Women's Basketball Hosts Holy Cross in Patriot League Opening Salvo

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team commences Patriot League play with a prime battle against the Holy Cross Crusaders on Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.

The Bison and the Crusaders split last season's two game series.

Last time out, Bucknell concluded nonconference play with a narrow 58-51 defeat to the Bulls of Buffalo.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell (4-7, 0-0 PL) vs. Holy Cross (8-3, 0-0 PL)
When: Friday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.
Where: Sojka Pavilion-Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com

Last Game's Starters:
Fr./G: Blake Matthews (2.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Fr./G/F: Emma Theodorsson (5.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.5 apg)
So./G: Cecelia Collins (13.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.3 apg)
So./G/F: Isabella King (8.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr./F: Emma Shaffer (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)

With a Win over Holy Cross, Bucknell Would ...
• ... improve to 5-7 on the season.
• ... improve to 4-2 at home.
• ... move to 27-47 all-time against the Crusaders
• ... improve to 4-1 against the Crusaders under Woodruff.
• ... move to 62-24 overall under Woodruff.
• ... improve to 34-7 at home under Woodruff.

Headlines
• Bucknell is looking to start Patriot League play on a strong note as it hosts the Crusaders of Holy Cross. The Bison are 4-7 this season following the Dec. 20 loss against the Buffalo Bulls. The Bison finished non-conference play on a two-game losing streak.
• The Bison are looking to take advantage of familiar pastures. Three of Bucknell's four wins have come in home games. Woodruff is 33-7 at home in his Bucknell career.
• The Bison have relied largely on youth through their first eleven games. In their last six of seven games the Bison have started one freshman, three sophomores and one senior.
• Bucknell finished 24-10 overall and 12-6 in Patriot League play last season. The Bison reached the 2022 Patriot League Championship game playing as the No. 4 seed in the tournament, but they fell 65-54 to No. 2 seed American.
• Bucknell received an at-large bid to the 2022 WNIT and defeated Fordham in the first round before falling to Drexel in the second. Bucknell is the only Patriot League team with two all-time WNIT victories under its belt.
• Bucknell graduated two seniors in the spring, including two-time First Team All-Patriot League guard Taylor O'Brien and 2022 PL All-Defensive Team member Marly Walls. O'Brien led the Bison in scoring over the past two seasons, scored the fifth-most single-season point in program history as a senior (567) and graduated ranking 21st on Bucknell's all-time scoring list (1,125).
• Bucknell sophomore Cecelia Collins was voted to the 2022 Preseason All-Patriot League Team. She was a Second Team All-League selection last year. This is the first time since 2011 Bucknell has not returned a junior or senior All-League player.
• Bucknell was picked fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. It's the first time since 2015-16 Bucknell was not picked in the top three. The Bison have gone 100-16 in league play since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Senior Emma Shaffer, junior Caroline Dingler and sophomore Cecelia Collins were named captains ahead of the 2022-23 season.
• Head coach Trevor Woodruff is in his fourth season at Bucknell. He was named PL Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons.
• Following the retirement of assistant coach Jim Reed during the offseason, Kelly Mazzante was elevated to associate head coach, and former manager of basketball operations LaSashia Connelly was named an assistant coach. Molly Gillis joined the staff during the offseason as the program's new manager of ops.

Scouting Holy Cross
• The Crusaders are 8-3, earning victories over Merrimack, New Hampshire, Connecticut College, Dartmouth, Brown, Northeastern, Stonehill, and Massachusetts-Lowell. They are on a one-game losing streak after falling to Vermont.
• This season, Bucknell and Holy Cross share no common opponent outside of the conference foes.
• Holy Cross was selected to finish third place in Patriot League. The Crusaders earned two first place votes.
• Holy Cross has three players averaging in double digits for scoring: Bronagh Cassidy-Power (11.3), Lindsay Berger (11.0), and Janelle Allen (11.0).
Lindsay Berger leads the team with 83 rebounds.
• Berger also leads the team in free throw percentage (.816).
• Holy Cross is led by 3rd year head coach Maureen Magarity, who owns a 35-22 career record with the team.

Series History with The Crusaders
• Holy Cross leads 47-26 in the all-time series with Bucknell, which dates back to 1991.
• Holy Cross' last win over Bucknell came in 2022.
• Bucknell is 3-1 against the Crusaders during the Trevor Woodruff era.

Series History with Holy Cross (Last Six Games)
1/23/19         at Holy Cross     L, 60-61
3/14/19         Holy Cross         W, 66-31
1/11/20         at Holy Cross     W, 51-40
2/19/20         Holy Cross         W, 63-45
1/22/22         Holy Cross         L, 62-63 (OT)
2/12/22 at Holy Cross     W, 66-49

Series Record: 47-26
Record at Home: 17-17
Record at Holy Cross: 8-28
Neutral Site Record: 1-2
Trevor Woodruff Record: 3-1
Current Streak: 1 win
Longest Winning Streak: 4

Last Time Out
• Bucknell gave the Buffalo Bulls a 40-minute fight as they battled the MAC foe to a 58-51 defeat. It was a thrilling rematch of last season's Bucknell victory.
• Bucknell held the lead for the majority of the game until the fourth quarter when Buffalo pulled away.
• It was a mostly whistle free game. The Bison only shot three free throws to Buffalo's nine chances. It was the first game after third straight contests where Bucknell had vastly more chances at the charity stripe than the opposition.
• The Bison were led by Collins who posted 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Isabella King added nine points with three boards. Emma Shaffer also scored nine points. Buffalo had three scorers in double digits and were led by Jazmine Young with 16 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. BUFFALO
None

STREAKS OF NOTE
Emma Shaffer — starts (45)
Cecelia Collins — starts (45)

Up Next

Bucknell hits the road for a Patriot League matchup against Boston U. on Jan. 2 at 2 p.m.

Bucknell University Athletics

Women's Basketball Hosts Holy Cross in Patriot League Opening Salvo

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Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Blake Matthews

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Emma Theodorsson

Marly Walls

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