Bucknell University Athletics
Holiday Travels Take Bucknell Women's Basketball to Niagara, Saint Francis
11/23/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2011
GAME 6:
WHAT: Bucknell Bison (1-4) vs. Niagara Purple Eagles (0-4)
WHERE: Gallagher Center, Niagara University, N.Y.
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, 7 p.m.
INTERNET AUDIO: SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: None
LIVE STATISTICS: None
GAME 7:
WHAT: Bucknell Bison vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) Red Flash (1-3)
WHERE: DeGol Arena, Loretto, Pa.
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011, 2 p.m.
INTERNET AUDIO: SportsJuice.com
STREAMING VIDEO: SFUathletics.com 
LIVE STATISTICS: SFUathletics.com
ABOUT THE GAMES
While most people will be resting up from eating too much over Thanksgiving, Bucknell women's basketball will hit one of its busiest stretches of the season when it plays back-to-back road games on Friday and Sunday. The Bison's first opponent is Niagara, a team they have defeated in four of their last five meetings. The Bison will then rekindle a series not contested since the 2008-09 season when they take on Saint Francis (Pa.) in Loretto, Pa.
Niagara will be looking for its first win of the season, while Saint Francis will be playing for its second straight after a victory on Tuesday night. Bucknell will be trying to do the opposite by ending a streak after going winless in its last four.
Kevin Foedinger will call all the action at SportsJuice.com for both games. Live stats and video will for the Bison vs. Red Flash matchup available at SFUathletics.com.
QUICK FACTS
• Amy Zehner was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Player of the Week and the Rookie of the Week on Nov. 21.
• Bucknell outrebounded Morgan State by a season-best 15 boards (51-36) on Tuesday night. The Bison have not allowed an opponent more than 37 rebounds this season.
• Bucknell's last three losses have come by an average of 3.0 points.
• Lindsay Horbatuck (6-6) and Shelby Romine (4-4) combined to shoot 10-for-10 from the free throw line at Buffalo. The rest of the Bison went a combined 1-for-3 from the line.
• Bucknell had at least two players score in double figures in each of its first four games.
• With a 57-56 defeat to Youngstown State on Nov. 16, Bucknell suffered its first one-point loss since Jan. 3, 2007 (L, Iona, 45-44).
• The Bison went 8-5 at home but 3-12 on the road during the 2010-11 season. All three road victories came during Patriot League play.
• The Bison were 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. Despite that, the squad is still relatively young. The Bison feature just one senior and six freshmen and two new assistant coaches on their 2011-12 roster.
WITH A VICTORY OVER NIAGARA, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• Snap a four-game losing streak.
• Win at the Gallagher Center for the first time since Nov. 23, 1999 (77-76, OT).
• Win its fifth meeting in six tries with the Purple Eagles.
• Improve to 2-1 against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this season. The Bison defeated Saint Peter's (46-35) and lost to Rider (63-43).
LAST MEETING WITH NIAGARA - NOV. 28, 2010
• Bucknell 69, Niagara 62 (Sojka Pavilion)
• Shelby Romine led all players with 19 points, Alyssa Dunn added a career-best 16 points and Cosima Higham posted her 10th career double-double as Bucknell defeated Niagara at Sojka Pavilion.
• Both teams were struck by slow offense in the second half and both went at least four minutes without a field goal early in the frame. Despite the drought, they both racked up points from the free throw line. The Bison drained five consecutive foul shots, and the Purple Eagles answered with the next eight. By the time the squads started hitting from the floor again, Niagara had benefited from a 13-3 run that took it from a 19-point deficit to being down by only nine points.
• A second Niagara run, this time 13-2, brought the visitors to within five points with a minute to play. With 30 seconds left, the lead was down to four, but free throw shooting again became a factor. Romine succeeded on three of her final four attempts and assured Bucknell its win.
• The Bison finished the game 16 of 28 (57.1%) from the line, while the Purple Eagles were 12 of 21 (66.7%). The totals were unexpected after both teams each shot 1-for-3 in the first half.
• Dunn, Higham and Taylor Phillips combined for 34 points off the bench. The Bison's reserves outscored the Purple Eagles' 41-11 in the end.
HISTORY VS. NIAGARA
• Bucknell leads in the all-time series 5-3. The Bison are 1-1 at the Gallagher Center.
• Three games in series history have been decided by more than 20 points, while three have ended with a point differential of seven or fewer. Bucknell's largest margin of victory was 23 points on Dec. 1, 2000 at the Cornell Classic (75-52). Niagara's largest margin of victory, 25 points, came on Dec. 2, 2009, the last time Bucknell made the trip to the Gallagher Center (66-41).
