Bucknell University Athletics
Streaking Bucknell Women's Basketball Hosts Mount St. Mary's Wednesday at Sojka Pavilion
11/27/2012 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2012
| Bucknell (3-2) vs. Mount St. Mary's (1-3) Women's Basketball |
| WHERE: Lewisburg, Pa., Sojka Pavilion |
| WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. |
| RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM and SportsJuice.com |
STREAMING VIDEO: Bison Vision  |
LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker  |
COMPLETE GAME NOTES  |
ABOUT THE GAME
For the first time this season, Bucknell women's basketball will play back-to-back games in Lewisburg with the first of those contests being Wednesday against Mount St. Mary's. The Bison, who have won each of their last three games, will be looking to claim the first win in series history with The Mount when the two squads tip off at 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. Wednesday has also been designated Take a Kid to the Game Night. Fans who purchase an adult ticket will receive one free children's ticket.
Danny Will continues to call all the action on WVBU 90.5 and at SportsJuice.com. Live stats and video are also available at BucknellBison.com.
WITH A VICTORY OVER MOUNT ST. MARY'S, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• Win a fourth consecutive game for the first time since winning five straight from Dec. 28, 2008 to Jan. 10, 2009.
• Improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 at Sojka Pavilion.
• End November with a winning record for the first time since 2008-09.
• Win its first-ever game against The Mount, which has won the first six meetings in series history.
QUICK FACTS
• Bucknell is averaging 45.4 rebounds (+8.0 rebounding margin) this season. That is exactly 10 more rebounds per game than last season (35.4).
• Alyssa Dunn was named the Bison Athlete of the Week on Monday after averaging 19.0 points and 4.5 assists vs. Niagara and Morgan State.
• Bucknell got 12 assists from seven different players in its eight-point win at Morgan State last Sunday. Shelby Romine and Alyssa Dunn led the team with three apiece.
• Shelby Romine (21 at Xavier) and Alyssa Dunn (22 at Canisius, 23 vs. Niagara) became the first Bison to hit the 20-point mark this season.
• Bucknell leads the Patriot League in defensive rebounds (34.0) and overall boards (45.4). Lindsay Horbatuck sits atop the individual rebounding list with 12.2rebounds per game (as of Nov. 26).
• Aaron Roussell collected his first win as Bucknell head coach on Nov. 17 at Canisius. The Bison defeated the Golden Griffins 59-50 in Buffalo.
• Aaron Roussell was hired as Bucknell's ninth head coach in April 2012. Roussell spent eight years at the University of Chicago where he amassed a 161-50 record and led the Maroons to three Sweet Sixteens and one Elite Eight.
• Bucknell tied with Colgate for seventh in the 2012-13 Patriot League Preseason Poll. Defending champions Navy were voted to the first-place spot.
• Lindsay Horbatuck and Shelby Romine were chosen as Bucknell's co-captains ahead of the 2012-13 campaign. It is their second consecutive season in the leadership position.
• The Bison return four starters and 10 letterwinners from a year ago. Bucknell's only loss from the starting five was guard Christina Chukwuedo, who led the Patriot League in assist/turnover ratio last season.
• Felicia Mgbada finished her junior year ranked seventh at Bucknell in single-season blocked shots (39). She is now ninth in career blocks (74).
LAST MEETING WITH MOUNT ST. MARY'S - DEC. 31, 2011
• Mount St. Mary's 58, Bucknell 46 (Knott Arena) • Rachel Voss hit double digits with 13 points, but the individual offensive effort was not enough to keep Bucknell women's basketball from a 58-46 loss to Mount St. Mary's at Knott Arena.
• Bucknell held Mount St. Mary's scoreless until the 13:47 mark and took a 6-0 lead. The Mount committed a turnover on two of its first three possessions, including a shot clock violation on its first offensive opportunity. At the end of the half, Bucknell had forced Mount St. Mary's into four shot clock violations and 12 overall turnovers.
• The Bison were not immune from their own miscues on the offensive end and committed 13 turnovers before the break. The Mount capitalized on those chances and had 12 points off turnovers, compared to six for the Bison in the first half.
• Neither team did anything flashy in the second half. Mount St. Mary's cut down on its turnovers and used free throws to increase its lead. Although the Mount went more than four minutes without a field goal late in the half, five straight points from the line on six attempts brought them to 50 points and a 12-point advantage.
• Bucknell improved its shooting percentage slowly, but the shots still did not drop fast enough to make up the deficit. By the time power went out at Knott Arena and forced a lengthy delay, the score read 50-38 with 4:37 remaining in the game.
