Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Returns to Sojka Pavilion for Wednesday Bout with Lehigh
1/25/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2011
WHAT: Bucknell Bison (5-12, 2-3 PL) vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks (11-9, 1-4 PL)
WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5/SportsJuice.com
VIDEO: Bison Vision 
LIVE STATS: GameTracker 
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
Video Preview
ABOUT THE GAME
Bucknell has not strung together three consecutive wins in over a year, but the Bison will look to change that when they host Lehigh at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The team will also be recognizing past success prior to the game, as head coach Kathy Fedorjaka will be honored for her 200th win at Bucknell.
There will be plenty of entertainment in addition to the game on Wednesday as well. Halftime will feature a performance by the USA Jump Rope Team, and the Bison women's basketball team will be available for postgame autographs.
WITH A VICTORY OVER LEHIGH, BUCKNELL WOULD...
► Earn three straight wins for the first time since Feb. 2009. Bucknell defeated Holy Cross, Lafayette and Colgate at Sojka Pavilion.
► Snap a seven-game losing streak against the Mountain Hawks and take its first win against Lehigh since Feb. 20, 2007. The Bison last won 63-53 in Bethlehem, Pa.
► Even its 2010-11 Sojka Pavilion record at 4-4.
► Even its Patriot League record at 3-3.
LAST MEETING - MARCH 6, 2010 (PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT)
► No. 1 Lehigh 72, No. 8 Bucknell 58 (Hart Center)
► Joyce Novacek recorded the second-highest scoring total by a Bison in Patriot League Tournament history, totaling a career-best 24 points. The forward tallied 19 in the first half and finished the night 10 of 11 from the field.
► The score fluctuated back-and-forth throughout the rest of play with eight lead changes and three ties. The last two minutes of the first half was a flurry of scoring for both squads. Novacek knocked down a pair of free throws to put Bucknell up 30-27 with 1:46 remaining in the frame. Lehigh's Courtney Dentler then drilled a 3-pointer almost a minute later for the tie. Trisha Krewson got the lead back for the Bison with a jumper, giving her team the 32-30 lead at the half.
► Lehigh started the second half with a 9-2 run. That advantage jumped up to double figures for the first time at 11:58 on a layup by Erica Prosser, making the score 56-46.
► The Bison led in rebounds at the half, 24-10, and that total improved to 39-25 as the final buzzer sounded.
► Lehigh went on to win the championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
QUICK FACTS
Shelby Romine broke a Bucknell record with 19 made free throws at Colgate on Jan. 22 ... Kathy Fedorjaka claimed her 200th win at Bucknell with the Bison's 57-49 victory at Lafayette on Jan. 19 ... the win at Lafayette was Bucknell's first on the road since Jan. 30, 2010 ... Bucknell committed a season-low 15 turnovers vs. Navy on Jan. 8 ... three of Bucknell's five wins this year have come at Sojka Pavilion ... Lindsay Horbatuck recorded back-to-back games with double-digit rebounds with the help of 10 boards at Penn State on Dec. 28 ... Romine was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 3, Jan. 10 and Jan. 22 ... Felicia Mgbada and Horbatuck each had double-doubles at Wofford, giving Bucknell its second game this season in which two players achieved the feat in the same contest ... Joyce Novacek tied a career high with a team-best five assists vs. Iona ... Romine leads the Bison with six 20-point games, while Novacek and Cosima Higham both have two career 20-plus scoring games ... Romine led Bucknell in scoring in four of her first five collegiate games ... eight of Rachel Voss' 12 double-digit scoring performances have come at Sojka Pavilion ... Bucknell was picked eighth in the 2010-11 Patriot League Preseason Poll.
HISTORY VS. LEHIGH
► Lehigh holds a 36-30 lead in the series over Bucknell. The Bison have a winning mark on their home court, however, going 16-14 against the Mountain Hawks.
► Bucknell has lost each of its last seven meetings with Lehigh, but before that the Orange and Blue took three straight victories. The streak began with a 10-point win in the 2006 Patriot League Tournament (64-54). Bucknell allowed the fewest points to an opponent since the 1992-93 season when it defeated Lehigh 64-37 on Jan. 24, 2007. The run ended later that year with a 63-53 in Bethlehem.