• Throughout the series, it has been either feast or famine for Bucknell. In games the Bison win, they do so by an average of 11.4 points. In games they lose, it is by an average of 16.3 points.
• Bucknell has recorded only three double-doubles against Niagara. The most recent came just last year when Cosima Higham finished with 11 points and 10 boards. Vicki Quimby finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in Bucknell's 77-76 overtime win on Nov. 23, 1999, while Stacey Spitko earned hers in a more unusual fashion, dishing out 11 assists to go with 10 points on Jan. 4, 1988. It was the only double-double of Spitko's career.
• Recent Results:
Dec. 2, 1998: Bucknell, 79-67
Nov. 23, 1999: Bucknell, 77-76 (OT)
Dec. 1, 2000: Bucknell, 75-52
Dec. 2, 2009: Niagara, 66-41
Nov. 28, 2010: Bucknell, 69-62
ABOUT THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara has continued to struggle after finishing the 2010-11 season with an overall record of 1-29 and opening the new campaign winless in its first four. The Purple Eagles fell to Buffalo (65-54) in their 2011-12 opener before going 0-3 against Stetson (67-52), Winthrop (82-47) and Bradley (67-43) at the Winthrop Tournament last weekend.
The Purple Eagles one All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection when then-senior Liz Flooks was named to the third team. With Flooks gone, Niagara now gets much of its production from sophomore Lauren Gatto. The center leads the team in scoring (12.5), rebounding (5.8) and blocked shots (1.5).
WITH A VICTORY OVER SAINT FRANCIS, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• Win its third straight over the Red Flash and its second straight in Loretto, Pa.
• Win its fifth consecutive game against a team currently in the Northeast Conference. The last NEC team to defeat the Bison was Saint Francis in 2004.
• Give the Bison a 2-0 record against the Red Flash in basketball. The Bucknell men's squad defeated Saint Francis 73-42 on Nov. 19.
LAST MEETING WITH SAINT FRANCIS (PA.) - DEC. 28, 2008
• Bucknell 61, Saint Francis (Pa.) 56 (DeGol Arena)
• Bucknell came out on top 61-56 after a close call in the final minutes at Saint Francis. Morgan Wrightson led the Bison with 14 points.
• Although the game started with a fast tempo and scrambling play at both ends of the court, the Bison were slow to make their mark on the scoreboard. The Red Flash's zone defense kept Bucknell from getting the ball in the paint in the early stages. The Bison eventually cracked the code, however, getting two inside buckets from Cosima Higham around the 11-minute mark that brought them closer to taking a lead. Bucknell earned its first scoring advantage at 5:52 and went into the half leading 33-28.
• Wrightson came out with the hot hand early, however, scoring seven points in the first 3:49. The freshman's third basket came from behind the three-point arc, giving Bucknell the 44-32 lead and putting the team ahead by double digits for the first time in the game.
• Saint Francis struggled to maintain control in the high speed of the game, frequently beating the Bison down the floor but unable to convert on any opportunities. The Red Flash eventually ended the game with 21 turnovers.
HISTORY VS. SAINT FRANCIS
• Bucknell is 12-5 all-time against Saint Francis. The Bison have a 5-3 edge when playing in Loretto, Pa., as well.
• Although the Bison lead 5-3 when playing at Saint Francis, none of those games has been easy. Bucknell has never defeated the Red Flash by double digits on their home court. It's largest margin of victory is eight points, achieved twice. Bucknell's largest margin of defeat in the series, regardless of game location, is 20 points, an 81-61 decision at DeGol Arena on Nov. 26, 2004.
• Bucknell's largest margin of victory in series history is 30 points thanks to a 82-52 decision on Feb. 8, 1988.
• Although Bucknell came out on top in the Nov. 25, 2001 meeting, the Bison were unable to connect for a three-point basket. Vicki Quimby led the team with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Molly Creamer and Kate Franks also combined for 26 more points.
• Recent Results:
Dec. 6, 2000: Bucknell, 81-73
Nov. 25, 2001: Bucknell, 67-50
Nov. 26, 2004: Saint Francis, 81-61
Dec. 18, 2007: Bucknell, 64-43
Dec. 28, 2008: Bucknell 61-56
ABOUT THE RED FLASH
Saint Francis logged its first win of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Akron 80-79 in overtime on the road. Sunday's contest will be Saint Francis' first at home since its season opener, which ended in a 74-70 loss to Duquesne. The 1-3 Red Flash have also spent some time in the BIG EAST, falling to Pittsburgh (78-50) and Syracuse (88-45) this winter.