• Katherine Harris ended a second-half scoreless drought that lasted 5:33 with a pair of free throws, but the Bison went 6:23 between field goals. Bucknell hit just three field goals in the final eight minutes of play and ended the day 19-for-43 (.442) from the field.
ABOUT THE MOUNT
Mount St. Mary's comes to Sojka Pavilion with a 1-3 record having lost its last two games. The Mount opened its season with an 88-47 loss at Maryland but rebounded for the 70-67 win at Rider. Its last two outings ended in losses to Campbell (54-48) and Howard (77-52). Sydney Henderson has twice surpassed 20 points this winter, scoring 30 against Rider and 21 against Howard on Sunday.
Mount St. Mary's went 14-16 overall and posted a 10-8 record in the Northeast Conference a year ago. It was edged out by Quinnipiac in the conference tournament quarterfinals by a score of 65-61 but not before Selina Mann was named to the All-NEC Second Team. Entering the postseason, Mann ranked third nationally in steals and last year set a program record with 11 steals against Fairleigh Dickinson in addition to becoming the first player in program history to register 100 assists and 100 steals in a single game.
HISTORY VS. MOUNT ST. MARY'S
• Bucknell is still looking for its first win against Mount St. Mary's as The Mount leads the all-time series 6-0.
• Four of six meetings between Bucknell and Mount St. Mary's have been decided by double figures. The Mount has a +14.7 scoring margin against the Bison across all six games. When playing in Emmitsburg, Md., that jumps to +22.0 but falls to +7.3 in games played in Lewisburg.
• When Bucknell and Mount St. Mary's played last winter, it was the first time the two had met since 1994.
• Mount St. Mary's is averaging 72.2 points per game against Bucknell, down from 75.0 after scoring a series-low 58 points last winter. The Bison are averaging 57.5 against The Mount, but their 46 points in the 2011 meeting was also the lowest in series history.
• Bucknell has never out-rebounded Mount St. Mary's.
• Recent Results:
Jan. 28, 1991 Mount St. Mary's, 75-53
Jan. 9, 1992 Mount St. Mary's, 78-71
Dec. 21, 1993 Mount St. Mary's, 72-59
Nov. 27, 1994 Mount St. Mary's, 79-47
Dec. 31, 2011 Mount St. Mary's, 58-46
LAST TIME OUT
• Nov. 25, 2012: Bucknell 72, Morgan State 64 (Hill Field House)
• Bucknell extended its winning streak to three games, it longest stretch of success since February 2012.
• The Bison equaled their road wins total from last year. Bucknell is 2-1 on the road this season and was 2-14 last winter.
• Bucknell outrebounded Morgan State 53-33. It was the largest rebounding margin of the season for the Bison. Forty-three of those Bucknell rebounds came on the defensive glass, which was also a season high.
• Bucknell shot better than .400 for the second consecutive game. The Bison were 24 of 55 (.436) from the field against the Bears.
• Also for the second game in a row, Bucknell had three players finish with double-digit scoring totals. Alyssa Dunn led the team for the third straight game, totaling 15 points. Shelby Romine added 14 and Felicia Mgbada had 13. Three Bison just missed double-doubles. Mgbada had nine rebounds to go along with her 13 points, Lindsay Horbatuck registered nine points and nine boards, and Audrey Dotson totaled nine points and 11 rebounds.
• Alyssa Dunn maintained her perfect streak at that free throw line, shooting 9-for-9 at the stripe. The senior is 25-for-25 over the last four games.
TAKE A KID TO THE GAME - NOV. 28 VS. MOUNT ST. MARY'S
Bucknell will host its next major promotion when it returns to Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday. The 7 p.m. game against Mount St. Mary's has been designated Take A Kid to the Game Night. For each adult ticket purchased, fans will receive one free child ticket for that night.
BACK IN TIME
Bucknell will return to historic Davis Gym for a regular-season game for the first time since the 2002-03 season when it hosts Buffalo on Dec. 1. The Bison began play at Davis Gym in 1974 and registered a 169-118 (.589) record in 29 years on that court.
• Bucknell finished at .500 or better 22 times when playing at Davis Gym.
• The Bison had one perfect season at home, going 12-0 in 1995-96.
• In its last full season playing at Davis Gym (2001-02), Bucknell went 9-4. The Bison were 3-2 at Davis the following season before moving to Sojka Pavilion midway through the campaign.