► The last time Bucknell won more than three consecutive games to Lehigh was from 1995-97. The Bison earned five straight victories.
► Bucknell has gone nearly three years since recording a double-double against Lehigh. The last player to do so was Hope Foster on Feb. 27, 2008 (14 points-13 rebounds).
► Joyce Novacek's 24 points against Lehigh on March 6, 2010 was the most in seven seasons. The last player to score more was Molly Creamer, who tallied 35 points on Jan. 15, 2003.
► Molly Creamer also had eight assists in that Jan. 2003 contest, but that was not her best assist total against the Mountain Hawks. She also had 14 a year earlier and averaged 13.0 assists in two games opposite Lehigh in 2002.
► Bucknell defeated Lehigh 89-79 on Jan. 27, 2001. In that contest, Molly Creamer (26 points-12 assists) and Monique LeBlanc (10 points-13 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles. Also in double figure scoring were Desire Almind (22 pts.), Vicki Quimby (14 pts.) and Kate Franks (12 pts.) as the Bison shot .574 (35-for-61) from the field.
► Recent Results:
Jan. 28, 2009: Lehigh, 66-53
Feb. 25, 2009: Lehigh, 69-60
Jan. 27, 2010: Lehigh, 69-47
Feb. 24, 2101: Lehigh, 56-41
March 6, 2010: Lehigh, 72-58 (PL Tournament)
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS
Despite being picked second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, Lehigh is off to one of its rockiest starts in recent years. The Mountain Hawks are 11-9 overall and 1-4 in the league. The year has been one of ups and downs for Lehigh. After starting the season 1-5 and seeing its 33-game home winning streak come to an end against Princeton, Lehigh bounced back by winning its next nine. The Mountain Hawks' success rate soon slowed again as they lost four of their next five, all against Patriot League foes.
Lehigh won the Patriot League regular-season and tournament titles in 2009-10 and put three players on all-league teams. Both first teamers return in the new season, including former PL Player of the Year Erica Prosser and Emily Gratch. Prosser and Gratch were also named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team, as was recent graduate and current assistant coach Tricia Smith. Alex Ross, a Second Team All-League selection, was voted the tournament MVP.
ODDS & ENDS
► When Bucknell defeated Colgate 76-66 in overtime on Jan. 22, it marked the first time this season in which the Bison were the victors in the same game that Shelby Romine tallied at least 20 points. Bucknell is 1-5 this winter when Romine scores 20+ points.
► Bucknell has faced just two opponents with a winning record this season. American was 10-4 overall when it entered the game with the Bison on Jan. 12, while Penn State was 10-3 prior to its game with Bucknell on Dec. 28. Bucknell will face its third .500+ opponent on Wednesday when it takes on Lehigh (11-9).
► Four Bison have combined for six double-doubles on the year. Joyce Novacek and Lindsay Horbatuck have two, while Cosima Higham and Felicia Mgbada each has one.
► Four of Bucknell's first five wins this season came by single digits. The Bison defeated Rider by five (53-48), Niagara by seven (69-62), Cornell by nine (54-45) and Lafayette by eight (57-49). Bucknell earned its first double-digit victory at Colgate on Jan. 22, winning 76-66 in overtime.
► Bucknell has outrebounded nine of its last 12 opponents, the most recent being Colgate (40-31).
RECORD-BREAKING ROMINE
Shelby Romine never ceases to amaze the crowd and Saturday's game at Colgate was no exception. The freshman guard broke a Bucknell record, making 19 of her 21 free throw attempts. Romine's success at the line snapped the record previously held by Molly Creamer, who was 18-for-22 vs. Navy on March 7, 2003. The 19 made free throws also tied a Patriot League record, set by Navy's Erica Hayes shot 19-for-22 vs. Morgan State on Jan. 19, 2000. Romine led all scorers against Colgate with a career-best 28 points.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: ROMINE NAMED PATRIOT LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AGAIN
For a league-best sixth time, Shelby Romine was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week on Jan. 24. The freshman, who was also cited as the league's top newcomer on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, earned the award after setting the Bucknell free throw record with 19 made shots at Colgate and averaging 20.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds on the week. In two games, Romine set career highs in points (28 at Colgate), assists (7 at Lafayette, Colgate) and rebounds (7 at Lafayette). She also combined to go 24-for-28 from the free throw line.
