Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Women's Hoops Looks to Power Its Way to Second Straight Win Sunday at Rider
11/12/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2011
WHAT: Bucknell (1-0) vs. Rider (1-0) Women's Basketball
WHERE: Alumni Gymnasium, Lawrenceville, N.J.
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 13, 4 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: GoBroncs.com 
LIVE STATISTICS: GoBroncs.com
Complete Game Notes 
ABOUT THE GAME
Less than 48 hours after defeating Saint Peter's in its season opener, Bucknell will attempt to start its season 2-0 for the first time since 2008-09 when it makes the trip to Rider on Sunday. Tipoff in Lawrenceville, N.J., is set for 4 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at gobroncs.com. Bison fans can also listen free online at SportsJuice.com.
WITH A VICTORY OVER RIDER, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• Defeat the Broncs in consecutive meetings for the first time since 1994 and 1995.
• Win back-to-back games since defeating Army in consecutive outings on Feb. 26 and March 3, 2011. Bucknell's second win in that stretch sent it to the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals.
• Start the season 2-0 for just the 10th time in program history, and the first time since 2008-09 when it won over George Mason (62-51), Yale (73-70) and Fordham (47-45) on the road.
• Win its first non-conference road game since Jan. 6, 2010. The Bison defeated Cornell 69-55 at Ithaca, N.Y.
LAST MEETING - NOV. 12, 2010
• Bucknell 53, Rider 48 (Sojka Pavilion)
• Shelby Romine scored a game-high 17 points in her first career game and the Bison used a late 8-0 run to defeat Rider, 53-48, in the women's basketball season opener. Joyce Novacek posted her 10th career double-double for Bucknell with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
• Romine's 17 points were the most in a season opener for a Bison freshman since Lindsey Hollobaugh netted 20 in the first game of the 2003-04 campaign at West Virginia.
• The game was close throughout as neither team led by more than six points until the final minute. In fact, there were a total of three ties and eight lead changes. The Broncs held a 27-26 halftime advantage thanks to strong 5 of 11 3-point shooting. The Broncs cooled off in the second half as they were just 1-for-9 from behind the arc. They shot 29.8 percent overall for the game, while Bucknell was at 32.1 percent.
• With the victory, Bucknell won its home opener for the first time since 2006, and claimed its season opener for the second time in three years.
QUICK FACTS
• The Bison went 3-12 on the road during the 2010-11 season. All three victories came during Patriot League play.
• Bucknell has started the season 2-0 or better nine times in program history. The team's best start came in 1986-87 when it kicked things off with a 7-0. That was also the first-ever season that the Bison opened with any number of consecutive victories.
• Bucknell selected three captains prior to the 2011-12 campaign - senior Christina Chukwuedo, junior Lindsay Horbatuck and sophomore Shelby Romine.
• The Bison were voted fourth in the 2011-12 Preseason Patriot League Poll.
• Bucknell returns three starters and eight letterwinners from the 2010-11 squad that went 11-17 overall and 7-7 in the Patriot League.
• Bucknell has a relatively young squad this season. The Bison feature just one senior and six freshmen and two new assistant coaches on their 2011-12 roster.
HISTORY VS. RIDER
• Bucknell defeated Rider 53-48 on Nov. 12, 2010. On Sunday, the Bison will go for their first set of back-to-back victories against the Broncs since winning 94-78 on Dec. 6, 1994 and 61-60 on Dec. 5, 1995.
• The last time Bucknell beat Rider on its home court was also the last time the teams played in Lawrenceville, N.J. The Bison won 67-64 in overtime on Nov. 25, 1997. With a one-point victory (60-61) in 1995 as well, Bucknell has won its last two games at Rider.
• Three Bucknell records have been set against Rider and still stand today. Stacey Spitko dished out 14 assists against the Broncs on Feb. 24, 1986, setting the program single-game high (Molly Creamer tied the mark vs. Lehigh on Jan. 26, 2002). The Bison set a team record in free throws made and attempted on Feb. 17, 1990, shooting 43 for 54 from the line. Among the leaders in that contest were Susie Hopper (10-12), Julie Bachman (9-11), Kirsten Ellison (8-12) and Anne McGovern (6-6). Finally, Bucknell set its Sojka Pavilion low record last November with just one three-point field goal attempted in the 2010-11 season opener. The Bison shot 1-for-4 from behind the arc in the win.
