Bucknell University Athletics
Road Test Awaits Bucknell Women's Basketball at Holy Cross
1/20/2012 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2012
| Bucknell (2-17, 0-4 PL) vs. Holy Cross (11-8, 2-2 PL) Women's Basketball |
| WHERE: Worcester, Mass., Hart Center |
| WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 21, 1 p.m. |
| RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM and SportsJuice.com |
STREAMING VIDEO: Bison Vision/Patriot League All-Access  |
| LIVE STATISTICS: GoHolyCross.com |
COMPLETE GAME NOTES  |
ABOUT THE GAME
After a two-game stint at home, Bucknell will get back on the bus and head towards Holy Cross for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday at the Hart Center. The Bison are looking to clear more than one hurdle, including a shot at claiming their first win in Worcester, Mass., since defeating the Crusaders for the 2008 Patriot League Championship.
Live radio of the Bison-Crusaders matchup will be available on WVBU 90.5 and at SportsJuice.com with Kevin Foedinger doing the play-by-play duties. Live stats are also available at GoHolyCross.com and live video will be on Bison Vision and Patriot League All-Access.
WITH A VICTORY OVER HOLY CROSS, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• Snap its current nine-game losing streak.
• Win back-to-back games against the Crusaders for the first time since 2007.
• Claim its first road win of the season.
• Earn its first Patriot League win of the season.
• Win its first game at the Hart Center since defeating the Crusaders 57-45 for the 2008 Patriot League Championship.
QUICK FACTS
• Lindsay Horbatuck leads the Patriot League in free throw shooting with a perfect 9-for-9 mark in conference games this winter.
• Bucknell's current nine-game losing streak is the third-longest single-season streak in program history.
• Bill Broderick debuted as Bucknell's head coach Jan. 14 vs. Lafayette.
• Bucknell has shot 40.0 percent or better from the field in three of the last six games.
• Rachel Voss was named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week on Jan. 9. Lindsay Horbatuck also claimed the award on Dec. 13. It is the first time two women's basketball players have been named a Bison Athlete of the Week in the same season since 2007-08.
• Bucknell has scored more points off turnovers than its opponent in three games this year - vs. NJIT (17-7), Fordham (11-6), Yale (27-21).
• Shelby Romine became the first current Bison to 500 career points when the Bison played Yale on Jan. 3. She is currently at 549.
• Bucknell has at least three blocked shots in all but five games this season.
• 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.
LAST MEETING WITH HOLY CROSS - FEB. 12, 2011
• Bucknell 68, Holy Cross 52 (Sojka Pavilion)
• Bucknell shot .569 from the field and three Bison finished in double-figure scoring to propel them past Holy Cross by a score of 68-52. After going four consecutive games without being able to break the 50-point barrier, Bucknell led the Crusaders throughout the entire contest and posted its best field goal percentage since 2005.
• The Bison had one of their most efficient nights from behind the arc as well, going 6-for-9 (.667). Shelby Romine was 3-for-4 and Rachel Voss closed out the night 2-for-4 from 3-point range to lead the cause. Even Felicia Mgbada got in on the action, hitting her first career 3-pointer in the first half.
• Bucknell took a 21-point lead early in the second half before Holy Cross began chipping away at the advantage. Four straight Bison turnovers helped spur a 10-0 Crusaders run. With 6:41 left in the game, Alex Smith's 3-pointer reduced Bucknell's lead to nine points, 57-48. Romine responded a minute later with a long 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Bison back up by double digits. That kick started an 11-2 run, and the Bucknell defense held Holy Cross without a field goal for the rest of the game. The Crusaders managed just four free throws in the final 6:41.
HISTORY VS. HOLY CROSS
• Holy Cross holds a 37-13 advantage in the series with Bucknell. Only four of Bucknell's victories have come at the Hart Center as the Crusaders are 22-4 all-time on their home court against the Bison.
• Bucknell has scored 60 or fewer points against Holy Cross in seven of their last nine meetings. The exceptions during that stretch were a 73-67 Crusaders win on Feb. 16, 2008 at the Hart Center and Bucknell's 68-52 win last February at Sojka Pavilion.
• In contests against Holy Cross, Bucknell has been outscored by an average of 4.4 points in Lewisburg. The Bison have been outscored by 12.4 points per game in Worcester, Mass., and 8.5 points overall.
