHING MILESTONES
Head coach Kathy Fedorjaka is coming up on yet another milestone in her coaching career. Now in her 14th year at Bucknell, Fedojraka has a 198-183 record with the Orange and Blue, good for a .520 winning percentage. That total has long put her at the top of the list for most program victories. Number two on that list is Fedorjaka's predecessor, Julienne Simpson, with a six-year mark of 65-98.
Last year, Fedorjaka surpassed the century mark in Patriot League wins with her 60-47 win over Colgate. She enters 2010-11 with a career record of 101-73 in the league.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Seniors Cosima Higham, Joyce Novacek and Taylor Phillips have been named Bucknell's team captains for the 2010-11 season. Higham and Novacek also emerged as the squad's leaders last year, making them the first two-year captains since Lindsey Hollobaugh earned the title of captain in 2005-06 and 2006-07. They are also the 14th and 15th Bison in program history to claim the leadership role multiple times.
ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE
Joyce Novacek could hardly have ended her junior season on a higher note. The forward scored a career-high 24 points in the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinals against Lehigh. That total is also tied for the third-most points by a Bison in the league tournament. Desire Almind also had 24 against Holy Cross on March 5, 2004, while Molly Creamer and Lindsey Hollobaugh share the record with 25.
MORE BOARDS
Joyce Novacek has been doing her best to leave her mark in the history books at Bucknell. The forward has ranked among the Bison's top three in rebounding in each of her first three seasons in the Orange and Blue. After averaging 4.3 boards as a freshman, that number improved to 6.3 in 2008-09 and finally 7.2 to lead the team in 2009-10. Novacek leads all current Bison with 566 career rebounds. The senior has a shot at cracking the program's all-time top-10 list in boards this year, needing just 112 more to do so.
KEEPING THE OPPONENT DOWN
The Bison held opponents to 59.9 points per game last season. That ranks eighth all-time on Bucknell's single-season scoring defense. This year's senior class finds itself on the ledger two other times as well, including third in 2008-09 (57.6) and seventh in 2007-08 (59.3).
CLASS CONTRIBUTIONS
Bucknell's current senior class made itself known for its interior play last season. Cosima Higham, Joyce Novacek and Taylor Phillips combined for nearly 40 percent of the Bison's rebounds in 2009-10. The new sophomore class made equally important contributions defensively as Alyssa Dunn, Lindsay Horbatuck, Felicia Mgbada and Rachel Voss recorded 83 steals, or 41.3 percent of the team's total. The two classes teamed up to amass 101 blocked shots, giving them more than 90 percent of Bucknell's rejections throughout the year.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Over the years Bucknell women's basketball has strived to make a difference in the community. Among the Bison's efforts last season were their annual celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day and the WBCA Pink Zone in support of breast cancer education and awareness. Those programs will continue in 2010-11. Bucknell will also make several visits to local elementary schools and the Donald Heiter Community Center, take part in a pen pal program and more. The current team's support of the Lewisburg community began last summer as the Bison volunteered with the Lewisburg Lights and Kelly Mazzante 5K runs, as well as with the street fair at the Bucknell Bookstore's grand opening.
PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
Bucknell was picked eighth in the 2010-11 Patriot League Preseason Poll. American was picked first in the poll with 93 points, including nine first-place votes. The Eagles were followed closely by defending champion Lehigh with 91 points and seven first-place votes. Navy and Army rounded out the top half in third and fourth, respectively.
2010-11 PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
Team (First-place votes) Points
1. American (9) 93
2. Lehigh (7) 91
3. Navy 70
4. Army 59
5. Holy Cross 42
6. Colgate 40
7. Lafayette 40
8. Bucknell 31
PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM
Michelle Kirk, American (Player of the Year)
Angela Myers, Navy
Erin Anthony, Army
Erica Prosser, Lehigh
Liz Leer, American
UP NEXT
Bucknell will have some time off for final exams. At the semester's end, the Bison will host Iona at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18. The matchup at Sojka Pavilion is Take-A-Kid-to-the-Game Night. It will also be the 100th women's basketball game played at Sojka.
Bucknell is 2-4 all-time against Iona. The last time the Bison beat the Gaels was in 2005 (90-66).
