Women's Basketball Heads to Annapolis Wednesday for Second Meeting with Navy

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell women's basketball visits Navy on Wednesday to take on the Mids for a second time this season. The Bison are looking to avenge a narrow home loss to the Mids earlier in the season and to get back in the win column after a tough overtime loss to first-place Holy Cross over the weekend.

The Bison are still tied for the best overall record in the Patriot League at 13-5, but their 4-3 conference record has them sitting at fifth in the standings. The Bison have already beaten two of the four teams sitting ahead of them in the league and have yet to play second-place Boston U.

Navy earned its third Patriot League win of the season over the weekend, defeating Army at home on Saturday. Senior Jennifer Coleman, who leads the league in most statistical categories, supplied another 20-point performance in the victory. The Bison will be forced to deal with another Player of the Year candidate after having their hands full with Avery LaBarbera last Saturday.

Making a case for Patriot League Rookie of the Year is Bucknell guard Cecelia Collins, who added another double-digit scoring effort over the weekend and earned her fourth Rookie of the Week award on Monday. Senior Marly Walls is also coming off a double-digit scoring effort, while teammate Taylor O'Brien eclipsed 10 points for a 25^th consecutive game.

Bucknell is also looking to avoid being swept by a Patriot League foe for the first time since 2015.

• Game Notes
• Digital Program
• 2021-22 Media Guide

What: Bucknell (13-5, 4-3 PL) at Navy (6-12, 3-5 PL)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
Where: Alumni Hall – Annapolis, Md.
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: NavySports.com

Last Game's Starters
Sr./G: Marly Walls (7.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.2 apg)
Sr./G: Taylor O'Brien (16.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Jr./G: Tai Johnson (2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.8 apg)
Fr./G: Cecelia Collins (11.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Jr./F: Emma Shaffer (4.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 apg)

With a win over Navy, Bucknell would...
• ... improve to 14-5 overall this season and 5-3 in Patriot League play.
• ... move to 47-12 overall under Woodruff.
• ... move to 8-3 in games away from Sojka this season.
• ... improve to 42-30 all-time against the Mids.
• ... improve to 3-1 against the Mids under Woodruff.
• ... improve to 29-5 in Patriot League play under Woodruff.
• ... move to 270-181 all-time in Patriot League play.

Headlines
• Bucknell heads to Annapolis, Md. to face Navy for a second time this season. The Mids got the better of Bucknell in the first matchup nearly three weeks ago, claiming a 57-55 victory at Sojka Pavilion.
• Bucknell will play four of its next six games on the road. The Bison are playing back-to-back road games this week for the first time since late November.
• Bucknell is looking to get back in the win column following a 63-62 loss to Holy Cross in overtime. It was a back-and-forth affair against the Crusaders, but Holy Cross senior Avery LaBarbera posted one of her best games of the season with 30 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth consecutive double-double.
• The loss to Holy Cross on Sunday marked the first time Bucknell had dropped more than one home game since the 2017-18 season. That was also the last time the Bison lost more than two games in Patriot League play.
• Bucknell rookie guard Cecelia Collins grabbed her second consecutive Patriot League Rookie of the Week award on Monday and her fourth of the season. Collins had another well-rounded week, totaling 25 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. She also added a career-high four steals in the win over Colgate. Collins is Bucknell's first four-time PL Rookie of the Week honoree since Kaitlyn Slagus captured the award five times in 2015-16.
• Senior guard Taylor O'Brien scored in double figures for a 25th consecutive game last time out, and she remains second in the Patriot League in scoring this season (16.8 ppg). O'Brien also leads the Bison in steals (1.8 spg) and minutes (33.4 mpg).
• Junior Carly Krsul is the third Bison averaging double figures this season with 10.9 points per game. She's also second in the Patriot League in blocks (1.8 bpg) and leads the roster in rebounding (6.7 rpg).
• Marly Walls had a standout performance against Holy Cross in the last game, matching her career high with 14 points. 10 of Walls' 14 points came during the first quarter as the senior got off to a hot start with a pair of makes beyond the arc during the opening 10 minutes.
• Bucknell still owns the top scoring defense in the Patriot League and ranks 22nd in the country with 54.9 points allowed per game. Bucknell is also 14th in the country in turnovers per game (12.3).
• Bucknell is also third in the Patriot League in scoring offense (62.6 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.423), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.338) and third in assists per game (13.3).
• Bucknell has been dominant against league opponents for some time and has gone 92-13 in PL play since the start of the 2015-16 season. Under head coach Trevor Woodruff, Bucknell is 28-5 against league opponents during the regular season. 24 of those 28 wins have been by double digits.
• Bucknell went 9-2 in non-conference play, ending that portion of the schedule on an eight-game winning streak. The Bison defeated their last six non-conference opponents by double digits.
• 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 64-14 overall during that stretch.
• Woodruff is in 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 46-12 overall under his direction.

