Bucknell Visits Fordham Friday Night for First Round of WNIT

LEWISBURG, Pa. – For the first time since 2018, the Bucknell women's basketball team will take part in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Bison will visit the Fordham Rams at Rose Hill Gym in Bronx, N.Y. for its first-round matchup.

It's Bucknell's eighth appearance in a national postseason tournament altogether, and the Bison are seeking their second-ever win in the WNIT. Bucknell has put together a strong 2021-22 campaign, racking up 23 victories and reaching the Patriot League title game after going 12-6 in conference play. Now it will look to keep the season going when it challenges former Patriot League foe Fordham Friday evening.

This will be Bucknell's first national postseason tournament game under head coach Trevor Woodruff, who has been outstanding in such contests throughout his career. While at Scranton, he reached the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen twice, the Elite Eight once, and the Final Four in 2019.

• Bucknell Game Notes
• Bucknell 2021-22 Media Guide

What: Bucknell (23-9, 12-6 PL) at Fordham (18-10, 8-6 A10)
When: Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m.
Where: Rose Hill Gym - Bronx, N.Y.
Streaming: ESPN3
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: Fordhamsports.com
WNIT Bracket: womensnit.com

Spectator Policy: Fordhamsports.com

Last Game's Starters
Sr./G: Marly Walls (7.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)
Sr./G: Taylor O'Brien (16.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 spg)
Fr./G: Cecelia Collins (10.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.8 apg)
Fr./F: Isabella King (4.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.5 spg)
Jr./F: Emma Shaffer (4.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)

With a win over Fordham, Bucknell would...
• ... improve to 2-3 all-time in WNIT games.
• ... advance to the second round of the WNIT to face either Norfolk State or Drexel.
• ... improve to 24-9 overall this season.
• ... move to 57-16 overall under head coach Trevor Woodruff.
• ... win its first national postseason tournament game under Woodruff.
• ... improve to 7-16 all-time against the Rams.

Headlines
• Bucknell received an at-large bid to the WNIT after finishing runner-up in the Patriot League Tournament. The Bison will face Fordham on the road in the first round on Friday in the first meeting between the two teams since 2017.
• Bucknell is 1-3 all-time in WNIT appearances, last making the tournament in 2018. Bucknell is one of only two Patriot League teams to win a WNIT game.
• First Team All-Patriot League and All-Tournament Team selection Taylor O'Brien ranks 21st on Bucknell's all-time scoring list with 1,079 points. Her 521 points in 2021-22 are eighth-most by a Bison in a single season, her 196 made field goals rank seventh, and her 485 field goal attempts are fourth. O'Brien played in her 100th career game on Sunday.
• Senior Marly Walls scored in double figures for a 12th time this season against American on Sunday while grabbing seven rebounds. Walls has 109 assists on the season and is 10 shy of tying Lynne Walshaw '89 for 10th-most in a single campaign.
• Junior Emma Shaffer had a career day against American on Sunday, posting career bests in points (12) and rebounds (12). Shaffer has started all 32 games this season.
• Rookie Isabella King, who entered the starting lineup just seven games ago, has made 20 of her last 31 3-point field goal attempts and has made five threes in three of the last six games.
• O'Brien and rookie Cecelia Collins were both named tothe Patriot League All-Tournament Team on Sunday. It's the second consecutive year O'Brien has made the list.
• Bucknell ranks 11th in the nation in turnovers committed per game (12.0). The Bison have posted 10 or fewer turnovers in 12 games this season.
• The Bison were 106th in the latest NET rankings. Fordham is 67th.
• Bucknell has had one of the most dominant defenses in the nation since head coach Trevor Woodruff's arrival in 2019. The Bison currently rank 14th in the country in scoring defense (54.5) and have been in the top 17 three years in a row.
• 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.
• 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 56-16 overall under his direction.

Scouting Fordham
• Fordham went 18-8 during the regular season and 8-6 in Atlantic 10 play. The Rams were also 11-2 in home games in 2021-22.
• The Rams finished sixth in the Atlantic 10 and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament before falling to eventual-champion UMass 66-63 on March 4.
• The Rams are making their 10th appearance in the WNIT and their fourth over the last six years.
• Fordham averages 62.1 points per game and allows 57.5 per game. Leading the Rams' scoring effort is junior Anna DeWolfe (18.0 ppg). Senior Asiah Dingle (14.5 ppg) and fifth-year Kendell Heremaia (11.4 ppg) are also averaging double figures. DeWolfe and Dingle were both named to All-Atlantic 10 teams.
• Fordham head coach Stephanie Gaitley is in her 11th season in the Bronx and owns a 220-122 record with the team.
• Bucknell has shared four common opponents with Fordham this season – Lafayette, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Mason and St. Bonaventure. The Bison and the Rams both went undefeated against those four.

