Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Basketball Rides Three-Game Winning Streak to Wednesday Matchup at Lehigh
2/22/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2011
WHAT: Bucknell Bison (9-15, 6-6 PL) at Lehigh Mountain Hawks (18-9, 8-4 PL)
WHERE: Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pa.
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5/SportsJuice.com
VIDEO: Patriot League All-Access/Bison Vision 
LIVE STATS: lehighsports.com
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
ABOUT THE GAME
Bucknell will be going for its 10th victory of the year and its fourth in a row when it heads to Bethlehem, Pa., on Wednesday for 7 p.m. showdown with Lehigh. The Bison have a chance at coming one step closer to their goals of hosting a quarterfinal game in the Patriot League Tournament if they can pull off an upset over a team they haven't beat in almost four years. That will be no short order, however, as the Mountain Hawks are currently riding a seven-game winning streak of their own.
WITH A VICTORY OVER LEHIGH, BUCKNELL WOULD...
► Win four consecutive games for the first time since the 2008-09 team won five in a row.
► Defeat the Mountain Hawks for the first time since Feb. 20, 2007, ending an eight-game losing streak.
► Earn its third road victory of the season.
► Improve its Patriot League record to better than .500 since Feb. 18, 2009.
► End the Mountain Hawks' current seven-game Patriot League winning streak.
LAST MEETING - JAN. 26, 2011
► Lehigh 64, Bucknell 48 (Sojka Pavilion)
► Bucknell shot better than 65 percent from the field in the second half, but the team could not overcome its poor start. The Bison managed just 13 first-half points.
► The Bison struggled to find their rhythm from the start, and Lehigh opened the game on a 12-2 run after it took Bucknell more than five minutes to register a point. That trend continued throughout. The last time the Bison trailed by single digits came with the scoreboard reading 12-4 after Cosima Higham backed down her defender for a layup at 10:22.
► Higham and Lindsay Horbatuck had 11 of Bucknell's 13 points in the first half, and Alyssa Dunn added the final two. At the break, none of the Bison's starters had scored. Bucknell's reserves totaled 29 points on the night, compared to 19 for Lehigh's. ► Not until the 7:40 mark in the second half did the Bison put together a substantial run. Higham and Dunn each recorded four points to give Bucknell an 8-0 run, its longest of the night. That only brought the Mountain Hawks' lead down to 11, however. With 5:51 to play, Lehigh held a 51-40 advantage. Bucknell never came any closer to an upset.
QUICK FACTS
Bucknell is on a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2008-09 ... Bucknell held Lafayette to 18.0 percent shooting (11-for-61) on Feb. 16, setting a Sojka Pavilion record for lowest field goal percentage ... Bucknell's .569 field goal percentage vs. Holy Cross on Feb. 12 was its highest against a Division I opponent since 2004-05 ... the Bison held Holy Cross to a Sojka Pavilion low record 12 defensive rebounds ... Bucknell's two lowest turnover totals (15 and 13) this season have both come against Navy ... Joyce Novacek played in her 100th consecutive game vs. Army on Jan. 29 ... 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 ... Romine was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 3, Jan. 10 and Jan. 24 ... Romine leads the Bison with six 20-point games, while Cosima Higham has three and Novacek has two ... Bucknell was picked eighth in the 2010-11 Patriot League Preseason Poll.
HISTORY VS. LEHIGH
► Lehigh holds a 37-30 lead in the series over Bucknell. Twenty of the Mountain Hawks' wins have come on their own home court.
► 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. Novacek's point total also is also the second-highest by a Bison in the Patriot League Tournament.
► 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 school-record 14 a year earlier and averaged 13.0 assists in two games opposite Lehigh in 2002.
► Bucknell has been outscored by 12.8 points per game during their current eight-game losing streak to Lehigh. The closest game during that stretch was a 69-60 loss at Stabler Arena on Feb. 25, 2009.
► Although Bucknell has struggled recently against Lehigh, the Mountain Hawks are only outscoring the Bison by 0.8 points per game in the series' 67 games.
► Bucknell's worst loss in series history came by 23 points at Stabler Arena. That game took place before any of the current players were born, however. Lehigh's 85-62 decision came on Nov. 27, 1984.
► No current Bucknell player has ever won against Lehigh.
► Recent Results:
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)
Jan. 26, 2011: Lehigh, 64-48
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS
Lehigh has been on a bit of tear since they last met with Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Bison 64-48 on Jan. 26 and haven't lost since, entering Wednesday's contest with a seven-game winning streak. During that time, Lehigh has won its games by an average of 11.7 points. It rebounded from a slim seven-point victory (72-65) at Colgate last Wednesday to knock out Lafayette more convincingly by 21 points (70-49) on Saturday.
