Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Ohio State
Women's Basketball Begins 2021-22 Campaign at No. 17/25 Ohio State Wednesday
11/8/2021 10:41:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's basketball team opens its 49th season of competition on Wednesday when it visits #17/25 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. It's the second time in three seasons the season opener has been played against a Power 5 conference opponent, and the matchup kicks off a six-game road swing to begin the season. Bucknell enters the 2021-22 campaign with a roster packed with youthful talent, captained by veterans Taylor O'Brien and Marly Walls. Bison head coach Trevor Woodruff enters his third season in Lewisburg sporting a 33-7 record with the team.
• 2021-22 Season Preview
• Digital Program
• Game Notes
What: Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 PL) at #17/25 Ohio State (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
When: Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
Where: Schottenstein Center – Columbus, Ohio
Streaming: B1G+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Bucknell Potential Starters (2020-21 Stats)
Sr./G: Marly Walls (2.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr./G: Taylor O'Brien (16.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Jr./G: Tai Johnson (1.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.9 apg)
Fr./G: Cecelia Collins (-- ppg, -- rpg, -- apg)
Jr./F: Carly Krsul (6.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.5 apg)
With a win over Ohio State, Bucknell would...
• … win its season opener for the seventh time in the last eight years.
• … improve to 24-25 all-time in season openers.
• … win its seventh straight road game.
• … defeat a Power 5 conference opponent for the first time in program history.
• … improve to 34-7 overall under head coach Trevor Woodruff.
Headlines
• Bucknell opens its 49th season of competition on Wednesday with a road game at Ohio State. It's the second time under head coach Trevor Woodruff the Bison have opened a season at a Power 5 conference opponent.
• The Buckeyes were selected 17th in the Associated Press Preseason Poll and 25th in the WBCA Coaches Poll. They won nine of their last 10 games in 2020-21 to finish seventh in the Big Ten with a 13-7 overall record.
• The Bison played a conference-only schedule last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bucknell faced just three different opponents due to cancelations and posted an undefeated regular season (8-0) for the first time in program history. Bucknell fell to eventual-champion Lehigh in the Patriot League semifinals, snapping an 18-game winning streak that dated back to 2019-20. The Bison previously defeated the Mountain Hawks in all four regular season meetings.
• Bucknell finished among the top 3 in the Patriot League in a number of statistical categories last season, including scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, rebounding margin, and more. Additionally, the Bison ranked second in the nation in assist/turnover ratio, fifth in turnovers, sixth in free-throw percentage and first in turnovers per game.
• Bucknell has seen some of its most successful seasons in program history over recent years, including five first-place regular season finishes and two Patriot League Championship titles in the last seven seasons. Bucknell has finished atop the conference in the regular season in each of the last three, going 61-13 overall during that stretch.
• Bison head coach Trevor Woodruff is entering his third season with the team, and he was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in each of his first two. Bucknell has gone 24-2 in Patriot League play under his direction.
• Bucknell lost four starters to graduation in the spring and is entering the 2021-22 season with seven underclassmen. Just two returning players have starts in their careers. Bucknell's most decorated returner, Taylor O'Brien, was a First Team All-Patriot League selection last season after finishing fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.3 points per game. She was also second on the roster in rebounding.
• Bucknell is currently receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Bison ranked as high as 14 in the poll last season.
• Bucknell will play its first six games of the season on the road before returning to Sojka Pavilion on Dec. 1 to host Saint Francis in the home opener
Series History with Ohio State/Big Ten Opponents
• Wednesday will be the first-ever meeting between Bucknell and Ohio State.
• Bucknell is 0-19 all-time against current Big Ten teams, having faced Rutgers, Penn State, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
• Most recently, the Bison faced both Maryland and Rutgers during the 2016-17 season. Bucknell narrowly fell 57-53 at Rutgers that year before losing to Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Patriot League Preseason Poll
• The Bison were picked to finish third in the Patriot League in the preseason poll, one spot behind last season's runner-up Boston U. and two spots behind reigning league champion Lehigh.
• The Bison were picked first in five of the last seven years. They were also picked third prior to the 2019-20 season when they won the regular season title by a four-game margin.
• Bucknell is 88-10 in league play since the start of the 2015-16 season
Bucknell's Preseason Honors
• Senior Taylor O'Brien was voted one of the top five players in the conference as she was named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• O'Brien was a First Team All-Patriot League selection in 2021 as well as a member of the 2021 All-Tournament Team. She finished fourth in the league in scoring (16.3) while averaging 6.1 rebounds per game. O'Brien also finished 18th in the country in free-throw percentage (.871).
• The senior has started 19 of the last 21 games, including every game last season when she posted three double-doubles in 10 appearances.
Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Jade Edwards, American, Sr., G
Taylor O'Brien, Bucknell, Sr., G
Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Frannie Hottinger, Lehigh, Jr., G/F
Jennifer Coleman, Navy, Sr., G
Patriot League Preseason Poll
Lehigh – 152 (12 first-place votes)
Boston University – 141 (3)
Bucknell – 132 (4)
American – 120 (1)
Holy Cross – 93
Navy – 84
Army – 72
Lafayette – 51
Loyola Maryland – 28
Colgate - 27
Streaks of Note
• Road wins - 6 in a row
• Patriot League play - 16 consecutive wins
• Taylor O'Brein - 7 consecutive games scoring in double figures
Double-Digit Victories
• 27 of Bucknell's last 33 wins have been by double digits. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, 49 of the team's 59 wins have been by a double-digit margin.
• Bucknell's largest margin of victory was 47 vs. Coppin State in 1985. Bucknell's largest margin of victory last season was 34 when it defeated Lafayette 79-45.
Next Up
• The Bison have a week off before traveling to Teaneck, N.J. to face Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday, Nov. 17 for their second game of the season.
• The Bison are 5-0 all-time against the Knights, last meeting in 2015.
• The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on NEC Front Row.
