Bucknell University Athletics
Patriot League Second Round Opens Saturday with Bucknell Women's Basketball vs. Army
2/8/2013 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2013
| Bucknell (13-9, 4-3 PL) vs. Army (16-6, 5-2 PL) Women's Basketball |
| WHERE: Lewisburg, Pa., Sojka Pavilion |
| WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. |
| RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM and SportsJuice.com |
STREAMING VIDEO: Bison Vision  |
LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker  |
COMPLETE GAME NOTES  |
ABOUT THE GAME
Bucknell women's basketball hosts Army at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Sojka Pavilion on a day packed full of events. The Bison will be sponsoring their Play 4Kay outing t and they encourage fans to wear pink to the game to join them in their support the fight against breast cancer. The annual alumni game is also slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday, featuring some of the program's most prolific scorers.
All the Bison-Black Knights action can be found on the radio (WVBU 90.5 FM) and online (SportsJuice.com) with Danny Will doing the play-by-play duties. Live stats on GameTracker and streaming video on Bison Vision are also available at BucknellBison.com.
WITH A VICTORY AGAINST ARMY, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• Collect its 14th win for the first time since the 2008-09 squad finished the season with an 16-12 record.
• Avoid its longest losing streak to the Black Knights since dropping five straight from 1984-92.
• Tie the Black Knights for at worst third place in the Patriot League standings at 5-3.
• Improve to 19-6 at home all-time vs. the Black Knights.
QUICK FACTS
• As of Feb. 7, Bucknell ranked 14th in FG% defense (.340) and 17th nationally in rebounding margin (+8.5).
• Bucknell leads the Patriot League in rebounding offense (41.9) and defensive rebounds (28.9).
• On Jan. 30 American was the first Bucknell opponent to score 60+ points at Sojka Pavilion since Longwood scored 60 on Dec. 15. Foes are averaging 51.7 ppg in the last six games at Sojka. The Bison have held six of their last nine opponents overall to fewer than 60 points.
• In the five games since registering a double-double (10 pts.-11 reb.) vs. Colgate on Jan. 16, Lindsay Horbatuck is averaging 6.8 points and 10.4 rebounds. She is averaging 13.3 rebounds in the last three games.
• At Army on Jan. 12, Shelby Romine became the 22nd player in program history to record her 900th career point.
• Audrey Dotson was named the Anaconda Patriot League Player of the Week on Jan. 7 for the second time this season (also 12/17). Shelby Romine was also named the league's Player of the Week on Dec. 27.
• Bucknell has 13 wins this season (13-9). The Bison totaled five all of last year (5-25).
• Felicia Mgbada finished her junior year ranked seventh at Bucknell in single-season blocked shots (39). She now ranks eighth in career blocks (86).
• 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.
LAST MEETING WITH ARMY - JAN. 12, 2013
• Jan. 12, 2013: Army 68, Bucknell 60 (Christl Arena)
• After trailing by 18 points, the Bison made a late run and outscored the Black Knights 17-4 during one second-half stretch. The spurt saw them draw to within just five points with less than a minute left to play, but the comeback bid fell short on the road.
• Audrey Dotson led the Bison with 19 points. Shelby Romine added 16, including 13 in the second half.
• During their run, the Bison got a bit of help from the Black Knights' foul shooting as they struggled to hit their shots. Army shot 5-for-11 from the line in the game's final five minutes. Bucknell simply had too much ground to cover and was unable to come up with the victory in its league opener.
• Dotson was responsible for much of the early offense as the forward had eight of her team's 11 points after just seven minutes had ticked off the clock. Bucknell then suffered a scoring drought that left it slipping father behind. The Bison went nearly six minutes between scores and 7:54 between field goals.
• Army benefitted from its 3-point shooting. After shooting 4-for-12 (.333) from behind the arc in the first half, the Black Knights were 9-for-23 (.391) at the end of the game. The Bison finished the game 2-for-12 (.167) from 3-point distance, the only buckets coming from Romine in the first and Dotson during the late run.
• Lindsay Horbatuck led all players with 12 rebounds although Bucknell lost the battle of the boards overall, 38-36. It was the first time in 14 games the Bison did not outrebound their opponent.
ABOUT THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army wrapped up the first round of Patriot League play tied with American for second in the conference standings. The Black Knights currently have a 16-6 record overall and are 5-2 in the Patriot League. They opened conference play with four straight wins, following their victory over Bucknell with wins over Lafayette (63-43), Navy (53-42) and Colgate (51-48). Army then lost to American (45-42) and Holy Cross (51-46) in back-to-back outings before righting itself for a win at Lehigh (61-56) on Saturday.