Now at 18-9 overall and 8-4 in the Patriot League, Lehigh is battling for the No. 1 seed in the league's tournament. The Mountain Hawks are tied with Navy for second, and both teams trail American by a single game with two left to play. A loss for Lehigh and a win for American (over Navy) on Wednesday, would end Lehigh's hopes for the top seed.
ODDS & ENDS
► Bucknell recorded its best field goal percentage of the season on Feb. 12, shooting 56.9 percent from the field against Holy Cross. The Bison are now 7-6 in games in which they shoot better than 40 percent.
► 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 four opponents with a winning record this season. American was 10-4 overall when it entered the game with the Bison on Jan. 12 and went into the Feb. 9 game with a 15-7 record. Penn State was 10-3 prior to its game with Bucknell on Dec. 28. Bucknell's third .500+ opponent was Lehigh (11-9 in January, 18-9 in February). A fourth foe was added to the list when the Bison took on Navy (13-8) on Feb. 5.
► Five of Bucknell's first six 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), Lafayette by eight (57-49) and Army by one (49-48). Bucknell earned its first double-digit victory at Colgate on Jan. 22, winning 76-66 in overtime.
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE POSTSEASON
Just two games remain on the regular-season schedule, but the Patriot League is still too close to call. Currently tied for fourth, Bucknell is still battling for a top-four seed and the right to host a quarterfinal game in next month's league tournament. American, Lehigh and Navy have already clinched home-court advantage, leaving one spot up for grabs.
Bucknell would earn the No. 4 seed if ...
► it wins at both Lehigh and Army.
► it loses to Lehigh, beats Army, and Holy Cross loses at least one game.
Army would earn the No. 4 seed if ...
► it wins against both Lafayette and Bucknell.
► it loses to Lafayette and beats Bucknell.
Holy Cross would earn the No. 4 seed if ...
► it wins both games against Colgate and Lehigh, Bucknell loses at Lehigh and beats Army (or loses both), and Army loses both its games.
IT'S GOOD FOR THREE
For the first time in over a year, Bucknell has put together a three-game winning streak (Holy Cross, 68-52; Lafayette, 46-34; Colgate, 79-64). During that stretch, the Bison are outscoring their opponent by 14.3 points (64.3 to 50.0) and outrebounding them by 17.0 boards (43.0 to 26.0) per game. Bucknell is also shooting .500 from the field (74-for-148), compared to .274 (49-for-179) for its opponents. Individually, Cosima Higham is averaging a double-double at 13.7 and 10.0 rebounds per game and has added 3.3 blocks per contest.
OFFENSIVE THREAT
Cosima Higham had one of the most efficient games of her career when she shot 11-for-13 (.846) from the field for 22 points against Colgate on Saturday. It had been seven years since a Bison made 11 field goals in a single game. Lindsey Hollobaugh last did it on Feb. 29, 2004 against the Raiders, going 11-for-23 from the field. That game made her the latest in a string of four straight big offensive performances as Desire Almind shot 11-for-22 at Holy Cross (Feb. 27) and 11-for-16 vs. Army (Feb. 22) in the two games before that. Hollobaugh kicked off the stretch with an 11-for-18 performance against Lafayette on Feb. 20.
BACK IN THE STARTING FIVE
For the first time this season, Cosima Higham earned a spot in the starting lineup in back-to-back contests vs. Lafayette and Colgate. The senior took advantage of the opportunity, posting her two highest scoring totals of the year. In her four starts this season, Higham is averaging 10.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. In her 14 games off the bench, the forward's numbers drop to 7.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 block per game. Higham's assist average has more than doubled in starts to 2.0 as well.
MORE THAN JUST A SHOOTER
Since arriving on campus, Shelby Romine has made it clear that she can score. Since Patriot League play started, the freshman also has been proving that she can distribute the ball. Romine leads Bucknell in assists this season with 89, and 56 of those - 62.9 percent - have come since that first Patriot League game vs. Navy. In 12 league contests, Romine's assist average stands at 4.7. In Bucknell's 12 non-conference games, Romine's numbers drops to 2.8 assists per game.
BEAST ON THE BOARDS
Joyce Novacek led Bucknell in rebounding for the 13th time this season when she grabbed 10 boards against Colgate on Saturday. The senior now has five double-digit rebounding games this season and a team-best 18 games in her career. Ten of those performances have come against Patriot League foes, and four of those have come against Colgate.
SWEET SIXTEEN
Christina Chukwuedo might not be the team's leading scorer, but she is currently enjoying the longest scoring streak of her career at 16 games. Prior to the offensive stretch, the junior was averaging 2.0 points per game. She now stands at 4.2 points per game, her highest average of the season and more than double her average from all of 2009-10. Chukwuedo has also dished out 39 of her 60 season's assists (65 percent) during that same time frame.
