Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Closes Regular Season with Army Sunday
2/26/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2010
WHAT: Bucknell (7-19, 3-10) vs. Army (10-17, 4-9)
WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 28
PROMOTIONS: Upward/CYO Night
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: BucknellBison.com
LIVE STATISTICS: BucknellBison.com
Complete Bucknell-Army Game Notes 
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ABOUT THE GAME
Bucknell closes out its regular season looking for its seventh straight win against Army. The Bison, which defeated the Black Knights by 18 points at the end of January, is also looking to claim the No. 6 seed in the Patriot League Tournament.
Prior to the contest, Le' Le' LeSeur will be recognized for her four years of commitment to Bucknell Women's Basketball as part of Senior Night. The game has also been designated Upward/CYO Night at Sojka Pavilion.
WITH A VICTORY OVER ARMY, BUCKNELL WOULD...
► Earn its first win since defeating the Black Knights 59-41 on Jan. 30.
► Avoid its worst Patriot League record since 1993-94. The 93-94 Bison finished the year at 3-11.
► Achieve its second-longest winning streak against the Black Knights in series history. The Bison won eight in a row between 2000 and 2003.
► Put itself in position to earn the sixth seed in next weekend's Patriot League Tournament and face the third seed. Navy has already clinched the No. 3 spot in the league bracket.
LAST MEETING - JAN. 30, 2010
► Bucknell 59, Army 41 (Christl Arena)
► Bucknell went into halftime with its largest lead of the half, but it took some time to get it to the composed play that put it ahead 28-22. Bucknell tallied a pair of free throws within the first 30 seconds of the game, but the Bison failed to make a field goal for nearly five minutes to open play.
► Bucknell turned to its interior play to get the ball rolling. Felicia Mgbada drove in for a layup to set the score at 7-4, and Lindsay Horbatuck tied it with a three-point play. The Bison eventually took the lead with free throws from Morgan Wrightson after the sophomore was fouled on a hard drive to the basket.
► Although paint play kept them in contention throughout much of play, it was Trisha Krewson's three from the top of the arc that put the Bison back in front for the rest of the game. Bucknell ended the half on a 10-2 run.
► Army continued to play with intensity in the second, but shooting woes made it difficult to close the scoring gap. After shooting 10-for-32 (31.3 percent) from the field in the first half, the Black Knights went just 5-for-22 (22.7 percent) in the second.
► The Bison's ability to hit its free throws continued to help them maintain their lead in the final minutes. Bucknell finished the day 20-for-24 from the line.
QUICK FACTS
Bucknell is outrebounding its Patriot League opponents by 7.3 boards per game ... at 35 blocked shots, Joyce Novacek is ninth on the Bucknell single-season blocks list ... Bucknell held Navy to five offensive rebounds on Feb. 6, tying a Sojka Pavilion record for fewest offensive boards by an opponent ... the Bison nearly equaled that record vs. Lehigh, allowing just six offensive boards on Feb. 24 ... Bucknell set a Sojka Pavilion record with 34 turnovers vs. Lehigh ... Joyce Novacek ranks third in career rebounds at Sojka Pavilion with 238, and Trisha Krewson is fourth in career three-pointers made on her home court with 32 ... Bucknell is averaging 50.9 points per game in Patriot League play ... Krewson has scored in double-figures in 15 of the last 16 games ... Bucknell has recorded at least one block in every game this year, including a season-high 11 at Lafayette ... Cosima Higham's six blocked shots at Cornell and Novacek's six vs. Colgate tie them for sixth at Bucknell for most rejections in a single game ... Krewson became the first Bison this year to score better than 20 points in two consecutive contests, posting 30 vs. Lycoming and 25 at Buffalo ... Krewson's performances in those two games earned her Patriot League/Anaconda Player of the Week ... Rachel Voss and Lindsay Horbatuck have each been named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week twice this year.
HISTORY VS. ARMY
► Bucknell has held the Black Knights to 30 percent shooting or less from the field in four of the teams' last six meetings. The best defensive percentage came in the Patriot League Tournament on March 8, 2008, when the Bison held Army to 25.8 percent shooting. The last contest was equally impressive, as Bucknell limited Army to 27.8 percent in January.