Kelsey Minato has made quite the name for herself in her freshman season. The rookie leads the league in scoring (16.0) and free throw percentage (.913). She has been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week seven times this year, including each of the last four weeks.
HISTORY VS. ARMY
• Bucknell has a 31-20 advantage in the all-time series against Army. Most of those have come in Lewisburg, where the Bison have an 18-6 advantage. While Bucknell has a -0.2 scoring margin at West Point, that number improves to +4.9 on its own home court.
• The last three games between Bucknell and Army have seen unusually high scoring totals. In those three contests, at least one team reached the 60-point mark. Prior to this stretch, neither team had scored 60 points since Feb. 24, 2007 when Army won 61-57. In the last three games in the series, Bucknell is averaging 60.0 points compared to 65.0 for Army. In the previous 10 games, going back to the start of the 2008 season, the Bison averaged 51.4 points while the Black Knights were at 46.5. Bucknell is 1-6 against Army since 2004 when the Black Knights score 60 points or more.
• The last time the Bison defeated the Black Knights was in the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinals on March 3, 2011. Hosting the first women's basketball postseason game in program history, fourth-seeded Bucknell knocked off Army 54-40 at Davis Gym. Shelby Romine had 19 points as the Bison shot .472 from the field and held the Black Knights to a .232 field goal percentage.
• Recent Results (Home games in italics):
Feb. 16, 2011 Bucknell, 44-40
March 5, 2011 Bucknell, 54-40 (PL Tournament)
Jan. 7, 2012 Army, 67-64
Feb. 4, 2012 Army, 60-56
Jan. 12, 2013 Army, 68-60
LAST TIME OUT
• Feb. 2, 2013: Navy 61, Bucknell 40 (Alumni Hall)
• Shooting struggles and turnovers were too much to overcome as Bucknell dropped a 21-point decision at Navy. The Bison finished with a .320 (16-50) field goal percentage for the game but were at just .200 (5-25) in the second half. They also had 21 turnovers, resulting in 16 points for the Midshipmen.
• Lindsay Horbatuck tallied her 13th career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. It was also her 30th career game with double-digit rebounding totals.
• In a battle between the top two rebounding teams in the Patriot League, Bucknell nipped Navy 35-34. Horbatuck's 11 boards led all players while Navy's Jade Geif and Alix Membreno each had six. Bucknell has outrebounded each of its last five opponents.
• After drawing to within four points of Navy midway through the second half, Bucknell's shooting came to a halt. The Bison failed to score in the final 7:28 of the game.
• Neither team made it to the free throw line often. The Bison finished the night at 3-for-4, and the Mids were 2-for-3. It was the fewest free throws made and attempted in a Bucknell game this season.
PLAY 4KAY - BUCKNELL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL & THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER
Bucknell will be hosting its annual event for the fight against breast cancer on Saturday. Everyone in attendance is encouraged to wear pink, and the first 100 fans will receive free pink pom-poms. The team will also be selling pink long-sleeved t-shirts during the game for $10 each and a basketball autographed by Bucknell women's basketball will be raffled during the contest as well.
To make a donation to the Kay Yow Foundation, please visit play4kay.org
WELCOME BACK - ALUMNI GAME SATURDAY AT 1 P.M.
Bucknell will be hosting its annual alumni game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Sojka Pavilion. Among those scheduled to return are all-time leading scorer Molly Creamer, 2008 Patriot League Tournament MVP Kesha Champion and single-season 3-point field goal record-holder Kate Franks as well as Lindsey Geosits Lee, Jacqueline Seawright Pate, Chiara Sockel Renninger, Lindsey Hollobaugh Rogers, Lori Houck Steigerwald and Jen Winhofer Green to name a few.
BOSS ON THE BOARDS
Lindsay Horbatuck is averaging 13.3 rebounds in her last three games. Of those, 6.0 have come on the offensive glass and 7.3 on the defensive. Horbatuck ranks first in the Patriot League this season in total rebounds (10.7) and offensive rebounds (4.9). She also ranks second in defensive boards (5.9), behind teammate Audrey Dotson (6.0).
BISON IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
As of Feb. 7, Bucknell had moved up in the national statistical rankings. The Bison rank 14th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.340). They were also 17th in rebounding margin (+8.5), 68th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.277) and 75th in free throw percentage (.718). Lindsay Horbatuck ranked 26th nationally in rebounding (10.6), while Audrey Dotson was 101st in rebounding average (8.5).
