Women's Basketball Concludes Non-Conference Play at Longwood on Saturday

What: Bucknell Bison (4-5) vs. Longwood Lancers (3-6)
Where: Willett Hall, Farmville, Va.
When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, 2 p.m.
Internet Video: Big South Network
Radio: WVBU 90.5 FM
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com

With a Victory Over Longwood, Bucknell Would...
• Improve to 5-5.
• Improve to 2-4 on the road this season.
• Earn its first win over the Lancers and even the all-time series at 1-1.
• Give head coach Aaron Roussell his 20th win at the helm of the program.

Last Meeting with Longwood - Dec. 15, 2012
• Longwood 60, Bucknell 52 (Sojka Pavilion)
• Audrey Dotson put up the strongest individual performance of her career with 27 points and 17 rebounds, but Bucknell women's basketball could not hang on to its slim early lead as it fell 60-52 to Longwood at Sojka Pavilion in the first meeting between the two teams.
• Dotson's 27 points, which came on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 shooting from the free throw line, accounted for more than half of Bucknell's points against the Lancers. The forward's 11 points at the charity stripe alone allowed her to outscore every other Bison, as Shelby Romine was second on the squad with eight points.
• Dotson's totals in field goals and free throws made were both personal bests, but those were not her only career highs of the contest. Her 17 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive side of the court, were also a personal record and gave her the first double-double of her career.
• After leading by two at the half, Bucknell was outscored 34-24 in the game's final 20 minutes, leading to the 60-52 defeat. Bucknell saw its shooting percentage dip from 45.5 percent (10-22) in the first half to 20.0 percent (6-30) in the second.
• Joining Dotson in double-figure rebounding was Romine with a career-best 11 boards. Like her teammate, 10 of Romine's rebounds came on the defensive glass. The Bison finished with a 51-30 rebounding advantage. Their 16 offensive boards were a single-game season high, while the seven offensive boards allowed to Longwood were a season low for a Bison opponent.
• Crystal Smith led Longwood with 13 points and six assists. Chelsea Coward chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds for the Lancers.

About the Lancers
Longwood has played to a 3-6 record in the first two months of the season, earning narrow victories over William and Mary (59-52), Utah Valley (59-57) and Xavier (67-64). The Lancers have struggled since their last win on Nov. 21 however, dropping five straight to Seton Hall (63-46), George Mason (66-65), Richmond (77-71), Big South foe High Point (68-54), Savannah State (79-55) and, most recently, Eastern Kentucky (60-47).

Daeisha Brown leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.9 points a game on .455 shooting, while Raven Williams is contributing 14.0 points per contest. Khalilah Ali is Longwood's top rebounding, collecting 7.1 boards per game.

History vs. Big South Conference
Prior to its contest with Longwood last December, the last time Bucknell faced an opponent from the Big South Conference was on Dec. 3, 2005 when it earned a 71-60 win over High Point in the Air Force Classic. The Bison are 3-3 (.500) all-time when playing a Big South school, and 2-1 (.667) against current members of the conference.

Last Time Out
The Bucknell women's basketball team proved once again that it has the ability to fight through adversity, narrowing a 24-point deficit to six with 41 seconds to play, but it wasn't quite enough, as the squad fell to Penn, 69-61, on Saturday afternoon in Sojka Pavilion. The Bison dropped to 4-5 on the season with the loss, while the Quakers improved to 3-2 with the win.

Shelby Romine led the Bison with a game-high 23 points, shooting .500 (6-12) from the field and connecting on 10-of-15 free throws while also handing out five assists. Audrey Dotson, who has scored in double-digits in each of Bucknell's first nine games, contributed 13 points, while Claire Maree O'Bryan led the squad on the boards with eight rebounds.

In spite of moments of brilliance and constant defensive pressure by the Bison, the Quakers preserved a significant advantage through much of the half, leading 60-40 with just over eight minutes to play. A gutsy Bucknell team continued to battle however, allowing a crafty layup by McGurk to spark an impressive comeback attempt that fully demonstrated the team's true colors.

With 2:51 on the clock, Sheaira Jones drained a three-pointer to slice the Quakers' lead to 12, and the Bison ran with the momentum, holding the visitors scoreless while Romine whittled four more points off their lead.

Down by eight with 41 seconds on the clock, Dotson drew Stipanovich's fifth foul and demonstrated her prowess on the line with two pinpoint throws, bringing her squad within six. Two misses from the line for the Quakers set the Bison up to draw even closer, but Dotson's three-point attempt with 26.4 on the clock fell just short.

Bucknell shot 40.4 percent (19-of-47) from the field in the contest, while holding Penn to 39.1 percent (25-of-64). The Bison also held the advantage from long range and at the line, while the Quakers won the battle on the glass with a 42-32 edge.

Looking Ahead
Bucknell will open up Patriot League play in the new year, returning to action on Thursday, Jan. 2 for its 7 p.m. conference opener at American. The Bison will return to Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday, Jan. 8 for a 5 p.m. contest against the Lafayette Leopards.