FIRST-HALF FUMBLES
Bucknell's 13 first-half points against Lehigh marked a season scoring low for the Bison, and unfortunately it's the latest in a trend against the Mountain Hawks. In each of the teams' first meetings over the last three years, Bucknell has been held to less than 20 points in the opening frame. Bucknell's 17 first-half points in the Jan. 2010 meeting at Lehigh was the Bison's lowest total for that season, while its 19 points in the Jan. 2009 contest was the fewest first half points in 2009-10.
BENCH BATTLERS
Bucknell got some big-time production from its bench players against Lehigh on Jan. 26. Of the Bison's 48 total points, 29 came from the team's reserves and all 13 first-half points came from non-starters. At the end of the game, Bucknell outscored Lehigh in bench points, 29-19.
The Bison have outscored opponents in bench points 10 times this year, but no advantage was as convincing as in the Niagara contest on Nov. 28. Bucknell reserves won that battle, 41-11, thanks in large part to 16 points from Alyssa Dunn and 11 more from Cosima Higham.
NOT A LOT OF POINTS
Lafayette suffered one of the toughest offensive outings in Sojka Pavilion history when Bucknell defeated them 46-34 on Feb. 16. The Leopards finished the outing shooting 18.0 percent, setting facility records for lowest field goal percentage and fewest field goals (11-for-61) by an opponent.
The Leopards' 34 points were the fewest allowed by the Bison since a 64-32 win over Colgate on Feb. 17, 2007 and is the ninth-lowest point total by a Bucknell opponent in the program's 38-year history. Bucknell and Lafayette also combined for 80 points, giving them the lowest combined point total since Bucknell and Lehigh totaled 77 points on Jan. 26, 1980. The Bison came away with a 39-38 win 31 years ago.
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. Cosima Higham joined the act last week when she grabbed 12 boards opposite Holy Cross on Feb. 12 and 14 against Lafayette the next time out.
During the 2009-10 campaign, Horbatuck was one of three Bison to record double-digit rebounds in at least two consecutive games. 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).
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 26 blocks, including a career-best six against Lafayette. Higham now has 102 rejections in her career, placing her fifth all-time at Bucknell. Teammate Joyce Novacek ranks sixth with 95 career rejections.
MOVING UP THE RANKS
Shelby Romine continues to make inroads in the Bucknell record book. With 334 points this winter, she ranks seventh on the Orange and Blue's freshman scoring list. Just ahead of her is Vicki Quimby in sixth with 388 points. Lindsey Hollobaugh holds the top mark with 483 points in 2003-04.
After going 1-for-4 from behind the arc at American on Feb. 9, Romine moved onto the program's single-season record list for 3-point field goals made. She has since improved to eighth with 44 successful attempts, making her the only freshman on the list. Over the course of the season, Romine is 44 of 106 from long range, giving her a .415 shooting percentage. If the season ended today, that average would rank fourth among single-season marks.
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 187 rebounds (7.8/game) this season, Novacek leads all current Bison with 697 career rebounds, putting her in ninth place all-time at Bucknell.
NOVACEK NAMED CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
For the third consecutive year, Joyce Novacek was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 2 First Team on Feb. 3. Novacek becomes the only Bison other than Bucknell Hall of Famer Jennifer Walz to be recognized for her academic success during all three years in which she was eligible for the award. Walz was named First Team Academic All-America from 1986-87 to 1988-89. After more than three years at Bucknell, Novacek has maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.92 while majoring in management and English. She has even recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA on four separate occasions.
The senior forward is now eligible for Academic All-America status, which will be voted on later this month. In order to be considered for Academic All-America 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.
BY THE NUMBERS
After a relatively quiet stretch for the team, several Bison made some noise in the Feb. 12 game vs. Holy Cross. Seven season-best totals were either set or matched, three program top-10 marks were made and one Sojka Pavilion record was tied. Here's the lengthy list:
► Rachel Voss: 14 points, 3 assists both tied season highs
►Cosima Higham: 12 rebounds was then a high mark for 2010-11; three blocked shots tied a then-season high and moved her into a fifth-place tie on the career record list; recorded 600th career rebound
► Shelby Romine: tied career highs with seven assists and seven rebounds; moved into ninth at Bucknell in single-season 3-point field goals made
► Joyce Novacek: moved into 10th all-time at Bucknell in career rebounds
► Christina Chukwuedo: tied a career high with six assists
► Felicia Mgbada: made first career 3-point field goal
CHUKWUEDO AT THE LINE
Christina Chukwuedo has been making strides at the free throw line. The junior opened the season just 4-for-12 (.333) from the stripe in her first 10 games. In the last 14 contests, she has improved to 18-for-24 (.750). That progress brings her season average to .611 (22-for-36).