• Buffalo is 1-0 when playing Bucknell at Davis Gym. The Bulls won 84-69 on Jan. 18, 1993.
• Saturday's game will include throwback ticket prices. Admission is $1. The first 400 fans will also receive free orange sunglasses.
DUNN NEWEST BISON ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Alyssa Dunn became the first to claim a weekly award on Monday. The senior was named the Bison Athlete of the Week after averaging 19.0 points on 9 of 19 (.474) shooting. She was also 17-for-17 from the free throw line, dished out an average of 4.5 assists and grabbed 3.5 rebounds in Bucknell's wins over Niagara and Morgan State. Dunn is the first women's basketball player to earn Bison Athlete of the Week honors since Lindsay Horbatuck (Dec. 11, Feb. 12) and Rachel Voss (Nov. 26) last season.
TEAM EFFORT
Through five games this season, Bucknell has been smart with its fouls and foul shooting. The Bison have made more free throws (95 of 126) than their opponents have attempted (65 of 84). Leading that group is Alyssa Dunn, who is 26-for-28 (.929) from the line this winter.
STEPPING UP AT THE LINE
Alyssa Dunn has made some major strides in free throw shooting. After showing some signs of greater consistency at the end of the 2011-12 season, the guard has opened her senior campaign by shooting 26-for-28 (.929) from the line. In her freshman and sophomore years combined, Dunn was 25-for-51 (.490) at the free throw line. She entered this year 71-for-113 (.628) for her career.
BISON IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
As of Nov. 26, Bucknell could be found in three national statistical rankings. Lindsay Horbatuck was 11th in rebounds (12.2), while Alyssa Dunn was 27th in free throw percentage (.929). As a team, the Bison were 29th in field goal percentage defense (.328).
HIGHS IN THE 70S WITH A CHANCE OF HIGH WINS
With its 72-64 win at Morgan State on Sunday, Bucknell reached 70 points for the second consecutive game. Along with a 77-point output against Niagara earlier in the week, the Bison have now registered at least 70 points in back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 3 (Navy, W 76-66) and Feb. 6, 2007 (American, W 70-57). Bucknell has scored 70 points in consecutive games just seven times since the 2002-03 season.
REGROUPING AT THE HALF
Bucknell led Morgan State nearly the entire afternoon on Nov. 25, but the Bison trailed by one at halftime, 30-29. By coming back for an eight-point win, Bucknell ...
• Outscored its opponent in the second half for the first time this season.
• Claimed a victory after trailing at halftime for the first time since Feb. 11, 2012 at Lafayette. The Bison were down 33-29 at the break against the Leopards before powering their way to a 65-54 win. Shelby Romine scored 20 second-half points in that contest.
• Secured its sixth win after trailing at halftime since the 2010-11 campaign. Four of those victories came during the 2010-11 season and two of those came against Army on Jan. 29 (losing 30-28 at the half, winning by a final of 49-48) and Feb. 26 (losing 20-12 at the half, winning by a final of 44-40).
JOINING 500-500
Lindsay Horbatuck enters Wednesday's game with 497 career points. The senior already has 541 career rebounds, making her a likely candidate for the 500-500 club. It wasn't too long ago that Bucknell had two new inductees into that club. Joyce Novacek (846 points-727 rebounds) and Cosima Higham (698 points-657 rebounds) were the most recent additions and both graduated in 2011.
DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING
Bucknell held Morgan State to .287 field goal shooting (20-72) on Nov. 25. The Bison also had 53 rebounds. The last time they accomplished either feat - holding an opponent to a sub-.300 field goal percentage and grabbed at least 50 rebounds - in a single game came on Feb. 8, 2012 against Colgate. The Raiders shot .274 (17-62) in that game and the Bison finished with 58 boards. Bucknell won that game 67-45.
BIG SCORES FROM DUNN
Alyssa Dunn posted a then-career-best 22 points at Canisius on Nov. 17, giving the senior her second career 20-point game. Dunn also became the second Bison this season to hit 20 points in a single game. She promptly became the first Bison to score at least 20 points in back-to-back outings when she reset her career best at 23 points against Niagara on Nov. 21.
• Against Canisius, Dunn's 22 points came on 8 of 13 (.615) field goal shooting and 6 of 6 shooting from the free throw line. Four days later, she hit 23 points on 6 of 12 (.500) shooting from the field. Her 8-for-8 night at the free throw line against the Purple Eagles was then the best of her career.