Series History with the Rams
• Bucknell and Fordham have a long history as former Patriot League foes from 1990-95. The Rams lead the all-time series 16-6, but the Bison have won three of the last five matchups. Fordham is also 9-1 when playing the Bison at home.
• Bucknell is 25-41 all-time against the Atlantic 10 and has won six in a row against the conference, including victories over St. Bonaventure and George Mason this season.
• Bucknell last faced Fordham on Dec. 17, 2017. The Bison held a double-digit lead early on, but Fordham used a 17-point run between the first and second quarters to pull in front. Three Bison scored in double figures, including a team-high 21 points from Kate Walker.
• Bucknell's last win over the Rams was a 49-39 defensive battle at home in 2011.

Series Record: 6-16
Record at Home: 4-5
Record at Fordham: 1-9
Neutral Site Record: 1-2
Trevor Woodruff Record: 0-0
Current Streak: 1 loss
Longest Winning Streak: 2
Longest Losing Streak: 7

Bucknell in the WNIT
• Bucknell secured its spot in WNIT for a fourth time in program history and for the first time since 2018. The Bison are 1-3 all-time in WNIT games.
• Bucknell defeated Akron 74-70 on the road in 2016 for its first victory in the tournament. It went on to face Michigan in the second round and fell 95-72. Most recently, Bucknell fell 83-50 at West Virginia in the first round in 2018.
• Bucknell is one of only two Patriot League teams to earn a win in the WNIT. Navy defeated George Washington in the first round of the WNIT in 2017.
• Fellow Patriot League team Holy Cross also appeared in the WNIT this year and fell to Columbia in the first round. It's just the third time multiple Patriot League teams have appeared in the tournament in the same year.

Date        Round   Result                              Location
3/15/07    First        Hartford 70, Bucknell 54 Chase Arena (Hartford, Conn.)
3/17/16    First        Bucknell 74, Akron 70       James A. Rhoades Arena (Akron, Ohio)
3/17/16    Second   Michigan 95, Bucknell 72 Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
3/15/18    First        West Virginia 83, Bucknell 50 WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W.Va.)

Last Time Out
• Bucknell's Patriot League championship hopes were dashed on Sunday afternoon at Bender Arena, as second-seeded American held off the fourth-seeded Bison 65-54 to claim the 2022 crown. Bucknell, which defeated American in the 2019 championship game at Sojka Pavilion, was denied its fifth Patriot League title.
• Senior Taylor O'Brien led Bucknell with 20 points, and classmate Marly Walls tallied 10 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Junior Emma Shaffer recorded her first career double-double, setting personal bests with 12 points and 12 rebounds. American's First Team All-Patriot Leaguer, Jade Edwards, recorded a team-high 21 points, while Third Team pick Taylor Brown had 18.
• Bucknell, which reached the title game following wins over Lehigh in the quarterfinals and Navy in the semis, shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) while going 2-for-12 from beyond the arc. American shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55), 3-for-9 from the arc, and went 12-for-12 at the charity stripe.
• The Bison cut a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit down to four at 57-53 on an O'Brien layup with 1:46 to go, but that would be Bucknell's final field goal of the day. American went 6-for-6 from the line in the final stages and finished the game on an 8-1 run. Bucknell led by as many as 10 (16-6) in the first quarter.

New Notable Career Highs
• Emma Shaffer - 12 points, 12 rebounds, 28 minutes played vs. American.
• Isabella King - 36 minutes minutes played vs. American.

Patriot League Postseason Awards
• Bucknell had three players receive Patriot League postseason honors for a ninth consecutive season when the league announced awards on Friday. It's also the ninth straight season Bucknell has had a player named First Team All-League.
• Taylor O'Brien - First Team All-Patriot League
... Two-time First Team selection ...
• Cecelia Collins - Second Team All-Patriot League, All-Rookie Team
... First Bucknell freshman named to First, Second or Third Team since 2001 ... First All-Rookie since 2018 ...
• Marly Walls - All-Defensive Team
... Third All-Defensive Player in two years ...

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 14th in the country and first in the Patriot League with 54.5 points allowed per game. The Bison have held opponents to 60 or fewer points in 24 of their 32 games, and 11 have been held to under 50.
• Bucknell has held teams to 20 or fewer first-half points 10 times this season and 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 67 quarters over the past three seasons (excludes overtime periods).

Up Next
With a win over Fordham, Bucknell will advance to the second round of the WNIT to face the winner of Drexel and Norfolk State. Second round games are played March 19-22.

Bucknell Visits Fordham Friday Night for First Round of WNIT

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Isabella King

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Kate Walker

Marly Walls

Bucknell Visits Fordham Friday Night for First Round of WNIT

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Isabella King

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Kate Walker

Marly Walls

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