FREE THROWS HIGHS AND LOWS
Four days after Bucknell recorded season-best marks from the free throw line by shooting 30 of 35 at Colgate, including a school-record 19 made baskets from Shelby Romine, the team set a season low in the same category against Lehigh. The Bison were 1-for-5 from the line against the Mountain Hawks. The one made basket is the team's fewest this winter.
RECORD-BREAKING ROMINE
Shelby Romine never ceases to amaze the crowd and the game at Colgate on Jan. 22 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.
ROMINE TAKING THE LEAD
With the season heading into the final stages, Shelby Romine is trying to hold on to her team lead in scoring (13.9) and assists (86). The last freshman to end her campaign with team highs in both categories was Molly Creamer. The former guard averaged 15.8 points and tied Lori Houck for the team high in assists with 107 during the 1999-2000 season.
MORE HONORS FOR ROMINE
Shelby Romine claimed a second honor on Jan. 24 after her record-breaking performance at Colgate. 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 since Lauren Schober on Feb. 1, 2009.
HOME SWEET HOME
Having played more than 30 games apiece during their careers at Sojka Pavilion, Joyce Novacek and Cosima Higham have moved up the facility record lists. Novacek is second on her home court in rebounds (325), third in blocked shots (42) and free throws attempted (108), fourth in games played (50) and fifth in games started (39). Higham is second in blocks (45) and third in rebounds (273). Felicia Mgbada recently entered the top five as well, having rejected 17 shot attempts in less than two seasons at Sojka Pavilion, ranking her fifth all-time at the facility.
TRIPS TO THE LINE
Shelby Romine, who broke the school record with 19 made free throws, was not the only Bison to get in on the 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.
GLASS CLEANERS
Bucknell dominated on the glass in both games against Holy Cross. At the end of the first meeting, the Bison held a 42-29 rebounding advantage. The second game ended with Bucknell leading 38-22 on the glass, giving it its then-second-largest margin of the season. The Bison outrebounded Loyola (Md.) 51-27 (+24) on Dec. 1 before posting a +13 rebounding lead vs. Cornell (48-35) on Dec. 30 and again at Holy Cross (42-29).
IT'S BEEN A WHILE
With the victory at Colgate on Jan. 22, 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.
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 205-194 record at Bucknell, good for a .514 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.
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.
CRUISING PAST THE MILESTONES
Several Bison have recorded some career milestones this season. Cosima Higham reached 600 career points at Lafayette and 600 career rebounds vs. Holy Cross, Lindsay Horbatuck totaled 200 career rebounds at Colgate and 200 points at American on Feb. 9. Joyce Novacek also got to 800 points at Navy on Feb. 5. Novacek's and Higham's point totals are the highest among current players, while Horbatuck is the first non-senior to reach both 200 points and 200 rebounds in her career.
100 GAMES AND COUNTING
Joyce Novacek played in her 100th career game when she went up against Navy on Jan. 8 (she's now at 111). Novacek's classmate Taylor Phillips also joined the club recently, having played in her 100th career contest vs. Colgate on Feb. 19. The last Bison to reach 100 contests were Amanda Brown (113) and Lauren Schober (120), who both played from 2005-06 to 2008-09.
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 33 assists, more than doubling her career total. Phillips' unselfish play has been rewarded by making her the Bison with the best assist/turnover ratio this season at 1.1.
STREAKING
Although Joyce Novacek's 88-game scoring streak came to an end vs. Army, she still has plenty of others in the works. The senior forward has ...
► played in 105 consecutive games (last non-appearance: at Marist, 12/1/07).
► made 76 consecutive starts (last non-start: vs. Drexel, 11/25/08).
► grabbed at least one rebound in 25 straight games (last rebound-less night: vs. Army, 2/27/10).
Over the course of her career, Novacek has played in 111 of a possible 112 games and has been a part of the Bison's starting lineup 90 times, more than any other current Bison. She has been held without a rebound just six times in her nearly four years.
PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
With the season being 24 games old, Shelby Romine has 15 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 28 at Colgate on Jan. 22.
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.
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 play perhaps its most important game of the year when it travels to Army for the regular-season finale on Saturday. Tip off at West Point, N.Y., is set for 1 p.m. A loss to the Black Knights will knock the Bison out of contention for the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and end their hopes of hosting a quarterfinal game. When Bucknell and Army squared off earlier in the season, the Bison pulled out the victory in a low-scoring game. Bucknell won 49-48 at Sojka Pavilion.