• In two career games vs. Canisius, Dunn is averaging 17.5 points. She also had 13 (FG: 6-13, FT: 1-2) in 2011.
• Since entering the starting lineup on a regular basis on Feb. 22, 2012 against American, Dunn is averaging 14.0 points. All three of her 20-point games have come during that eight-game stretch.
• Dunn is averaging 12.5 points per game in her 12 career starts overall. She is also shooting 47-for-123 (.382) from the field and 49-for-60 (.817) from the free throw line in those contests.
• Dunn also had 20 points against American on Feb. 22, 2012. Then a junior, she shot 6-for-9 from the floor and 8-for-8 from the free throw line. In three 20-point games, Dunn's shooting percentages come in at .588 (20-34) from the field and 1.000 (22-22) from the free throw line.
• Of Dunn's 22 points at Canisius, 14 came in the first half. Ten of her 20 points vs. American last season also came in the first half. She bucked the trend against Niagara on Nov. 21, scoring just nine of her 23 total points in the first half.
CLOSE AFFAIRS
Each of Bucknell's five games this season has been decided by single digits, including a nine-point loss to Xavier, an eight-point loss to Saint Francis (Pa.), a pair of eight-point wins at Canisius and Morgan State and a nine-point win over Niagara. The Bison had a similar streak in mid-November of last season as they lost by one to Youngstown State, six to Buffalo and Niagara and two to Morgan State.
Prior to this season, the last time Bucknell had won a game by single digits was Feb. 26, 2011. The Bison defeated Army 44-40 at West Point, N.Y.
REBOUNDING BREAKTHROUGH
Audrey Dotson led all players in rebounds at Xavier on Nov. 10 with 12 boards. The sophomore, who had entered the game with a then-career-best eight rebounds, needed six games to reach 12 boards last season. Dotson averaged 2.1 rebounds during her rookie campaign. She is now second on the team with 8.2 rebounds per game.
MOVING UP THE LIST
Shelby Romine's 742 career points ranks her 30th in program history. Next on the list is Shannon McGowan (1993-97) at 744. Rachel Voss is also moving up the list. The senior's 580 points ranks 35th in program history. With 14 more points, Voss will tie Liz Rabenold (1977-81) for 34th.
SOJKA PAVILION RECORDS - PART I
Several Sojka Pavilion records were tied or fell during the 2011-12 season. Among them were the team steals and blocked shots marks. The Bison had 16 steals against Canisius on Nov. 30, 2011 and 10 blocks opposite Youngstown State on Nov. 16. It was the third time in facility history that Bucknell had 10 blocks in a single game. The 16 steals also tied the mark, equaling that set against Maryland-Eastern Shore in 2004.
SOJKA PAVILION RECORDS - PART II
Four Bison enter the 2012-13 season ranked among the Sojka Pavilion individual leaders. Shelby Romine is now fifth in the facility record book in both 3-point field goals made (30) and fourth in 3-point field goals attempted (95), while Lindsay Horbatuck is fourth in rebounds (259) and Rachel Voss is fifth in games started (35). Felicia Mgbada has inked her name to the No. 4 slot on the blocks list with 37 rejections in her first three seasons.
KEEPING THE STREAKS ALIVE
Forward Lindsay Horbatuck entered her senior season with a 32-game scoring and rebounding streak, and has since extended that to 37 consecutive games. The last time she went without a point or a board was on Feb. 26, 2011 when she played just two minutes at Army. During her current streak, Horbatuck recorded a career-best 17 points (vs. Niagara) and twice grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds (vs. Buffalo, Colgate). She also had eight double-doubles during that same stretch.
Horbatuck's 37-game scoring streak is the second longest on the team. Junior guard Shelby Romine has scored in all 63 contests of her career at an 11.8 points per game clip. Alyssa Dunn also has a 25-game scoring streak.
BISON ONLINE
Now there are more ways than ever to follow the Bison. Head coach Aaron Roussell (@CoachRous) and assistant coach Christian Stefanopoulos (@CStef23) are both on Twitter. Bucknell Women's Basketball is also on Facebook.
For up-to-date information, videos and more for all of Bucknell's teams, don't forget @BisonSports on Twitter, facebook.com/BuckyBison and youtube.com/BucknellAthletics.
LOOKING AHEAD
Bucknell will take a step back in time for its next game, hosting Buffalo at Davis Gym at 7 p.m. on Dec. 1. Tickets will be $1 for the throwback game. Bucknell is looking to top the Bulls for the first time since 2009.
