Women's Basketball Set for Weekend Home-and-Home Series with Lafayette

Week 2 Digital Program
Game Notes
2020-21 Media Guide

SERIES GAME ONE
What: Bucknell (2-0, 2-0 PL) at Lafayette (0-2, 0-2 PL)
When: Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m.
Where: Kirby Sports Center - Easton, Pa.
Internet Stream (US): ESPN+ | Internet Stream (International): SIDEARM Sports
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: GoLeopards.com

SERIES GAME TWO
What: Lafayette (0-2, 0-2 PL) at Bucknell (2-0, 2-0 PL)
When: Sunday, Jan. 10 at 4 p.m.
Where: Sojka Pavilion - Lewisburg, Pa. | VIRTUAL SEASON TICKETS
Internet Stream (US): ESPN+ | Internet Stream (International): SIDEARM Sports
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Internet Radio: BucknellBison.com
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com

Bucknell Probable Starters
G: Ally Johnson (5.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 4.0 apg)
G: Taylor O'Brien (16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)
G: Abby Kapp (6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)
F: Tessa Brugler (13.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
F: Autumn Ceppi (7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg)

Headlines
• Bucknell looks to open its season 3-0 for the first time in four years when it visits the Lafayette Leopards on Saturday. With wins on both Saturday and Sunday, Bucknell would begin the season 4-0 for the first time since 2000 when it won its first five contests.
• This weekend's games will be the first Patriot League Central division games for the Bison. Lehigh currently has a 2-0 record in the Central division after sweeping Lafayette last weekend.
• With two more 3-pointers last weekend, senior forward Abby Kapp moved into second all-time in program history with 178 made threes, passing Shelby Romine. She's currently 17 shy of Molly Creamer's all-time mark of 195. Kapp also moved into fifth all-time in 3-point field goal attempts (442).
• Bucknell began receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 following its opening weekend of games. With 27 points, the Bison are six spots out of a Top 25 nod.
• Though just two games into the season, Bucknell currently leads NCAA Division I women's basketball in scoring defense (44.0 ppg), field goal percentage defense (27.5 FG%), and 3-point field goal percentage defense (12.5 3FG%).
• The Leopards dropped to 0-2 on the season and 0-2 in the PL Central division with losses to Lehigh over the weekend.
• Bucknell will face Preseason Player of the Year Natalie Kucowski this weekend. Kucowski posted her 44th and 45th career double-doubles and averaged 15.6 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists through her first two games of the season vs. Lehigh.
• Both Bucknell and Lafayette were dominant on the glass during the first week of action. The Bison enter the weekend with a +12.0 margin, and the Leopards at +8.5.
• Bucknell has won 12 consecutive games against Lafayette, including a pair of double-digit victories last season. The Leopards last knocked off the Bison with an 87-64 win in Easton in 2014.
• Bucknell and Lafayette were both picked to be among the top finishers in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. Bucknell was picked as the number one team, and the Leopards were chosen third with 121 votes.

With a Win Over Lafayette, Bucknell Would...
• ... open the season 3-0 for the first time since 2016.
• ... improve to 1-0 against the Patriot League Central division.
• ... improve to 3-0 against the Leopards under Woodruff.
• ... win its 12th straight game, dating back to last season.
• ... improve to 48-38 in the all-time series vs. Lafayette.
• ... win its 13th consecutive game over Lafayette, matching its longest winning streak against any PL opponent in program history (currently on a 13-game win streak vs. Navy).
• ... win its 12th straight game over a PL opponent, dating back to last season.

Series History with Lafayette
• Bucknell is 47-38 in all-time meetings with Lafayette, dating back to 1977.
• Bucknell defeated the Leopards twice by double digits last season.
• The Bison are 28-13 at home and 19-22 in road games against the Leopards.
• Bucknell has won 12 consecutive games in the series, which is its longest winning streak against the Leopards and its longest current streak against any PL opponent.
• Bucknell defeated Lafayette 50-36 at home before winning 57-47 at Kirby Sports Center last season.
• Taylor O'Brien led Bucknell with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the last meeting with the Leopards. Ally Johnson scored 11 on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
• Bucknell limited Lafayette to under 30% shooting in both of last season's meetings.

Last Time Out
• Bucknell opened its season 2-0 with a pair of wins over Loyola (Md.) over the weekend.
• The Bison put forth a strong offensive effort in Saturday's game, shooting better than 50% in two of four quarters to defeat the Greyhounds 72-44.
• Sunday's game was a defensive struggle in which Bucknell limited Loyola to 21.4% shooting and just 1-for-15 from 3-point range. Bucknell overcame a slow start and first-half deficit to collect the 59-44 win.
• Junior guard Taylor O'Brien led the Bison in scoring over the weekend with 16 ppg, including an 18-point effort on Sunday. Meanwhile, Tessa Brugler notched her fourth-career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds vs. the Greyhounds on Saturday.
• Sophomore forward Carly Krsul put together two of the best performances of her career over the weekend, including a career-high 12 points on Saturday.

Double-Digit Victories
• 22 of Bucknell's last 26 wins have come by double digits.
• Since the start of the 2018-19 season, 44 of Bucknell's 52 wins have come by double digits.
• Bucknell's largest margin of victory was 47 vs. Coppin State (2/10/85).

Patriot League Success
• The Bison have gone 83-10 vs. Patriot League opponents dating back to the start of the 2015-16 season, which includes two Patriot League Tournament titles and four regular season titles. Bucknell also has the best overall record during that span at 128-36.

Overall Success at Sojka Pavilion
• The Bison are an incredible 71-7 at Sojka Pavilion dating back to the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Bucknell has won 12 consecutive games at Sojka Pavilion, dating back to last season.
• Now in its 18th season playing at Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell is 167-74 (.692) on its home court.
• Bucknell finished a perfect 16-0 at Sojka Pavilion in 2016-17, including a 12-0 record against PL opponents. Bucknell has lost just one home game each of the last two seasons.

Up Next
Bucknell is scheduled to face the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Saturday, Jan. 16 and Sunday, Jan. 17. Lehigh was picked fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll and opened the season with a pair of wins over Lafayette last weekend. The weekend series will tip off at 2 p.m. in Stabler Arena on Saturday.

Women's Basketball Set for Weekend Home-and-Home Series with Lafayette

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Players Mentioned

Tessa Brugler

Autumn Ceppi

Ally Johnson

Abby Kapp

Carly Krsul

Taylor O'Brien