• Bucknell's largest margin of victory over Rider was a 110-80 win on Jan. 24, 1990. The 30-point win came on the Broncs' home court. Rider's largest margin of victory over Bucknell came on March 2, 1983. The Broncs won 93-52, a 41-point spread, in just the second game in series history.
• Thirteen of the series' 22 games have been decided by 10 or more points. Only five have been decided by 20 or more.
• Bucknell's longest winning streak of eight games ran from 1987 to 1990. The Bison won by an average of 16.75 points during that stretch. Rider has never won more than two in a row against Bucknell.
• Before joining the Patriot League in 1990-91, the Bison played in the East Coast Conference with the Broncs. Bucknell held a 10-3 advantage over Rider in their conference games from 1982-83 to 1989-90.
• Recent Results:
Dec. 5, 1995: Bucknell, 61-60
Nov. 26, 1996: Rider, 59-57
Nov. 25, 1997: Bucknell, 67-64 (OT)
Dec. 6, 1997: Rider, 62-48
Nov. 12, 2010: Bucknell, 53-48
ABOUT THE BRONCS
Rider opened its 2011-12 season on Friday with a 64-56 win over Lafayette at Alumni Gymnasium. Sarah Homan finished with 20 points, and MyNeshia McKenzie had 11 rebounds for the Broncs, which shot 32.1 percent (18-for-56) from the field. They were outrebounded by the Leopards, 49-38. There was also plenty of free throw shooting in the contest as Rider went 26 of 34 (.765) from the line, while Lafayette was 17 of 24 (.708).
Rider tied for eighth with Saint Peter's in the 10-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Poll. The Broncs finished the 2010-11 season at 5-25 overall and 5-13 in the MAAC. They ended their season with a 10-point loss, 57-47, to Saint Peter's in the first round of the conference tournament.
GETTING STRAIGHT TO WORK
Freshman Amy Zehner did not waste much time to show Bucknell fans what she was capable of. The guard recorded a double-double in her collegiate debut, claiming 10 points and 10 rebounds to help the Bison past Saint Peter's 46-35. Zehner becomes the first Bison to record a double-double in her rookie season since Joyce Novacek did it twice at the end of 2007-08. She is also the first Bison freshman to post a double-double in the first game of the season since Shannon McGowan tallied 11 points and 11 rebounds at Monmouth on Dec. 1, 1993.
FEWER THAN 40 FOR FOES
By defeating Saint Peter's 46-35 on Friday, Bucknell has held three of its last four, and four of its last six, opponents to 40 points or less. The Bison limited Army to 40 points twice at the end of last season, winning 44-40 and 54-40. The 35 points is the fewest allowed to a Bison opponent since beating Lafayette 46-34 on Feb. 16, 2011 and the third-lowest total during head coach Kathy Fedorjaka's tenure.
FEWER THAN 40 POINTS ALLOWED SINCE 1997-98
| Date | Opponent | Score |
| Feb. 7, 2004 | American | W, 51-39 |
| Feb. 9, 2007 | Holy Cross | W, 63-37* |
| Feb. 13, 2007 | Lafayette | W, 53-39* |
| Feb. 17, 2007 | Colgate | W, 64-32* |
| Jan. 26, 2008 | Colgate | W, 65-36 |
| Feb., 16, 2011 | Lafayette | W, 43-34 |
| Nov. 11, 2011 | Saint Peter's | W, 46-35 |
* Consecutive games
NOT GIVING THEM A LOOK
Bucknell did not give its opponents the offensive looks they wanted last winter. At the close of the season, Bison foes had averaged just 60.4 points, which ranks ninth in program history for scoring defense. A new top-10 mark has been added to the list each of the last six seasons with the 2006-07 squad setting the record at 56.1 points per game.
SUCCESS WITH DOUBLE FIGURES
Bucknell has seen a fair amount of success when two or more players score in double figures as was the case in the Bison's 46-35 win over Saint Peter's on Friday night. Felicia Mgbada led the way with 11 points, and Amy Zehner added 10 against the Peahens. During the 2010-11 season, the Bison were 8-8 in games when at least two players hit double figures. In non-conference games, however, that record dropped to just 2-6.