Romine's first two Rookie of the Week accolades came back-to-back to open the season, making her the sixth player in league history to be named the top newcomer in each of the season's first two weeks. With her latest honor, the guard becomes the first Bison to earn at least six league rookie accolades since Lindsey Hollobaugh received the award eight times in 2003-04.
MORE HONORS FOR ROMINE
Shelby Romine claimed a second honor Monday after her record-breaking performance. Along with her sixth Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week accolade, the guard was selected as the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week. Romine is the first women's basketball player to earn the award this season and the first since Lauren Schober on Feb. 1, 2009.
TRIPS TO THE LINE
Shelby Romine was not the only Bison to get in on the free throw shooting act at Colgate on Jan. 22. As a team, Bucknell was 30 of 35 (.857) from the line, setting a season high in free throws made. The team's previous high had been 18 against Rider in the season opener.
The last time Bucknell attempted more free throws was on Nov. 19, 2007. Bucknell was 31-for-38 (.816) from the line against Howard and won the game 89-79 at Sojka Pavilion.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE
With the victory at Colgate on Saturday, Bucknell won back-to-back road games for the first time since defeating Saint Francis (Pa.) (61-56) and Howard (63-53) in December/January of 2008-09. It had been even longer since the Bison's last back-to-back set of Patriot League road victories. That came at Lafayette (68-45) and Colgate (88-57) in February of the 2007-08 season. That team eventually went on to win the Patriot League Championship despite entering the tournament as the fifth seed.
ROSTERS SET FOR ALUMNI GAME ON JAN. 29
Bucknell will host its annual alumni game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29 at Sojka Pavilion. Among the nearly 20 former players scheduled to be at the event are all-time leading scorer Molly Creamer '03, Kesha Champion '08, Kim Delfs '99, Kate Franks '03, Lori Houck '00 and Lauren Schober '09. The current Bucknellians will take on Army later in the day at 7 p.m.
FEDORJAKA GETS 200TH WIN AT BUCKNELL
For the second year in a row, Kathy Fedorjaka has reached a major milestone in her head coaching career. Now in her 14th season at Bucknell, Fedorjaka claimed her 200th win with the Orange and Blue when they defeated Lafayette 57-49 on Jan. 19. She now has a 201-191 record at Bucknell, good for a .513 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 entered 2010-11 with a career record of 101-73 in the league.
PLENTY OF FIRSTS, BESTS AND MILESTONES
Bucknell's 57-49 win at Lafayette on Jan. 19 proved momentous for more than one reason. Among the highlights by the end of the game ...
► Bucknell won its first Patriot League game of the season and its first in 11 tries dating back to last season.
► Bucknell won its first away game since Jan. 30, 2010. The Bison's last road victory (and last Patriot League win) came at Army, 59-41, at West Point.
► Kathy Fedorjaka clinched her 200th win at Bucknell. The victory came against Fedorjaka's former coach, Dianne Nolan, who is now at the helm for Lafayette. Fedorjaka played under Nolan for four years at Fairfield University.
► Cosima Higham recorded her 600th career point. The senior had five points against the Leopards. She is second among current Bison in career scoring behind Joyce Novacek's 797 points.
► Bucknell earned its first win of the season when two players scored in double figures. Shelby Romine finished with 12 points, and Rachel Voss chipped in another 10. Bucknell is now 1-4 when two players reach double-digit point totals.
► Bucknell snapped a four-game losing streak, avoiding their longest of the season.
► Shelby Romine recorded a career-best seven assists and tied a personal high in rebounds with seven. The freshman also had 12 points to lead the Bison.
PHILLIPS FLASHBACKS
Taylor Phillips doesn't always lead the Bison statistically, but the senior has quietly put together some of the team's longest streaks and some of her best stretches since early in her career. Phillips has at least one assist in each of her last 10 games, including a personal-high three assists in five contests during that stretch. Her longest previous streak had been three games early in her sophomore campaign.
Phillips also has points in eight straight games, setting a career-best run. Her previous career-best streak came over seven games during her freshman season.
