Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Loyola
Women's Basketball Pays Visit to Loyola (Md.) Saturday Afternoon
1/24/2020 9:43:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bucknell women's basketball makes the trip to Baltimore, Md. to take on the Loyola Greyhounds in Reitz Arena Saturday afternoon. The Bison have remained undefeated in Patriot League play, having won seven straight games by double-digits. Loyola has struggled to a 1-6 start in conference play, but each game has come down to the wire for the Greyhounds.
Bucknell's red-hot defense is allowing just 42.6 points per game to league opponents and is ranked ninth in the country in points allowed per game this season. The Bison will look to slow down Loyola's Stephanie Karcz, who leads the country in steals and has a pair of triple-doubles this season. The Bison are also facing the Patriot League's top 3-point defense.
What: Bucknell (14-4, 7-0 PL) at Loyola (Md.) (4-14, 1-6 PL)
When:Â Saturday, Jan. 25Â at 2 p.m.
Where: Reitz Arena - Baltimore, Md.
Live Video:Â Patriot League Network
Radio:Â 90.5 WVBU
Internet Radio:Â BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics:Â LoyolaGreyhounds.com
Game Notes
Bucknell Probable Starters
G: Taylor O'Brien (8.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)
G: Ally Johnson (8.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.4 apg)
G: Abby Kapp (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 apg)
F: Tessa Brugler (10.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)
F: Ellie Mack (14.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
With a win over Loyola (Md.), Bucknell would...
• improve to 15-4 for a second straight season.
• improve to 9-3 on the road.
• open Patriot League play 8-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
• improve to 19-7 in the all-time series against the Greyhounds.
• win a fifth straight game over the Greyhounds.
About Bucknell
• Bucknell took a two-game lead in the Patriot League with Wednesday's 66-43 win over Colgate in Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell has now won seven games in a row and 12 of the last 13. 12 of Bucknell's 14 wins have been by double-digits.
• The Bison rank ninth in the country in scoring defense and have allowed no more than 50 points over the last six games. Bucknell is allowing just 29.8 percent shooting in league play.
• Bucknell was ranked 25th in the latest College Insider Mid-Major poll, which was released Tuesday, Jan. 21. The Bison defeated both #19 Lehigh and #22 Drexel by double-digits, and took #11 Stony Brook to double-overtime on the road.
• Tessa Brugler led the Bison in scoring against Colgate for a fifth time this season. Brugler is one of 17 Patriot League players averaging double-figures this season and is in the top five for field goal and free throw percentage. Brugler also has six blocks in the last two contests.
• Ellie Mack scored in double-figures for a fourth straight game and 15th time overall this season on Wednesday. Mack is shooting 57 percent since beginning Patriot League play.
• Abby Kapp is scoring 15.6 points per game over the last three contests and has 12 made 3-pointers during that stretch. Her 2.7 made threes per game leads the league. Kapp totaled nine triples in three meetings with the Greyhounds last season.
• This is the fourth time Bucknell has won its first seven conference games since joining the Patriot League in 1990. It's the first time the team has won all seven by double-digits. Bucknell won its first nine league games in 2017.
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About Loyola (Md.)
• Loyola fell to 1-6 in league play after Wednesday's 63-44 loss at American. The Greyhounds had a lead in the second half but let the game get away in the fourth quarter. Four of Loyola's Patriot League losses were by three points or fewer.
• Three of the Greyhounds' four wins this season have come at Reitz Arena. Those include a 16-point victory over Monmouth, a 16-point win over Dartmouth, and last week's 9-point win over Army.
• Loyola sports the best 3-point shooting defense in the league this season, allowing just .276 from beyond the arc to its opponents. 10 times this season the Greyhounds have held opponents under .300 from the arc and five have shot below .200.
• The Greyhounds have the third-best turnover margin at +2.6. They lead the league in steals with 11.9 per game.
• Senior guard Stephanie Karcz leads the country with 6.2 steals per game this season and has 20 over the last two contests. Karcz, who also leads the Greyhounds in scoring (11.7) and rebounds (9.6), has recorded two triple-doubles this season and four in her career.
• Behind Karcz in scoring in senior guard Alexis Gray. Gray has 11 points in each of the last two games and has scored in double-figures six times.
Series History with Loyola (Md.)
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 18-7 over the Greyhounds.
• Bucknell has four straight games over Loyola and has never lost back-to-back.
• The Bison are 7-4 in games played at Loyola.
• Bucknell last played Loyola on March 11, 2019 when they defeated the Greyhounds 88-63 in the first round of the Patriot League tournament. The Bison shot 56.4 percent, made 12 3-pointers, and put four in double-figures. Ellie Mack led the team with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
Bucknell against the Patriot League
• The Bison have gone 71-8 in Patriot League play dating back to the start of the 2015-16 season, which includes two Patriot League titles. Bucknell also has the best overall record during that span at 116-34.
• Bucknell has won 20 of its last 21 Patriot League games.
Up Next
Bucknell faces Army for a second time this season when it hosts the Black Knights at Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Bucknell defeated Army 63-52 in West Point back on Jan. 2. Wednesday's game tips off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network.