STILL POWERFUL IN THE PAINT
The Bison might have been concerned about their paint play with the recent graduation of forwards Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham. The departed duo accounted for 23.4 percent of the team's points and 36.9 percent of its rebounds last season. That worry seems to be unfounded after the first game as 28 of the Bucknell's 46 points came in the paint. The Bison also out-rebounded Saint Peter's 43-29.
HORBATUCK HOUNDING THE BOARDS
Lindsay Horbatuck claimed her sixth career double-digit rebounding game on Friday night against Saint Peter's with a team-best 11 boards. That marks the ninth time in her career that the junior has led the Bison in rebounding, an area that she has dominated in recent years with former teammates Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham. The last time a Bison other than Horbatuck, Novacek or Higham led Bucknell in rebounding was Jan. 8, 2010 when Trisha Krewson grabbed seven boards against Navy.
CONSISTENCY COUNTS
For the second consecutive season, Lindsay Horbatuck, Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham led Bucknell in rebounding when they averaged 4.3, 7.8 and 7.8 rebounds, respectively, last year. No other trio in program history has led the team in rebounding average in back-to-back seasons. That trend is about to change, obviously, as Novacek and Higham graduated last spring. Novacek finished her career with 727 boards, which ranks seventh all-time at Bucknell, while Higham closed out with 657.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
With its 11-point win on Friday, Bucknell is now 17-22 all-time in season openers. The Bison had been alternating wins and losses in their openers since 2005, but with a 53-48 win over Rider last season, have now won back-to-back debuts for the first time since the 1999-2000 through 2001-02 campaigns. Bucknell beat Delaware State 79-68, American 79-73 and Albany 64-45 during that stretch.
MIXING IT UP
Bucknell did its fair share of mixing and matching when it came to starting lineups in 2010-11. The Bison used nine different combinations, but none was as successful as the grouping of Christina Chukwuedo, Felicia Mgbada, Joyce Novacek, Shelby Romine and Rachel Voss. The quintet went 6-10 when starting the game together. No other lineup recorded more than one victory during the season.
Just one season in to the 2011-12 season, Bucknell has already used a brand-new starting lineup. While Lindsay Horbatuck, Rachel Voss, Shelby Romine and Christina Chukwuedo have plenty of experience playing together, the quartet was joined for the first time by freshman Amy Zehner on Friday vs. Saint Peter's.
ROMINE RECORDS
Despite being here just one season so far, Shelby Romine has already left her mark in the Bucknell record books. The current sophomore set a Bucknell single-game record in free throws when she shot 19-for-21 from the line at Colgate, eventually finishing with a career-high 28 points. Her 19 successful shots also tied the Patriot League high mark.
Romine found long-range success as well, as she is currently seventh in program history in single-season three-point field goals with 47. When all was said and done, the guard was seventh in freshman scoring, having tallied 379 points.
FIRST-TIME CAPTAINS
Bucknell named three captains prior to the start of the 2011-12 season. Senior Christina Chukwuedo, junior Lindsay Horbatuck and sophomore Shelby Romine were voted by their teammates to be the formal leaders of the squad. Romine is the first sophomore to be named a captain since K.C. Vlah in 1993-94. Not surprisingly, Vlah went on to serve in the leadership role as a junior and senior as well.
POSTSEASON HONORS
For the third consecutive campaign, Bucknell earned at least two selections to All-Patriot League teams. Cosima Higham was a second team honoree in 2010-11, while Shelby Romine was named to the All-Rookie Team. After claiming a league-leading six Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards, Romine became the 17th Bison to be voted one of the conference's top newcomers.
THE PERFECT HOSTS
Bucknell women's basketball reaped the benefits of a new Patriot League Tournament format that mirrors that of the men's postseason. Starting in 2010-11, the higher seed in each matchup earned the right to host. As the No. 4 seed last March, Bucknell hosted No. 5 Army, marking the first time a women's postseason game had been played in Lewisburg. The Bison moved the contest to historic Davis Gym, the team's home from 1974-75 to 2002-03, and defeated the Black Knights 54-40.
In addition to the victory, Bucknell set a pair of Patriot League Tournament records. Nine total blocked shots, as well as Cosima Higham's five blocks, were both program highs. The Bison's 47 rebounds also ranked second.