GUARDS IN PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAY - CHUKWUEDO EDITION
Patriot League play is agreeing with Bucknell's guards this season, and Christina Chukwuedo has seen her averages improve over last year's in a number of ways. After five games, Chukwuedo is averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds, up from the 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds she averaged against league foes in her first two seasons at Bucknell. The junior is also distributing the ball at a 2.0 assists per game clip, compared to 1.3 assists per game entering the season.
GUARDS IN PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAY - ROMINE EDITION
Shelby Romine's performances in Patriot League play have steadily pulled many of her season averages up. Although her scoring average is down slightly in league play compared to the season as a whole, the freshman has been making up for it in other areas. Since opening the league schedule vs. Navy, Romine has 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Including all 17 games to date, her averages stand at 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals.
BACK IN THE WINS COLUMN
With its win at Lafayette on Jan. 19, Bucknell broke an 11-game road losing streak dating back to last season. The 11 games without a road victory is tied for the second-longest streak in program history, matching a stretch during the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons. The most road games played between victories is 26 and covered three seasons, 1989-90 to 1991-92.
GLASS CLEANERS
Bucknell dominated on the glass at Holy Cross on Jan. 15. At the end of the day, the Bison held a 42-29 rebounding advantage. The +13 margin is the second-largest of the season for Bucknell, which outrebounded Loyola (Md.) 51-27 (+24) on Dec. 1. The Bison also had a +13 rebounding lead (48-35) vs. Cornell on Dec. 30.
HOME SWEET HOME
Having played more than 30 games apiece during their careers at Sojka Pavilion, Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham are starting to move up the facility record lists. Novacek is second on her home court in rebounds (319) and blocked shots (41) and tied for fourth in free throws attempted (102). Higham is third in blocks (32) and tied for fourth with former teammate Lauren Schober in rebounds with 229.
Novacek is looking to ink her name to even more lists as well, needing to play in three games and make one more start to move into the top five. Felicia Mgbada is one blocked shot shy of entering the top five as well, having rejected 13 shot attempts in less than two seasons at Sojka Pavilion.
ON THE HOME FRONT
After seven games at Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell has posted a 3-4 record. Shelby Romine leads the team on their home court with 14.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She is also shooting a team-best .404 (38-94) from the field and .429 (12-28) from behind the 3-point arc.
Joyce Novacek is tops in rebounding with 8.1 boards per game and Felicia Mgbada leads with 1.3 blocks per game. As a unit, the Bison are averaging 20.4 turnovers, nearly three below their season average.
OPENINGS AGAINST THE LEAGUE
Bucknell has opened Patriot League play with three consecutive losses five times since the beginning of the league in 1990-91. In those five seasons, the Bison have responded to the slow start by winning the fourth game on three occasions. Those victories came against Army (78-74) in 1998-99, Lafayette (55-42) in 2009-10 and more recently against Lafayette again (57-49) on Wednesday night.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
The Bucknell sophomore class has proved itself to be a key component of the Bison defense. Felicia Mgbada, Rachel Voss, Lindsay Horbatuck and Alyssa Dunn have combined for 21 blocked shots, or 42.0 percent, of the team's total in addition to 56 steals, or 45.2 percent. Those marks received a boost from Mgbada on Jan. 12. The forward led Bucknell with four steals and three blocks against American. Both numbers were career highs for Mgbada.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Bucknell might be 2-8 in road games this season, but several individuals are putting up some solid numbers away from Sojka Pavilion. Joyce Novacek is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.1 points and 9.1 rebounds, and Shelby Romine leads all Bison with 15.5 points per game in those 10 contests. Four Bison - Cosima Higham (.576), Christina Chukwuedo (.545), Felicia Mgbada (.508) and Joyce Novacek (.500) - are also shooting .500 or better from the floor.
EXTRA TIME
Bucknell played its first overtime in more than two years when it lost to American, 60-55, on Jan. 12. The Bison did not have to wait that long for their next overtime game, going into extra time at Colgate 10 days later. Before this season, the last time Bucknell needed overtime was on March 8, 2008, when it knocked Army out of the Patriot League Tournament with a 50-47 victory. The 2007-08 season saw four games into overtime with Bucknell going 3-1 in those contests. Here are some other OT tidbits:
► The Bison are 19-15 all-time and 1-1 this year in overtime games.
► The four overtime games in 2007-08 tied a program record for the most in a single season. The 1988-89 team also played four overtime games, going 2-2.
