Women's Basketball Hosts Lafayette Sunday, Celebrates Senior Day and NGWSD

Sunday, February 6

Lewisburg, Pa.

5 p.m.

Bucknell University

Lafayette

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Women's Basketball Hosts Lafayette Sunday, Celebrates Senior Day and NGWSD

2/5/2022 3:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

SPECTATOR POLICY: Bison Athletics and the Bucknell women's basketball team are pleased to welcome fans back to Sojka Pavilion this season. Please note that Bucknell's spectator policy recently changed, and proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test is now required for entry. CLICK HERE for more details on the updated policy.

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell women's basketball is back at Sojka Pavilion on Sunday to host Lafayette for the first time this season. It's also Senior Day and National Girls & Women in Sports Day, making for a celebration-packed Sunday evening.

Bucknell and Lafayette have a history that dates back to 1977, and the Bison have had the upper hand in recent years as winners of 14 straight in the series. Bucknell won both meetings last season by a combined 63 points and last fell at home to the Leopards in 2013.

After jumping out to a 3-0 start in Patriot League play, Lafayette has lost seven straight games. Lafayette is looking to climb out of seventh place in league standings. Meanwhile, the Bison are also looking to get back into the top three in the league after dropping two spots with a loss on Wednesday.

Bucknell has lost two in a row on the home court but has the opportunity to improve to 7-3 in Sojka before hitting the road for back-to-back away games next week.

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

What: Bucknell (15-6, 6-4 PL) vs. Lafayette (7-13, 3-7 PL)
When: Sunday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.
Where: Sojka Pavilion - Lewisburg, Pa.
TV: SECV8
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: B ucknellBison.com

NGWSD

Last Game's Starters
Sr./G: Marly Walls (7.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Sr./G: Taylor O'Brien (16.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Jr./G: Tai Johnson (2.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.7 apg)
Fr./G: Cecelia Collins (11.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)
Jr./F: Emma Shaffer (4.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 apg)

With a win over Lafayette, Bucknell would...
• ... improve to 16-6 overall this season and 7-4 in Patriot League play.
• ... move to 49-13 overall under Woodruff.
• ... move 7-3 at home this season.
• ... improve to 50-38 all-time against the Leopards.
• ... collect a 15th straight win over the Leopards.
• ... improve to 5-0 against the Leopards under Woodruff.
• ... improve to 31-6 in Patriot League play under Woodruff.
• ... move to 272-182 all-time in Patriot League play.

Headlines
• Bucknell is back at Sojka Pavilion on Sunday to host the Lafayette Leopards. The Bison are looking for their 15th consecutive win in the series and to improve their position in the Patriot League standings.
• Bucknell is also seeking its first home win since Jan. 16, having lost the last two in Sojka. The three losses the Bison have at home this season are already as many as they combined for over the previous three seasons.
• The Bison have been outstanding defensively throughout the season, and the 67 points they gave up to Boston U. on Wednesday were a rare exception. Bucknell is giving up just 52.4 points per game in league play, and its scoring defense for the season (54.4 ppg) is 16th in the country.
• Bucknell committed a season-low six turnovers last time out, and its 12.4 turnovers per game this season is good enough for 15th in the country. The Bison have turned it over 10 or fewer times in seven outings this year.
• Junior Carly Krsul led Bucknell in scoring for a second consecutive game on Wednesday, pouring in a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. She 's been in double figures 15 times this season. She added eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks as well.
• Senior Taylor O'Brien was back in double figures against Boston as well after failing to hit the mark last Saturday for the first time in over 20 games. O'Brien is third in the Patriot League in points per game (16.1) and is four away from the 900th point of her career.
• Rookie Cecelia Collins was impressive yet again in Bucknell's last game, racking up 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and three assists. Collins, a four-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week selection, is averaging 4.2 assists per game in league play.
• Bucknell has been dominant against league opponents for some time and has gone 94-14 in PL play since the start of the 2015-16 season. Under head coach Trevor Woodruff, Bucknell is 30-6 against league opponents during the regular season. 26 of those 30 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 66-14 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 48-12 overall under his direction.
• It's a busy day at Sojka on Sunday as the Bison will celebrate both National Girls & Women in Sports Day and Senior Day. Buckenll will recognize the careers of seniors Marly Walls and Taylor O'Brien. The pair carries a 76-19 overall record and a 46-8 mark in league play since arriving at Bucknell. Additionally, girls and women of all ages will receive free admission on Sunday.