► The Bison are 16-4 at home against the Black Knights. That record includes an undefeated streak in the last four tries. The last time Bucknell lost to Army on its home court was Feb. 19, 2005 when the Black Knights pulled out a 58-56 decision.
► Bucknell's biggest win and loss to Army both came at Davis Gym. The Bison lost by a score of 72-52 in February 1991 before posting their biggest victory, 75-40, five years later.
► With the Patriot League Tournament on their mind, the Bison can remember their post-season meetings with the Black Knights fondly. Bucknell is 3-1 against Army in the Patriot League Tournament, with their most recent win coming March 8, 2008. That 50-47 overtime victory set in motion Bucknell's improbable trip to the league championship and the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance.
► Bison Career Stats vs. the Black Knights
Cosima Higham: 3.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 18.5 mpg
Joyce Novacek: 6.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 23.8 mpg
Taylor Phillips: 0.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 5.8 mpg
Christina Chukwuedo: 2.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 16.7 mpg
Trisha Krewson: 9.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 33.3 mpg
Morgan Wrightson: 3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 14.7 mpg
► Recent Results:
March 1, 2008: Bucknell, 59-47
March 8, 2008: Bucknell, 50-47 (OT) (PL Tournament)
Jan. 31, 2009: Bucknell, 59-57
Feb. 28, 2009: Bucknell, 56-50
Jan. 30, 2010: Bucknell, 59-41
ABOUT THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army has lost its last four contests, dropping its record to 10-17 overall and 4-9 in the Patriot League. The Black Knights' last loss came 54-52 in overtime at Lafayette on Wednesday despite 15 points and 15 rebounds from Erin Anthony. The defeat in extra time is the latest in a skid that also includes losses to Lehigh (49-39), American (56-42) and Navy (54-48).
Like the Bison, the Black Knights are also playing to improve their tournament seeding. With a win and help from some other teams, Army could finish as high as fourth. A loss to the Bison will give the Black Knights the eighth seed.
LOTS OF POINTS
Cosima Higham has been on a scoring streak of late, registering double-figure point totals in each of the last four games. That streak ties a career high, as the junior also posted four consecutive double-digit scoring nights from Dec. 21 to Jan. 6 (Drexel - 11 pts., Lycoming - 11, Buffalo - 11, Cornell - 21) this season. Higham also had four straight at the end of non-conference play (James Madison - 14, Saint Francis (Pa.) - 11, Howard - 14, Cornell - 13) last year as a sophomore.
STARTING STREAK
With her start against Lehigh last Wednesday, Joyce Novacek has earned 50 consecutive starting assignments, dating back to last season. The last time Novacek did not start a game was Nov. 25, 2008 vs. Drexel. That did not keep the junior from producing, however, as she tallied 10 points and nine boards in the matchup with the Dragons.
Novacek has drawn 64 career starts, more than any other current Bison. Trisha Krewson is second on the squad with 42 career starts.
CAREER MARKS
Trisha Krewson apparently has never heard of the dreaded sophomore slump. After averaging 5.4 points and earning Patriot League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, the guard came back even stronger for her second campaign. With one regular-season game remaining, Krewson is averaging 12.7 points, a team best, and has already set career highs in assists (55), steals (23), blocks (4), free throws (33), field goals (120) and 3-point field goals (56).
SECOND-HALF STRUGGLES
Heading into the game with Army, Bucknell finds itself on a six-game losing streak. The last time the Bison dropped six straight was in 2004-05. The last time Bucknell lost more than six in a row was in 1991-92 when it fell in 13 straight.
BIG NUMBERS FOR NOVACEK
With 13 points and 11 rebounds at Colgate on Feb. 20, Joyce Novacek recorded her fifth double-double of the season. That ranks second in the Patriot League behind Army's Erin Anthony, who has an impressive 11 double-doubles on the year.
Novacek's performance against the Raiders was also a near repeat of the first time the two teams met. The junior forward posted a double-double when Bucknell hosted Colgate in January as well. Novacek averaged 12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 3.0 steals vs. the Raiders this season.