Scouting Navy/Series History
• Navy sits eighth in the Patriot League standings at 6-12 overall and 3-5 in conference play. The Mids are coming off a 61-60 win over Army on Saturday. They also have victories over Bucknell and Colgate this season.
• The Mids currently rank seventh in the league in scoring offense (57.6 ppg) and ninth in scoring defense (66.0 ppg), but the offense has been better in recent weeks. Navy has eclipsed 60 points in each of its last four games after not reaching the mark in its previous four. Meanwhile, the defense has given up 70 or more in three conference games, including 99 points to Lehigh on Jan. 19.
• Navy senior Jennifer Coleman has been sensational throughout the season, leading the Patriot League in scoring (23.6 ppg), rebounding (10.6 rpg), steals (2.9 spg) and ranking second in assists (4.6 apg). She's been named Patriot League Player of the Week three times during the current campaign.
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 41-30 with the Mids, but Navy earned its first win over the Bison since 2018 back on Jan. 5.
• Bucknell led for more than 22 minutes in the most recent game and was up by as many as eight in the final quarter. Taylor O'Brien led the Bison with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Fellow senior Marly Walls was one point shy of a double-double, finishing with a career-high 10 rebounds and six assists.
• It was a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter that helped Navy overcome the 8-point deficit, as Bucknell hit on just 4-of-14 (28.6%) field goals in the final frame. Coleman led the Mids with 22 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and five steals.

Series Record: 41-30
Record at Home: 21-13
Record at Navy: 17-15
Neutral Site Record: 3-2
Trevor Woodruff Record: 2-1
Current Streak: 1 loss
Longest Winning Streak: 13
Longest Losing Streak: 9

Last Time Out
• Bucknell battled through four quarters and an overtime period against Holy Cross at Sojka Pavilion on Saturday, but a missed field goal at the buzzer left the Bison with a 63-62 loss. It was the first overtime game the Bison had played since December 2019, and the loss snapped a streak of four consecutive wins.
• Bucknell saw three players score in double figures, led by 14 from Marly Walls. The senior also finished with five assists, six rebounds and a steal. Taylor O'Brien (12) and Cecelia Collins (11) also eclipsed 10 points, and Carly Krsul had a team-high nine rebounds.
• Holy Cross (12-6, 6-1 PL) senior Avery LaBarbera posted an impressive 30 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth consecutive double-double. The three-time All-Patriot League guard knocked down 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, pacing the Crusaders. As a team, Holy Cross hit 8-of-15 from 3-point range. Both teams shot 38 percent from the field.
• The Bison led 56-55 following a turnaround jumper by Walls with 38 seconds to play in regulation, but LaBarbera made 1-of-2 at the foul line with 23 seconds to go to force the extra frame. Bucknell led again in overtime, 62-61, but LaBarbera had the final made field goal with 24 seconds left, and Bucknell missed its last two attempts before time ran out.

New Notable Career Highs
• Cecelia Collins - 42 minutes played vs. Holy Cross
• Marly Walls - 13 field goal attempts, 40 minutes played vs. Holy Cross
• Emma Shaffer - Eight rebounds, six field goal attempts, 24 minutes played vs. Holy Cross
• Caroline Dingler - Two steals, 22 minutes played vs. Holy Cross

Dominant Defense
• Since head coach Trevor Woodruff's arrival in 2019-20, the Bison have had one of the best scoring defenses in the country. Bucknell allowed just 53.6 points per game during Woodruff's first season, which ranked eighth in NCAA Division I. Last season the Bison allowed 55.5 per game and finished 17th in the country.
• Bucknell currently ranks 22nd in the country and first in the Patriot League with 54.9 points allowed per game. The Bison have held 12 of their 18 opponents to under 60 points this season, and six have been held to under 50.
• Bucknell has held teams to 12 or fewer first-half points three times since the start of the 2019-20 season. Additionally, the Bison have held teams to single digits in 52 quarters during that stretch (excludes overtime periods).

Consistent Patriot League Success
• Bucknell is 92-13 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2015-16 season. The run includes two Patriot League Tournament titles and five first-place finishes in the regular season. Bucknell also has the best overall record in the league during that span at 148-42.

Up Next
Bucknell visits Loyola on Saturday, Jan. 29 for the second of two regular season matchups this season. The Bison defeated the Greyhounds 62-42 at home back on Jan. 8. Saturday's game tips off at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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Women's Basketball Heads to Annapolis Wednesday for Second Meeting with Navy

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Carly Krsul

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Marly Walls

Women's Basketball Heads to Annapolis Wednesday for Second Meeting with Navy

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Carly Krsul

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Marly Walls

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