Saint Francis had plenty of success a year ago as Samantha Leach was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Brittany Lilley was a Second Team All-NEC selection and Alli Williams was added to the All-Rookie squad. The Red Flash are also the defending NEC Champions. Leach has since graduated and Lilley is out with a season-ending knee injury, leaving many of the duties to Williams. The sophomore forward has responded and leads the Red Flash in scoring (16.3), rebounding (6.8) and steals (3.0) per game.
RESERVES STARTING TO STEP UP
Bucknell has started to find some scoring from someone other than its starters. Against Rider and Youngstown State, the Bison were outscored by a combined 42-13 in points off the bench. In their next two games against Buffalo and Morgan State, that evened out to 36-36. Leading in production off the bench this season is Felicia Mgbada with 11 points, although all of those came in one game opposite Saint Peter's. Alyssa Dunn, Rachel Voss, Shelby Trotter and Audrey Dotson each have 10 points off the bench.
ENJOYING SOME HOME COOKING
Although their record does not exactly show it, the Bison have enjoyed more success at Sojka Pavilion this winter. Bucknell has a +2.7 scoring margin on their home court, compared to -13.0 on the road. The trend sticks in rebounding margin as well with a +12.0 at Sojka Pavilion and a -3.5 in away games.
PROTECTING THEIR OWN
Bucknell has fared well in scoring defense throughout the first five games of the campaign, particularly at Sojka Pavilion. When playing at home, two of the Bison's three opponents have shot worse than .300. Saint Peter's wrapped up its evening at .294 (15-for-51) on Nov. 11, and Morgan State finished at .290 (18-for-62) on Tuesday. Youngstown State had the greatest success but still came in at just .313 (20-for-64).
Rider is the only opponent to shoot better than .300 from the field against the Bison. The Broncs recorded a .434 percentage (23-for-53) on their home court on Nov. 13. Bucknell's other road game, at Buffalo on Nov. 19, ended with the Bulls' shooting .373 (19-for-51) from the field.
GETTING IT DUNN AGAINST NIAGARA
Alyssa Dunn scored a career-best 16 points when Bucknell and Niagara faced off last year. The guard shot 7-for-14 from the field, and grabbed a personal-record six rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Two games later, she earned her first career start and tallied 11 points at UMBC. From her breakthrough against Niagara until she missed the outing at Penn State due to a leg injury, Dunn averaged 9.6 points over five games. The outburst also moved her into second on the team in scoring. In the four previous games, which were also the first of the season, her scoring average stood at 5.3.
UNEVEN AGAINST THE NEC
Bucknell has had some skewed success against the Northeast Conference through the years. The Bison's most common NEC opponent has been Saint Francis (Pa.), and they have worked their way to a 12-5 record all-time against the Red Flash. Bucknell is a combined 13-14 against the eight other teams - Fairleigh Dickinson (3-0), Long Island (0-1), Monmouth (2-2), Mount St. Mary's (0-5), Robert Morris (4-2), Sacred Heart (2-1), St. Francis (N.Y.) (2-1), Wagner (0-2) - it has faced that are currently in the NEC.
A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING
For the first time in Patriot League history, the Rookie of the Week and the Player of the Week was the same person. Amy Zehner claimed both honors on Monday after a pair of 20-point performances. The freshman averaged 22.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.0 blocks and 3.0 steals against Youngstown State and Buffalo. She also shot .477 (21-for-44) from the field. It was the first Patriot League honor of any kind for Zehner, who becomes Bucknell's first weekly award winner since Shelby Romine was named the league's Rookie of the Week six times last winter.
POINTS ALL AROUND
For the first time this season, three Bison finished in double-digit scoring at Buffalo - Amy Zehner (20 points), Shelby Romine (11) and Audrey Dotson (10). Bucknell achieved the same feat seven times during the 2010-11 season, going 5-2 in those contests. Not surprisingly, Bucknell's 2010-11 scoring leader Shelby Romine reached double figures in all seven of those games. She also had the team's highest point total in five of them.
GOING OFF FOR 20
When Amy Zehner scored 25 points against Youngstown State on Nov. 16, she became the 21st Bison to tally 20 or more points in at least one game during her freshman year. Bucknell has now had a rookie reach the 20-point mark at least once in each of the last four seasons, a stretch unequaled since the 1982-83 through 1985-86 campaigns. The Bison with the most 20-point games in their freshman seasons? Jane Meyer (1982-83), Molly Creamer (1999-2000) and Lindsey Hollobaugh (2003-04) with nine apiece.