PRODUCTION STREAK
Despite its record over the last six games, Bucknell has some things to smile about. Trisha Krewson (14.2) and Cosima Higham (11.0) are both averaging double-figure scoring numbers during the 0-6 stretch. As a team, the Bison are outrebounding their opponents by an impressive 9.2 boards per game.
PATRIOT LEAGUE UPDATE
Bucknell's recent losses have taken a toll on the Bison's position in the Patriot League standings. Bucknell now sits in eighth place but is just one game behind Army and Lafayette for sixth. A win over the Black Knights and a Lafayette loss to American on Saturday will give the Bison the No. 6 seed in the tournament, while a win over Army and an American loss puts the Bison in the No. 7 spot. A Bucknell loss, regardless of other results in the league, gives the Bison the eighth seed.
CLOSE CALLS
Bucknell has had some close games lately, losing four of its last five contests by six or fewer points. The Bison have not experienced such a tight stretch since February 2000 when they dropped four straight games by five or fewer points. Those Bison lost to Lehigh (96-91 OT), Colgate (69-66), Albany (64-63) and Lafayette (61-60) that season.
BLOCK PARTY
Bucknell women's basketball hosted quite the block party in 2008-09 and that has not changed much in the new season. Both Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham rank in the top 10 in career blocks with Novacek in sixth (84) and Higham in ninth (70).
Novacek and Higham also ranked in the top 10 on the single-season ledger last season. Novacek has repeated that feat this year, as she now is ninth with 35 rejections in 2009-10.
CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS
Cosima Higham set career highs in free throws made and attempted at Lafayette on Feb. 17. The junior forward was 11-for-12 from the line against the Leopards, which helped her to her career-high 23 points. Higham's previous personal best for made free throws was five at Howard on Jan. 5, 2009.
Higham also becomes the first Bison to tally double-figure successful free throws since Desire Almind hit 10 vs. Holy Cross on March 5, 2004.
BOARD DOMINANCE
Bucknell outrebounded Holy Cross 46-25 on Feb. 13. The Bison have now held their opponent to fewer than 30 rebounds 10 times this season, including six times in the Patriot League. The dominance on the boards over the Crusaders was also the third time in as many games the Bison have limited their foe on the glass to less than 30. Bucknell also won on the glass against American (42-27) and Army (40-29) most recently.
NATIONALLY RANKED
The Bison broke into the top 25 nationally last week in rebounding margin. As of Feb. 21, Bucknell was ranked 23rd in the country at +6.1. Liberty was ranked first nationally at +14.5.
HORBATUCK NAMED PL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK... AGAIN
Lindsay Horbatuck earned her second Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week honor on Feb. 15. The freshman averaged 7.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in Bucknell's games vs. American and Holy Cross last week. Horbatuck posted one of her most complete games against the Eagles, tallying four points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
Horbatuck was also named the league's top rookie on Dec. 14 after scoring a career-high and team-best 13 points and tying what was then a career high in rebounds with six at Towson.
PL HONORS
Lindsay Horbatuck is not the only Bison to pull in the weekly awards from the Patriot League this season. Rachel Voss has also claimed a pair of Rookie of the Week honors, and Trisha Krewson was named the Patriot League Player of the Week. Voss' most recent honor came on Jan. 25 after notching her first career 20-point performance when the Bison took on Colgate. The guard averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds and shot an impressive .474 from the field to help Bucknell to back-to-back league wins that week.
Krewson's citation came Jan. 4 on the heels of consecutive career-best shooting nights in which she combined for 55 points against Lycoming (30 pts.) and Buffalo (25). The sophomore shot .633 (19-30) from the field, including .652 (15-23) from three-point distance.
BLOCKING SHOTS
With 11 blocked shots at Lafayette on Feb. 17, Bucknell set a new season-high in rejections. The Bison now have three games in which the team has registered double-digit blocks, which also sets a program record. The 2006-07 Bison finished the season with two such games (12 at Michigan State, 10 vs. Hampton), as did the 1985-86 squad (10 vs. Delaware, St. Bonaventure). Bucknell has finished eight games with double-figure rejections since the 1980-81 season when the stat was first tracked regularly.
