Women's Basketball Embarks for Saturday's Showdown at Holy Cross

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team journeys to Holy Cross to face the Crusaders, who are undefeated in Patriot League play. Bucknell (6-12, 2-5 PL) faces Holy Cross (15-3, 7-0 PL) for the second time this season. Holy Cross defeated Bucknell 62-45 in Lewisburg on Dec. 30, 2022.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell (6-12, 2-5 PL) vs. Holy Cross (15-3, 7-0 PL)
When: Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.
Where: Lewisburg, Pa.-Sojka Pavilion
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com

Last Game's Starters:
Jr./G: Caroline Dingler (1.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.8 apg)
Fr./G/F: Emma Theodorsson (7.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.4 apg)
So. F/G: Isabella King (6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.8 apg)
Sr./G: Tai Johnson (6.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr./F: Emma Shaffer (9.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.0 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER HOLY CROSS, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 7-11 on the season
• ... improve to 3-7 on the road
• ... move to 27-48 all-time against the Crusaders
• ... improve to 4-2 against the Crusaders under Woodruff
• ... move to 64-29 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 27-19 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell suffered a second-straight loss as the Bison fell to Army, 52-43. Bucknell could never generate the offense necessary to overcome the Army lead. The Orange & Blue were held to six points in the final stanza. The Bison are now 6-12 and 2-5 in the Patriot League this season following the defeat.
• 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. But the starting combo of Dingler, Johnson, King, Shaffer, and Theodorsson has come forward as the standard lineup
• Tai Johnson earned Bison of the Week on Jan. 16 for her combined 36 points against Loyola and Colgate. Johnson played all but 24 seconds in the last three games.
• Against Army, Emma Shaffer earned her fourth career double-double by scoring 15 points and obtaining 15 rebounds.
• 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 102-21 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, Massachusetts-Lowell, Bucknell, Navy, American, Loyola, Lehigh, Lafayette, and Colgate. The Crusaders are simulating Godfrey of Bouillion and are on a seven-game winning streak.
• 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.
• Bronagh Cassidy-Power fuels the attack for the Crusaders by leading in scoring (12.1), blocks (0.8), and 3PT% (.393).
• Lindsay Berger provides support by leading in rebounds (6.7) and FG% (.528).
• Holy Cross is led by 3rd-year head coach Maureen Magarity, who owns a 42-22 career record with the team.

SERIES HISTORY with THE CRUSADERS
• Holy Cross leads 48-26 in the all-time series with Bucknell, which dates back to 1991.
• Holy Cross' last win over Bucknell came in 2022.
• Bucknell is 3-2 against Holy Cross during the Trevor Woodruff era.

Series History with Holy Cross (Last Six Games)
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
12/30/22   Holy Cross         L, 45-62

Series Record: 26-48
Record at Home: 17-18
Record at Holy Cross: 8-28
Neutral Site Record: 2-5
Trevor Woodruff Record: 3-2
Current Streak: 1 loss
Longest Winning Streak: 4

Last Time Out
• Bucknell fell 52-43 to the visiting Army Black Knights. Bucknell briefly led in the first quarter, but the remainder of the game was dominated by Army. The Bison trailed at halftime 27-20 and crept within striking distance several times, but Army would answer every time. In the fourth period, the Bison went without scoring for nearly six minutes, which left the Black Knights to finish out the game.
• Bucknell's defense kept Army at a mere 31.1% from the field while Bucknell shot 36.7%. However, Army had 12 more shots, and Bucknell's 22 turnovers proved decisive.
• Bucknell was led by Emma Shaffer, who posted her fourth career double-double on 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Reigning Bison of the Week Tai Johnson tallied 11 points. Army was led by Kamryn Hall who scored 17 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. ARMY
Emma Shaffer: Rebounds (15)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Emma Shaffer — starts (52)

Women's Basketball Embarks for Saturday's Showdown at Holy Cross

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Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Isabella King

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Emma Theodorsson

Marly Walls