BACK-TO-BACK 20s
Amy Zehner joined some rare company on Saturday when she scored 20 points at Buffalo. Paired with her 25 points vs. Youngstown State on Nov. 16, she becomes the eighth Bison freshman in program history to score at least 20 in back-to-back games. Despite the elite achievement, it hasn't been that long since the seventh rookie became a member of the club. Zehner's teammate Shelby Romine went back-to-back with 20-plus last season, scoring 22 at Yale on Jan. 2, 2011 and 20 vs. Navy on Jan. 8.
A LITTLE ON THE LOW SIDE
Bucknell raised its scoring average slightly at Buffalo on Saturday, totaling a season-best 57 points. Through the first five games, the Bison's average comes in at 50.8 points per game. Only four times in program history has Bucknell averaged fewer points after four contests: 1973-74 (35.5 ppg), 1974-75 (48.0), 1981-82 (45.5) and 1994-95 (47.5). Despite the relatively low offensive production, however, the Bison have been able to stay in contention. Bucknell has a 54.4 mark in scoring defense.
HOW DID SHE DO THAT?
You can't score 25 points without putting the ball in the basket, and Amy Zehner did just that. The Bison newcomer shot 12-for-23 (.522) from the field against Youngstown State, making her the first Bucknellian to drain 12 field goals in a single game since Desire Almind. Almind was 12-for-16 (.750) against Iona on Jan. 6, 2004, finishing with 29 points and 20 rebounds. Bucknell won that contest, 86-76. Almind finished her career as Bucknell's third all-time leading scorer (1,581 points) with a .478 career field goal percentage.
RECORDS ALREADY AT RISK
Bucknell has played just three games at Sojka Pavilion this year, but already five facility records have been tied or broken. One of the most recent came against Youngstown State on Nov. 16 when the Bison tied the record with 10 blocked shots. They also had 10 rejections against Hampton (Nov. 10, 2006) and Colgate (Jan. 23, 2010). On the other end of the spectrum, Bucknell set a new low for three-point field goals attempted with just three against the Penguins.
SOJKA PAVILION RECORDS TIED OR SET IN 2011-12
• Blocks - Bucknell High: 10 (tie), vs. Youngstown State (11/16/11)
• 3FG Attempted - Bucknell Low: 3, vs. Youngstown State (11/16/11)
• 3FG Made - Bucknell Low: 0 (tie), vs. Saint Peter's (11/11/11), vs. Morgan State (11/22/11)
• 3FG Percentage - Bucknell Low: .000 (tie), vs. Saint Peter's (11/11/11), vs. Morgan State (11/22/11)
• Free Throws Made - Opponent Low: 3 (tie), vs. Saint Peter's (11/11/11)
INDIVIDUAL SCORING BREAKTHROUGHS
Felicia Mgbada and Christina Chukwuedo experienced some scoring breakthroughs in the first few games of the season. Mgbada, who scored 11 points in the first three games, now has consecutive double-figure point totals for the first time in her career. That streak extends to four games if you include her 19-point performance in the season-ending loss to Navy in last year's Patriot League Tournament semifinals. The junior entered the 2011-12 campaign with six career double-digit scoring games, all of which came last winter.
Chukwuedo just broke into double figures for the first time in her career. Before taking on Rider on Sunday evening, the senior's personal best was nine points against American on Jan. 12, 2011. The guard dropped 16 points on the Broncs last weekend with career highs in field goals made (7) and attempted (11).
A HALF TO REMEMBER
Bucknell got off to a good start at Rider on Nov. 13, shooting .586 (17-for-29) in the first half and taking a 36-32 lead into the break. The percentage for the half is the team's best since it shot .611 (11-for-18) in the second half at Army on Feb. 26, 2011. That average was a major turnaround from the first half when Bucknell went 4-for-25, or .160, against the Black Knights. Bucknell went on to win 44-40 at West Point.
The Bison posted a .600+ shooting average three times last season: .654 vs. Lehigh, Jan. 26; .607 vs. Holy Cross, Feb. 12; .611 at Army, Feb. 26.
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.
HORBATUCK HOUNDING THE BOARDS
Lindsay Horbatuck claimed her sixth career double-digit rebounding game on Nov. 11 against Saint Peter's with a team-best 11 boards. That marked 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. Before that game, 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.
FEWER THAN 40 FOR FOES
When Bucknell defeated Saint Peter's 46-35 on Nov. 11, it was the third time in four games, and the fourth in six outings, that it held 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.
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.
UP NEXT
Bucknell will return from its Thanksgiving "break" to host Canisius on Nov. 30. The teams have not met since the 2002-03 season, but their last three games were certainly memorable. The Bison outscored the Golden Griffins by an average of 101.3-94.3 but earned just a 2-1 record. Tipoff on Wednesday at Sojka Pavilion is set for 7 p.m.
