Women's Basketball to Joust with the FDU Knights in Annual Education Day Game on Wednesday

Wednesday, November 15

Lewisburg, Pa.

11 a.m.

Bucknell University

FDU

Women's Basketball to Joust with the FDU Knights in Annual Education Day Game on Wednesday

11/14/2023 2:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (0-2) opens up its home schedule with the annual Education Day matchup against the defending NEC regular season champions FDU Knights (0-2) on Wednesday morning. Last year, the Knights defeated the Bison 62-49 in Sojka. Despite the loss, Bucknell holds a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series.

Game Notes

What: FDU (0-2) vs. Bucknell (0-2)
When: Wednesday, November 15 at 11 a.m.
Where: Lewisburg, Pa.-Sojka Pavilion
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com

Last Game's Starters:
Sr./F: Kaylee Reinbeau (0.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg)
Jr. F/G: Isabella King (10.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Sr./G: Caroline Dingler (3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
So./F: Grace Sullivan (7.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.5 apg)
So./G: Ashley O'Connor (5.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.0 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER FDU, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 1-2 on the season
• ... improve to 1-0 at home
• ... improve to 7-1 all-time against the Knights
• ... improve to 2-1 against the Knights under Woodruff
• ... improve to 71-36 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 38-12 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell lost 77-53 to Temple in a Saturday night game in Philadelphia. Temple controlled the entire game, as Bucknell never led or tied in the contest. The Owls jumped out to a 15-6 lead after the first period. By halftime, the score was 41-17 Temple. Bucknell kept fighting and the second half was even as both teams scored 36 points. But the Orange & Blue could never threat en the Owls. Bucknell fell to 0-5 all-time against the Owls.
• The Orange & Blue have four newcomes on the roster. All four players hail from New Jersey. The Garden State has been fruitful for the Lewisburg team.
• The Bison relied on youth through their first thirteen games in 2022-23. The starting combo of Dingler, Johnson, King, Shaffer, and Theodorsson stepped up to win five of their eight games while Cecelia Collins was out with an injury.
• Cecelia Collins was named to the Patriot League Second Team and Emma Theodorsson earned All-Patriot League Rookie Team honors.
• Against American, on Feb. 11, 2023, Emma Shaffer earned her seventh career double-double by scoring 12 points and obtaining 21 rebounds. Her 21 rebounds were two away from the Patriot League record.
• Bucknell finished 13-17 overall and 9-9 in Patriot League play last season. The Bison reached the 2022 Patriot League Quarterfinals playing as the No. 6 seed in the tournament, but they fell 63-55 to No. 3 seed Lehigh.
• Bucknell graduated two seniors in the spring, Tai Johnson and Emma Shaffer. Tai Johnson played a key role in stepping up for the Bison after Second Team All-Patriot League member Cecelia Collins was sidelined with injury. Shaffer was a constant double-double member and led the Bison attack in the paint.
• Bucknell was picked sixth in the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Poll. It's the first time since 2015-16 Bucknell was not picked in the top four. The Bison have gone 109-25 in league play since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Senior Caroline Dingler was named captain ahead of the 2023-24 season.
• Emma Theodorsson spent the summer playing for the U20 Icelandic National Team as they competed in the U20 Nordic Championships and FIBA U20 European Championships. Theodorsson powered the Icelandic attack averaging 8.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, and 1.6 apg. All three marks were in the top 70 in the FIBA competition. Theodorsson finished third in points and second in rebounds for Iceland.
• Bucknell graduate Taylor O'Brien signed with the Leicester Riders of the Women's British Basketball League. O'Brien has scored 37 points through two games.
• Head coach Trevor Woodruff is in his fifth season at Bucknell. He was named PL Coach of the Year in his first two seasons.
• Following the departure of associate head coach Kelly Mazzante to Georgetown, Sherill Baker was hired as the newest assistant coach. Baker comes to Lewisburg from a stint at George Washington University. Baker played in the WNBA and overseas professional leagues. Dubbed "The Queens of Steals" for her defensive prowess at Georgia, Baker joins a staff full of continuity. Taylor Coleman has been enrolled for five years at Bucknell and LaSashia Connelly marks her fourth season in Lewisburg. Molly Gillis enters her second season as the program's manager of operations.

SCOUTING FDU
• The Knights finished 24-8 overall and 14-2 in NEC play in 2022-23. They were defeated in the NEC Championship Game by Sacred Heart. They competed in the WNIT and lost in the first round to Columbia. They started 0-2 this season having lost to No. 3 Iowa and Army to open the campaign.
• This season, Bucknell and FDU share one common opponent in American, Army, Mount St. Mary's, and Merrimack.
• FDU was selected to finish fourth in the nine-team NEC.
• No Knight was named to the Preseason All-NEC Team.
• FDU is led by first-year head coach Stephanie Gaitley, who owns a 0-2 career record with the team. Gaitley has 37 seasons of head coaching experience with stops at FDU, Fordham, LIU, Monmouth, Richmond, and Saint Joseph's.

SERIES HISTORY with THE KNIGHTS
• Bucknell leads 6-1 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1987.
• FDU's last win over Bucknell came last year at Sojka Pavilion.
• Bucknell is 1-1 against FDU during the Trevor Woodruff era.

Series History with FDU (Series History)
12/29/87 FDU        W, 73-71
1/5/04 at FDU W, 67-65
1/17/05   FDU W, 80-64
11/22/14   at FDU     W, 61-60 (OT)
12/4/15   FDU W, 72-62
11/17/21   at FDU W, 66-56
11/16/22   FDU    L, 62-49

Series Record: 6-1
Record at Home: 3-1
Record at FDU: 3-0
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Trevor Woodruff's Record: 1-1
Current Streak: 1 loss
Longest Winning Streak: 6 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell lost to Temple, 77-53 at the Liacouras Center. Temple held the advantage from the opening tip. The Owls led 15-6 after one quarter of play and never trailed or tied the Bison. Temple extended its lead to 41-17 by halftime. The second half was more even as both teams scored 36 points. However, the Bison could never mount a rally.
• Bucknell's offense shot 30.6%, while Temple converted at a rate of 44.3%. Temple was 28-for-52 from inside the arc.
• Sophomore Emma Theodorsson led Bucknell with 12 points with a career-high seven free throws. Sophomore forward Grace Sullivan matched a career-high in points with 10 and grabbed seven rebounds. Transfer guard Ashley O'Connor added eight points, including two pretty three-pointers. Temple had six players score double-digits, with Ines Piper's 13 points leading the Owls.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. TEMPLE
Blake Matthews — free throws made (3) and free throw attempts (4)
Emma Theodorsson — free throws made (7) and free throw attempts (8)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Isabella King — starts (18)

Up Next

Bucknell hits the road to the Bluegrass State to battle ACC powerhouse Louisville on Nov. 19 and C-USA stalwart Western Kentucky.