Women's Basketball Heads to the Charm City to Play Loyola

Lewisburg, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team returns to the road this week to play Patriot League foe, Loyola Maryland, in a midweek matchup on Jan. 11. The Bison are 5-10 overall and 1-3 in Patriot League play after defeating Lafayette on Sunday. The Loyola Greyhounds are 7-8 overall and 2-2 in Patriot League competition. Loyola, which won five games last season, has already surpassed that mark. The tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell (5-10, 1-3 PL) vs. Loyola (7-8, 2-2 PL)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.
Where: Baltimore, Md.-Reitz Arena
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com

Last Game's Starters:
Jr./G: Caroline Dingler (0.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.6 apg)
Fr./G/F: Emma Theodorsson (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.5 apg)
So. F/G: Isabella King (7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr./G: Tai Johnson (5.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr./F: Emma Shaffer (8.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.7 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER LOYOLA, BUCKNELL WOULD ...
• ... improve to 6-10 on the season.
• ... improve to 2-7 on the road
• ... move to 25-8 all-time against the Greyhounds.
• ... improve to 7-1 against the Greyhounds under Woodruff.
• ... move to 63-27 overall under Woodruff.
• ... improve to 26-19 on the road under Woodruff.

HEADLINES
• Bucknell found momentum during the second week of Patriot League play as the Bison defeated the Leopards of Lafayette, 56-44. The Bison are now 5-10 and 1-3 in Patriot League this season following the win against Lafayette. The Bison snapped the five-game losing streak by defeating Lafayette.
• The Bison are looking to protect their six-game winning streak over Loyola Maryland.
• The Bison relied largely on youth through their first thirteen games. The majority of recent starters have been a mixture of combinations and classes due to injuries.
• Emma Shaffer equaled 300 career rebounds against Boston U. on Jan. 2, 2023, and Isabella King collected her 100th career rebound against Lehigh on Jan. 5, 2023.
• 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 the 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 100-18 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 LOYOLA
• The Greyhounds are 7-8 overall and 2-2 in Patriot League play earning victories over UMBC, Monmouth, Bryant, Delaware State, Hofstra, Colgate, and Army West Point. They were defeated by Niagara, Morgan State, George Mason, Toledo, Mount St. Mary's, Pittsburgh, American, and Holy Cross. They have seesawed wins and losses to open Patriot League play.
• This season, Bucknell and Loyola share zero common opponents outside of the mandated conference foes.
• Loyola was selected to finish ninth in the Patriot League. They lost in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament last season to Lafayette.
• Makayla Andrews is a Swiss Army Knife player as she leads the team in scoring (13.1), assists (2.2), steals (1.7), and 3PT% (.403).
• Lex Therien leads the team in rebounds (9.6)
• Bri Rozzi leads the team in free throw percentage (.857).
• Loyola is led by second-year head coach Danielle O'Banion, who owns a 12-32 career record with the team.

SERIES HISTORY with THE GREYHOUNDS
• Bucknell leads 24-8 in the all-time series with Lafayette, which dates back to 1984.
• Loyola's last win over Bucknell came in 2020.
• Bucknell is 6-1 against Loyola during the Trevor Woodruff era.

Series History with Loyola (Last Six Games)
2/8/20     Loyola           W, 66-42
1/2/21     Loyola              W, 72-44
1/3/21     at Loyola       W, 59-44
3/7/21     Loyola (PLT) W, 65-50
1/8/22     Loyola           W, 62-42
1/29/22 at Loyola       W, 65-40

Series Record: 24-8
Record at Home: 15-2
Record at Loyola: 9-5
Neutral Site Record: 0-1
Trevor Woodruff Record: 6-1
Current Streak: 6 wins
Longest Winning Streak: 6 (2x)

Last Time Out
• Bucknell won its first Patriot League game with a 56-44 defeat of Lafayette. The Bison weathered early struggles to dominate the Leopards. A strong second period gave the Bison a 14-point lead at halftime. At various times in the second half, Bucknell led by as much as 20 points before calling off the dogs.
• Bucknell's defense held Lafayette to single-digit scores in both first-half periods. Lafayette scored 30 points in the second half but most of the points came after the outcome was well-established.
• The Bison shot 10 free throw attempts to Lafayette's 8 attempts. The Bison hit eight while Lafayette converted five chances.
• Bucknell was led by Emma Theodorsson who scored a career-high mark of 23 points. It was the largest amount scored by a Bison this season topping Collins' 22 points against Cornell. The freshman's total was also the second-highest mark by a Patriot League freshman for the 2022-23 season. Tai Johnson posted 10 points to join Theodorsson in double-digit scoring. Shaffer pulled her usual trick of leading the team in rebounds with seven boards. Lafayette had three scorers in double digits and was led by Makayla Andrews and Jessica Booth with 13 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. LAFAYETTE
Emma Theodorsson: Points (23)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Emma Shaffer — starts (49)

Women's Basketball Heads to the Charm City to Play Loyola

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Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Isabella King

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Emma Theodorsson

Marly Walls