• Bucknell outrebounded Holy Cross in each of the last four meetings, including 42-29 and 38-22 last winter. The Crusaders have managed 30 rebounds just once during that stretch.
• Bucknell shot 29 of 51 (.569) from the floor against Holy Cross on Feb. 12, 2011. It was the Bison's best offensive output since they finished at .627 (32-for-51) in a 90-66 victory over Iona on Jan. 3, 2005.
• Bucknell has met Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament more than any other opponent. The Bison are 3-5 in eight meetings, but 2-1 in championship games.
• Recent Results:
Feb. 14, 2009: Bucknell, 58-44
Jan. 16, 2010: Holy Cross, 55-42
Feb. 13, 2010: Holy Cross, 65-50
Jan. 15, 2011: Holy Cross, 57-47
Feb. 12, 2011: Bucknell, 68-52
ABOUT THE CRUSADERS
Holy Cross has opened its Patriot League schedule by alternating wins and losses. After falling by 15 points at Lehigh (75-60), the Crusaders took down Navy (55-38) by 17 on the road. They also recovered from a three-point loss to American (61-58) to defeat Lafayette (75-61) by 14 points on Wednesday. In all, Holy Cross has a +3.2 scoring margin in conference play. Earlier in the year, the Crusaders faced some of the same foes as the Bison, including Fordham and Morgan State. The matchup with the Rams ended in a 54-43 loss, but Holy Cross beat Morgan State 73-66 in overtime.
The Crusaders, which were voted fifth in the 2011-12 Patriot League Preseason Poll, lost First Team All-League selection Whitney Fremeau to graduation last spring. Back this winter, however, is sophomore Alex Smith, who was named an All-Rookie Team honoree last year. Smith is currently leading Holy Cross in assists (5.5) and steals (2.1). The guard was a Patriot League Player of the Week in December as was Amy Lepley, the Crusaders' scoring and rebounding leader.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING
When Bucknell defeats Holy Cross, it does so in convincing fashion. Each of the Bison's last five victories against the Crusaders has come by double digits. When Bucknell wins, it is by an average of 12.6 points. When Holy Cross wins, however, it comes by an average of 15.9 points.
BACK AND FORTH
Although Bucknell fell by 15 points to Lehigh on Wednesday, there was plenty of back-and-forth play. The game saw eight lead changes, and the Mountain Hawks did not go up by double digits until just 2:39 remained in the game. Lehigh made a stand much earlier in its previous two meetings with Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks claimed their first double-digit advantage with 4:30 remaining in the first half on Feb. 23, 2011, while their first double-digit lead on Jan. 26, 2011 came at 12:38 in the first.
PUTTING THE BALL IN THE NET
Lindsay Horbatuck has always been efficient offensively, and she is now being recognized for it. Heading into Saturday's game, the junior forward leads the Patriot League in both field goal (.545) and free throw (1.000) percentage in conference play.
DUNN'S DOUBLES
By leading Bucknell with 10 points on Wednesday vs. Lehigh, Alyssa Dunn recorded her fourth double-figure scoring game this season. She also had 13 points vs. Canisius, 11 at Mount St. Mary's and 10 at Colgate. The junior now has seven career double-digit scoring games.
NOTES FROM BEYOND
Bucknell seems to be climbing slowly back into the swing of things when it comes to shooting from behind the 3-point line. After shooting 18-for-116 (.155) in 15 non-conference games, the Bison are 11-for-37 (.297) in the Patriot League.
The player with the greatest success to date is Shelby Romine, who is 8-for-26 (.308) from 3-point range against league opponents. Through her first four league games last season, she shot a similar 8-for-24 (.333) from long distance. The guard finished the 2011 league campaign 20-for-52.
TAKING A STEP BACK
Bucknell could not carry its free throw shooting momentum over into the game vs. Lehigh on Wednesday. After shooting 10-for-11 from the line, and recording a season-best .909 percentage, against Lafayette on Jan. 14, the Bison were a mere 3-for-4 from the line against Lehigh in the following game. That set season lows in both free throws made and attempted.
UP NEXT
Bucknell remains on the road to take on American, which currently tops the Patriot League standings, on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Tipoff at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C., is set for 7 p.m. The Bison have lost their last six to the Eagles.