► The last overtime loss prior to Jan. 12 vs. American came on Jan. 23, 2008. Bucknell fell to Lafayette, 64-58, at Sojka Pavilion.
► The last overtime win prior to Jan. 22 at Colgate came on March 8, 2008 over Army, 50-47.
► The Orange and Blue's longest overtime game came on Dec. 17, 2005. Bucknell defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore 93-92 in triple-OT.
► Bucknell is 1-3 all-time in double-overtime games.
MILESTONES ON THE HORIZON
Cosima Higham reached 600 career points at Lafayette on Jan. 19 and Lindsay Horbatuck totaled 200 rebounds at Colgate on Jan. 22, but the Bison are still looking to achieve some career milestones over the next few games. Horbatuck has 186 points, and Joyce Novacek is at 797 points. Novacek's and Higham's point totals are the highest among current players, while Horbatuck looks to be the first non-senior to reach both 200 points and 200 rebounds.
100 GAMES AND COUNTING
Joyce Novacek played in her 100th career game when she went up against Navy on Jan. 8. Novacek's classmate, Taylor Phillips, is also looking to join the club, having played in 94 career contests. The last Bison to reach 100 contests were Amanda Brown (113) and Lauren Schober (120), who both played from 2005-06 to 2008-09.
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. With 148 rebounds (8.7/game) this season, Novacek leads all current Bison with 658 career rebounds. The senior has a shot at cracking the program's all-time top-10 list in boards this year, needing just 20 more to do so.
STRONG PERCENTAGES
Bucknell shot a season-best 49.0 percent (24-for-49) from the field against Yale on Jan. 2. The Bison eventually went on to shoot 45.1 percent (23-for-51) against American 10 days later and 46.5 percent (20-for-43) at Lafayette on Jan. 19. After going 21 of 50 (42.0 percent) from the field at Colgate on Jan. 22, Bucknell is now 3-5 this season in games in which they shoot better than 40 percent with the wins coming against Niagara (.453), Lafayette. and Colgate Last season, Bucknell was 5-11 in games in which its field goal percentage topped 40 percent.
The last time the Bison shot 50 percent or better from the field came during the 2009-10 season finale against Lehigh. Bucknell was 52.2 percent (24-for-46) against the Mountain Hawks in last year's Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals. Lehigh still won, however, 72-58.
TURNING THEM AWAY
After not registering a blocked shot in the first game of the season, Cosima Higham tried to make up for lost time. Since the season opener vs. Rider, the senior has 14 blocks, including a season-best three against Buffalo, Youngstown State and Lafayette. Higham now has 89 rejections in her career, ranking sixth all-time at Bucknell and four shy of overtaking fifth place from teammate Joyce Novacek. 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 92 career rejections.
ROAD MARGINS
Road games have been kind to the Bison when it comes to rebounding. In its 10 games away from Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell has a rebounding margin of +5.5 and is holding its opponents to 33.0 boards per game. Scoring margin has not been quite as friendly, however, as the Bison are being outscored by an average of 10.2 points per game.
FINALLY PAYING OFF
Bucknell outrebounded Cornell, 48-35, on Dec. 30 and for the first time this season, the effort paid off. The Bison had grabbed more boards than their opponent six times prior to facing the Big Red, but not one of those occasions resulted in a win at the end of the game. The meeting between Bucknell and Cornell was also the first game this winter in which the Orange and Blue won the game when they totaled 40 or more rebounds. Not until Jan. 19 at Lafayette did Bucknell repeat the feat. The Bison outrebounded the Leopards 35-31 and won the game, 57-49.
DISHING IT OUT
Taylor Phillips dished out a career-high-tying three assists against Cornell on Dec. 30 before equaling that total at Yale just days later. The performances gave the senior her 10th assist in five games. She has since recorded a season-best 27 assists, nearly doubling her career total. In her previous three campaigns with the Bison, Phillips had totaled 31 assists. Phillips' unselfish play has been rewarded by making her the only Bison with a positive assist/turnover ratio this season at 1.6.
SCORING STREAKS
Two Bison have scored in all 17 games this winter, including Joyce Novacek and Shelby Romine. Novacek has the longest scoring streak, dating back to previous seasons. The senior has at least one point in each of her last 87 games. The last time she did not score was on Jan. 23, 2008 when she faced Lafayette as a freshman in Sojka Pavilion. In 104 career games, Novacek has been held scoreless just six times, all during her freshman campaign.