BOARD-BATTLING HORBATUCK
After recording her first career game with double-digit rebounds vs. Navy on Feb. 6, Lindsay Horbatuck put up a repeat performance in the Bison's next contest vs. American. Since those back-to-back career nights on the boards, Horbatuck has improved her season total to 101, ranking her third on the team with a 4.6 average.
NOVACEK IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
Through Bucknell's first 12 Patriot League games, Joyce Novacek has been showing off her defensive skills. The junior leads the team in blocks (22), steals (16) and rebounds (7.2 rpg). Her offensive production is nothing to scoff at either, as she is third among Bison in scoring (7.3 ppg) and fourth in assists (17).
CLASS ACTS
Bucknell has been getting contributions from every class this year. The junior cohort leads Bucknell with 39.0 percent of the team's rebounds (386) and 61.0 percent of its blocked shots (61). The sophomore class leads in scoring with 41.4 percent of the Bison's points (593) and assists (154) with 46.8 percent. The newest Bison lead in steals (83) with 44.4 percent of the team's swipes. Bucknell's lone senior, Le'Le' LeSeur, recently came off the injured list after having knee surgery last year and has seen limited action this year.
NO REBOUNDS FOR YOU
Bucknell held Navy to just five offensive rebounds on Feb. 6, setting a Sojka Pavilion record for fewest offensive boards by an opponent in the process. By contrast, Lindsay Horbatuck grabbed eight offensive rebounds for the Bison. The game vs. the Midshipmen was the second time the Bison have broken that record this year. Bucknell also limited Loyola (Md.) to six offensive rebounds on Nov. 24.
STILL NUMBER ONE
Bucknell continues to lead the Patriot League in rebounding margin at +6.1. Lehigh is second at +1.4. Until recently, the Bison and Mountain Hawks were the only two teams on the positive side, but they have been joined by American (+1.1). The Bison have ranked first among league foes since Nov. 30. After coming in fourth (-1.0) after three games, the Bison jumped to first (+4.8) three games later and have remained there since.
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONOREES
Trisha Krewson and Joyce Novacek were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team on Feb. 4. It is the second consecutive honor for Novacek, who has earned a 3.91 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in management. Novacek becomes the first Bison since Jennifer Walz (1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89) to be voted an All-District team member in back-to-back seasons. Krewson has recorded a 3.97 cumulative GPA while majoring in English and minoring in Spanish.
As First Team selections, Novacek and Krewson were eligible for Academic All-America honors. In order to be considered for Academic All-District honors, a candidate must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve on his/her team.
BISON WITH THE COMMUNITY
Bucknell continued its efforts to promote the fight against breast cancer when it hosted American on Feb. 10. As part of the Bison's WBCA Pink Zone game, the first 500 fans to Sojka Pavilion received a free pink t-shirt, 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.
Bucknell also celebrated National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD). T-shirts promoting the national campaign were tossed into the stands during the game, and all of Bucknell's women's teams were recognized at halftime for their commitment to athletics.
SOPHOMORE SCORING
Bucknell has been getting some major scoring from its underclassmen this season. The Bison's top player in terms of scoring average has been a sophomore for nearly the entire season. Morgan Wrightson led the team from Nov. 21 to Jan. 8. Trisha Krewson replaced Wrightson atop the scoring ledger after the game at American on Jan. 13 and has remained there ever since.
The last sophomore to lead the squad in scoring average was Lindsey Hollobaugh in 2004-05 with 14.9 points per game. Hollobaugh finished her career with 1,386 points, ranking sixth all-time at Bucknell.
TRIPS TO THE LINE
Bucknell did not make many trips to the free throw line in its first three Patriot League games (vs. Navy, American, Holy Cross), shooting a combined 9-for-18 in those matchups. Since then, the Bison have picked up the pace. Bucknell shot 52-for-79 from the charity stripe in its next four contests (vs. Lafayette, Colgate, Lehigh, Army). That tally includes a season-high 20 made free throws on 24 attempts at Army on Jan. 30.