HORBATUCK LEADING THE WAY ... IN SCORING
Lindsay Horbatuck led Bucknell in scoring at Navy on Feb. 2, totaling 11 points. The senior is now just the fourth different Bison to record the team's game high in scoring, joining Shelby Romine (12 games), Audrey Dotson (7) and Alyssa Dunn (4). Horbatuck is also the first Bison other than Romine and Dotson to lead the team in scoring since the duo shared the team high with 11 points against Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 28.
LOW SCORING TOTALS
With its 61-40 loss to Navy on Feb. 2, Bucknell suffered its first game with less than 50 points since scoring just 47 against Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament last March. The Bison scored 50 or fewer points in 13 games last season.
ON THE BRINK OF 1,000
• Shelby Romine needs just 11 more points to reach 1,000 for her career. The junior is averaging 15.0 points in her career against Army. She has scored fewer than 15 points against the Black Knights just once in her career.
• Romine recorded her 900th career point on Jan. 12 against Army at West Point.
• The last Bison to score 1,000 points was Lauren Schober (2005-09). Schober hit the milestone on Jan. 31, 2009 vs. the Black Knights. Schober was the second Bison in program history to record her 1,000th point against Army. Desire Almind did so on Jan. 23, 2003 at West Point.
• Three Bison have scored their 1,000th career point against Colgate (Molly Creamer, Kirsten Ellison, Kim Delfs). Two have reached 1,000 against Army (Schober, Almind), Lehigh (Juliet McGee, Lindsey Hollobaugh) and Youngstown State (Susie Hopper, Lynne Walshaw).
• Bucknell is 12-9 in games when a player scores her 1,000th or 2,000th point.
ROMINE IN DOUBLES
Shelby Romine has scored in single digits just five times this season and twice in the last three games. Nearly each time, however, she has responded with one of the best scoring nights of her career in the following contest. Romine broke the 20-point barrier following games against Longwood (8 points), Yale (6) and Holy Cross (7).
Romine has scored in all 80 career games and has reached double-digit scoring in 47 of those.
ROLLING ROMINE
With 989 career points, junior guard Shelby Romine has a good look at becoming Bucknell's 20th 1,000-point scorer before her time as a Bison is over. Among Bison who finished their careers with 1,000 points, Romine's 679 was the fifth-highest total after the first two seasons, while her 11.7 scoring average ranks seventh in that group. Of the 19 players currently in the 1,000-point club:
• All-time scoring leader (4 years): Molly Creamer (2,462 points)
• Most points in first two years: Molly Creamer (1,008)
• Highest scoring average after first two years: Molly Creamer (17.4 ppg)
• Fewest points in first two years: Juliet McGee (201)
• Lowest scoring average after first two years: Juliet McGee (4.7 ppg)
• Most recent addition to 1,000-point club: Lauren Schober (2005-09): 1,129 points
900-200 CLUB
With her personal-best eight assists at Canisius on Nov. 17, Shelby Romine became the 19th player in program history to reach career 200 assists. She is also the 13th Bison to have both 900 points and 200 assists in her career.
FREE THROW SHOOTING VS. THE MIDS
• Bucknell and Navy combined to shoot just 5-for-7 from the free throw line on Feb. 2. Bucknell's 3-for-4 were the fewest free throws made and attempted since finishing 0-for-2 against Lehigh at the Patriot League Tournament on March 1, 2012. The Midshipmen's 2-for-3 outing on Saturday marked the fewest made by a Bison opponent since Providence shot 2-for-7 from the line Dec. 29, 2003.
• Bucknell's limited trips to the free throw line against Navy on Feb. 2 was not new. The Bison were 1-for-4 on March 9, 2011. By also shooting 0-for-6 on Feb. 6, 2010, it was the first time in Sojka Pavilion history Bucknell had come up empty at the line. • Bucknell has now lost nine straight to Navy. Prior to that streak, the Bison had
won nine consecutive games against the Mids. During their current losing streak, the Bison are averaging 5.9 free throws on 9.7 attempts. In its nine wins leading up to the current drought, Bucknell made 13.9 free throws per game on 19.0 attempts.
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
The Bison are officially in the homestretch of the season. They will next attempt to complete the sweep over Colgate when they make the trip to Hamilton, N.Y., on Wednesday, Feb. 13. The first time these two teams met this season, Audrey Dotson hit a game-winning jumper as time expired to give Bucknell the 53-51 victory.