MORE STREAKING
Joyce Novacek's 87-game scoring streak is not the only streak she has going right now. The senior forward has ...
► played in 98 consecutive games (last non-appearance: at Marist, 12/1/07).
► made 69 consecutive starts (last non-start: vs. Drexel, 11/25/08).
► grabbed at least one rebound in 18 straight games (last rebound-less night: vs. Army, 2/27/10).
Over the course of her career, Novacek has played in 104 of a possible 105 games and has been a part of the Bison's starting lineup 83 times, more than any other current Bison. She has been held scoreless six times and without a rebound six other times.
REBOUNDING REPEATS
With 13 rebounds at Wofford and another 10 in the following game at Penn State, Lindsay Horbatuck became the first Bison this year to earn double-digit boards in back-to-back contests. The sophomore was also the last Bucknellian to achieve the feat, earning 10 rebounds against both Navy and American last season.
During the 2009-10 campaign, Horbatuck was one of three Bison to record double-digit rebounds in at least two consecutive games. Cosima Higham went three straight vs. Holy Cross (16), Lafayette (11) and Colgate (13), while Joyce Novacek had back-to-back strong outings against Fordham (15) and Loyola (Md.) (10).
PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
With the season being 17 games old, Shelby Romine has 11 contests in which she has scored in double figures. That is the most by a Bison freshman since Lauren Schober had 16 double-digit scoring games and Amanda Brown had 15 during the 2005-06 season. Romine's highest point total this year was 23 at Wofford on Dec. 21, while her lowest mark is six points at Holy Cross.
MGBADA MADNESS
Felicia Mgbada's first career double-double a Wofford on Dec. 21 should not come as a surprise. The sophomore forward had flirted with a personal-best scoring total in each of her previous two contests, tying a career-high seven points against UMBC and Iona. She also had a season-best five rebounds in two of the previous three games. After teasing Bison fans with her production, Mgbada finally finished with 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting and 10 rebounds at Wofford. Mgbada is the fourth Bucknellian to earn a double-double this season.
BECOMING A HABIT
Shelby Romine continued to impress when she recorded 28 points at Colgate on Jan. 22. The point total gave the freshman six games with at least 20 points this season. The last Bucknellian to have at least six 20-point games in the same campaign was Amanda Brown, who posted seven in 2008-09. Lindsey Hollobaugh was the last Bison freshman with more than six 20-point games, tallying nine during her rookie season.
LET'S TAKE IT OUTSIDE
Helping Shelby Romine to her 22-point performance at UMBC on Dec. 4 was her 6-for-12 shooting from 3-point distance. The six made shots tie her for fifth with Kate Franks on Bucknell's single-game list, while the 12 attempts tie her for third with Molly Creamer, Franks, Lauren Schober and Trisha Krewson.
Bucknell's single-game record for 3-pointers made is eight, set by Creamer vs. Army on Jan. 6, 2002 and Krewson vs. Lycoming on Dec. 30, 2009.
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.
ANOTHER DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
For the second time this season, Bucknell had two players record double-doubles in the same game when Lindsay Horbatuck and Felicia Mgbada posted all-around games at Wofford on Dec. 21. Mgbada's double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds was the first of her career, while Horbatuck's was her second with 11 points and 13 boards. Horbatuck was involved in the Bison's first double double-double this season as well, as she teamed up with Joyce Novacek at Loyola (Md.) on Dec. 1. Novacek led the Orange and Blue with 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Horbatuck finished with 11 points and 10 boards.
Mgbada and Horbatuck's performance against Wofford gave Bucknell its eighth game with two players in double-double territory in the last 10 years. The Bison are 5-3 since the 2000-01 season when two or more players have earned double-doubles.
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.
UP NEXT
Bucknell will wrap up the first round of Patriot League play with a 7 p.m. matchup with Army on Saturday, Jan. 29 at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison are 28-17 all-time, and 8 for their last 10, against the Black Knights.
Bucknell will host its annual alumni game earlier in the day, welcoming more than 20 former Bison to Sojka Pavilion at 1 p.m.