COACHING MILESTONE
Kathy Fedorjaka has long been at the top of the list for most wins in program history, but that has not kept the head coach from racking up milestones just the same. In 2010, she hit the century mark in Patriot League victories with a 60-47 win over Colgate and now has a league record of 108-80. Last season, Fedorjaka reached 200 wins for her Bucknell career when the Bison defeated Lafayette 57-49 on the road. Through 14 years, she has amassed an overall mark of 207-196
UNDER THE RADAR
Felicia Mgbada did not often receive fanfare last year, but that doesn't mean the junior wasn't contributing. After recording her first career double-double and her first game with double-digit rebounds at Wofford, Mgbada nearly put together her first 20-point game when she tallied 19 against Navy in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals. Over the course of the season, the forward led all Bucknell sophomores in scoring, assists, blocked shots, steals and minutes played.
ROOKIES ON THE ROSTER
With six newcomers on the roster, Bucknell has one its biggest freshman classes in recent years. The last time the Bison featured more rookies was in 2004-05 when the roster included seven freshmen - Kesha Champion, Kristina Collymore, Hope Foster, Jessica Lang, Sarah Latham, Lady Lockhart and Ashton Sprouse. Champion, Collymore, Foster and Sprouse eventually led Bucknell to the second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history in 2007-08.
NEW TO THE SIDELINES
Along with its six freshmen, Bucknell has some fresh faces on the coaching staff as well. Katie Adams and Ashley Langford joined the team as assistants prior to the 2011-12 season. Langford made the move to Lewisburg after spending the last two years at Auburn as a graduate assistant. Before graduating from Tulane in 2009, the Harrisburg, Pa., native became the Green Wave's all-time leader in assists. A 2008 graduate of Rutgers University, Adams was most recently at the University of Wyoming where she was pursuing a second degree in mathematics education. Prior to graduation at Rutgers, Adams helped the Scarlet Knights to a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, two Elite Eight appearances and the 2007 national championship game.
RADIO ROOKIE
Another new face on the sidelines this season will be Kevin Foedinger, who replaces Ryan Unger as the play-by-play voice of Bison women's basketball. A 2011 graduate of Penn State where he broadcast men's and women's volleyball games for the Big Ten Network and GoPSUSports.com, Foedinger returns to his home state of Pennsylvania after a recent stint covering football at Montana State University-Northern.
All 29 regular-season games, home and away, will be carried live on WVBU-FM 90.5 in the Lewisburg area and around the world on SportsJuice.com.
NEW TO THE SCHEDULE
Bucknell has a long history with several of its opponents, including the Patriot League's Lehigh, whom the Bison have played 68 times in the program's 38-year history. Some of their 2011-12 foes are a little less familiar, however. Bucknell will have its first-ever meeting with Morgan State and NJIT during non-conference play. It also be renewed its series with Saint Peter's, which until Friday was last contested during the 1986-87 season, and Mount St. Mary's. The last time the Bison and The Mount squared off was in 1994-95.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Success in the classroom has long been the norm for Bucknell women's basketball, and last year was no different. For the second consecutive season, Bucknell led the way in the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll with 10 selections, while Joyce Novacek was named to the inaugural Academic All-Patriot League Team. The award was just one of many for the recent graduate, who also claimed her third Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team citation. Novacek joins Bucknell Hall of Fame member Jennifer Walz as the only Bison to be named All-District three times.
Bucknell was also ranked second nationally among Division I schools for its team grade-point average. The Bison were named a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team in July with a collective GPA of 3.632.
PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
Bucknell is back in the top half of the Patriot League Preseason Poll in 2011-12. After finishing fourth in the regular season last year, the Bison remained in fourth in the vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Shelby Romine was also a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. She was one of three sophomores voted to the team, along with the Preseason Player of the Year Jade Geif of Navy and Alex Smith of Holy Cross.
2011-12 PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
Team (First-place votes) Points
1. American (11) 94
2. Lehigh (3) 83
3. Navy (2) 74
4. Bucknell 58
5. Holy Cross 52
6. Lafayette 38
7. Army 28
8. Colgate 23
PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM^
Jade Geif, Navy* (Player of the Year)
Lisa Strack, American*
Shelby Romine, Bucknell*
Alex Smith, Holy Cross
Emily Gratch, Lehigh
Alexa Williams, Lehigh
^Six members due to a tie in voting
*Unanimous selections
UP NEXT
The Bison's next contest will be back at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell will take on Youngstown State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16 and attempt to break a four-game losing streak to the Penguins. Three of those losses came in the early 1990s, however, with the lone win in the series coming in 1989.