POINT CONTROL
Bucknell held Army to 41 points on Jan. 31 and, not surprisingly, came away with the win. The Bison have had some major success throughout the series when it holds Army to less than 60 points. The Bison are 18-4 all-time in those meetings, which includes each of the last six games.
CLEANING THE GLASS
Bucknell brought down a season-high 52 rebounds when it faced Colgate on Jan. 23. That marks the first time this season the Bison have surpassed the 50-boards mark. The last time Bucknell had 50 or more rebounds came on Nov. 29, 2008 when the squad outrebounded Loyola (Md.), 51-36.
DEFENSIVE EFFORT
To end the first round of Patriot League play, Bucknell held three of four opponents to fewer than 50 points with wins over Lafayette (55-42), Colgate (60-47) and Army (59-41). The last time Bucknell had a similar defensive effort, the Bison went 3-0 against Holy Cross (58-44), Lafayette (58-40) and Colgate (53-35) last season.
OFFENSIVE EFFORT
With her 20 points against Colgate on Jan. 23, Rachel Voss became the fifth Bison this season to hit the scoring milestone. Trisha Krewson has scored 20-plus on three occasions this season, including a 30-point night versus Lycoming, and Cosima Higham has twice tallied more than 20. Joyce Novacek had 22 at Niagara, and Morgan Wrightson was the first in the group with 22 against Yale.
MORE RECORDS FALLING
Bucknell continued to break Sojka Pavilion records when it faced Colgate on Jan. 23. The Bison recorded 24 offensive rebounds, which bettered the previous high mark of 23 set against American on Feb. 7, 2006. The Bison's 10 blocked shots also tied a facility mark set on Nov. 10, 2006 against Howard.
DYNAMIC DUO
Cosima Higham (21 pts.-13 reb.) and Joyce Novacek (16 pts.-11 reb.) each recorded a double-double when the Bison defeated Cornell on Jan. 6. That marks the first time two players recorded double-doubles in the same contest since Desire Almind and Lindsey Hollobaugh on Jan. 2, 2004. Almind had 13 points and 18 rebounds, while Hollobaugh added 18 points and 11 boards, but the Bison fell 54-49 to Manhattan.
Although it has been six years between accomplishments, the 2004 squad did not have to wait so long between repeat performances. Almind and Hollobaugh also had double-doubles when Bucknell defeated Coppin State, 69-64, earlier that season.
REJECTED
For the second time this season, Bucknell recorded 10 blocked shots as a team when it faced Colgate on Jan. 23. Joyce Novacek led the Orange and Blue with a career-high six rejections. The Bison also finished the game at Cornell on Jan. 6 with 10 blocks. Cosima Higham and Taylor Phillips each set career highs in the contest with the Big Red, tallying six and two, respectively. The Bison had not reached 10 or more rejections in a single game since recording 12 against nationally ranked Michigan State on Nov. 17, 2006. Hope Foster set the school record for blocked shots with 11 in that game.
Since taking on Colgate, Bucknell's best 2009-10 mark has improved to 11 with the Bison's defensive effort at Lafayette on Feb. 17. Novacek, Higham and Felicia Mgbada each recorded three blocks against the Leopards, while Rachel Voss added two.
HOT-HANDED KREWSON
Trisha Krewson had quite the outing against Lycoming, recording the best offensive night of her career. The sophomore finished with 30 points, making her the first Bison since Desire Almind had 30 against Holy Cross on Feb. 27, 2004. Helping Krewson to her total was an 8-for-12 shooting performance from behind the arc. Those eight three-pointers tied her with Molly Creamer for the most successful long-distance shots in a single game. It also doubled the previous Sojka Pavilion record.
Krewson had an equally impressive outing against Buffalo a few days later, tallying 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including 7-for-11 from behind the arc. Her 15 made three pointers that week is the highest two-game total in program history.
UP NEXT
Bucknell's next test will come at the Patriot League Tournament. The first two rounds of play will take place March 6-7 at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Game time and opponent have yet to be determined.