Scouting Lafayette/Series History
• Lafayette enters Sunday's contest seventh in the Patriot League at 7-13 overall and 3-7 in league play. After opening the league schedule with three straight wins, the Leopards have dropped each of their last seven. Lafayette is coming off a 59-55 loss to Holy Cross on Wednesday.
• The Leopards have struggled offensively this season, sitting ninth in the league in scoring offense (53.6 ppg). The Leopards are third in the league in scoring defense (57.8 ppg) and second in opponent field goal percentage (36.5%).
• Junior guard Jessica Booth leads the Leopards with 11.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. Senior forward Naomi Ganpo leads the group in rebounding with 7.7 boards per contest.
• Lafayette head coach Kia Damon-Olson is in her fifth season with the team and owns a 46-77 career record. She guided the Leopards to an 11-7 finish in league play in 2019-20.
• Bucknell's rivalry with Lafayette is its longest against any Patriot League team, first meeting Feb. 19, 1977. Bucknell holds a 49-38 all-time lead in the series, including a 29-13 record at home. Bucknell has also taken each of the last 14 meetings, which is its longest-ever streak against a league opponent.
• Bucknell and Lafayette met twice last season, including a 79-45 win at Sojka in the most recent matchup. The Bison shot 53.8 percent both from the field (28-of-52) and from beyond the arc (7-of-13). Then-junior Taylor O'Brien went 9-of-12 for 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Then-sophomore Carly Krsul also scored nine points for the Bison.

Series Record: 49-38
Record at Home: 29-13
Record at Lafayette: 20-22
Neutral Site Record: 0-3
Trevor Woodruff Record: 4-0
Current Streak: 14 wins
Longest Winning Streak: 14

Last Time Out
• Carly Krsul posted a career-high 18 points and eight rebounds, and Taylor O'Brien registered 14 points and nine rebounds, but it was not enough as Bucknell fell to first-place Boston U. 67-58 Wednesday evening at Sojka Pavilion.
• Bucknell forced nine turnovers in the first quarter to open a 15-7 edge after 10 minutes of play. Boston U. responded by outscoring Bucknell 20-4 in the second quarter to lead 27-19 at halftime. The Bison did not score over the final 7:53 of the second stanza.
• The game was close throughout the second half, although Bucknell was never able to draw even. The Bison got as close as 41-39 late in the third quarter.
• The Terriers, who finished the game with 15 turnovers, held a 42-27 edge on the boards, with Caitlin Weimar pulling down a game-high 11.

New Notable Career Highs
• Carly Krsul - 18 points vs. Boston U.
• Julie Kulesza - 29 minutes played vs. Boston U.

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 16th in the country and first in the Patriot League with 54.4 points allowed per game. The Bison have held 14 of their 21 opponents to under 60 points this season, and eight 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 56 quarters during that stretch (excludes overtime periods).

Overall Success at Sojka Pavilion
• The Bison are an incredible 81-11 at Sojka Pavilion since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Now in its 20th season playing at Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell is 177-78 (.694) on its home court.
• Bucknell finished a perfect 16-0 at Sojka Pavilion in 2016-17.
• The Bison are currently 6-3 in Sojka this season and 24-5 during the Trevor Woodruff era.

Up Next
Bucknell is back on the road for two away games next week. The Bison head to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Feb. 9 to take on American. Bucknell won 62-52 against the Eagles at home back in January. Wednesday's game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.