Women's Basketball Heads to the Bluegrass State for Two Games

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (1-2) heads to Kentucky for two games against Bluegrass State foes. Bucknell starts with No. 15 Louisville on Nov. 19 and then plays Western Kentucky on Nov. 21. It is the first meeting for Bucknell against both squads. The Bison are coming off a 49-44 win over FDU on Education Day.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at #15 Louisville/Western Kentucky
When: Sunday, November 19 at 4 p.m./Tuesday, November 21 at 11 a.m.
Where: Louisville, Ky.-KFC Yum Center/Bowling Green, Ky. - E.A. Diddle Arena
Streaming: ACCN/ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: gocards.com/wkusports.com

Last Game's Starters:
So. G/F: Emma Theodorsson (8,3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Jr. F/G: Isabella King (10.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Sr./G: Caroline Dingler (5.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)
So./F: Grace Sullivan (6.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.3 apg)
So./G: Blake Matthews (5.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg)

WITH WINS OVER LOUISVILLE/WKU, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 3-2 on the season
• ... improve to 2-2 on the road
• ... improve to 2-0 all-time against the Cardinals/Hilltoppers
• ... improve to 2-0 against the Cardinals/Hilltoppers under Woodruff
• ... improve to 73-36 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 34-22 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell defeated FDU 49-44 on Wednesday's Education Day Game. Over 1,000 local schoolchildren attended the contest and made themselves heard. The Bison defense carried the day, holding the Knights to 28.1% shooting. Isabella King led the Orange & Blue with 10 points. Caroline Dingler totaled a career-high eight points. Bucknell hit its last six foul shots to seal the victory. The Bison improved to 7-1 all-time against FDU.
• The Orange & Blue have four newcomers 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.
• 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 an 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 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 LOUISVILLE
• The Cardinals finished 26-12 overall and 12-6 in ACC play in 2022-23. As a No. 5 seed, they made a run in the NCAA Tournament and were defeated in the Elite Eight by Texas. They have started 3-0 this season having beat Cincinnati, DePaul, and Bellarmine.
• This season, Bucknell and Louisville share no common opponents
• Louisville was selected to finish fourth in the ACC.
• Senior Olivia Cochran was named to the Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team. Jayda Curry and Kiki Jefferson were selected to the Newcomer Watch List.
• Louisville is led by 17th-year head coach Jeff Walz, who owns a 444-125 career record with the team.

SERIES HISTORY with THE CARDINALS
• This is the first meeting against Louisville
• Bucknell is 0-3 against ACC squads during the Trevor Woodruff era. The Bison were defeated by Virginia in 2019-20 and by #13 Virginia Tech and Syracuse in 2022-23.

SCOUTING WKU
• The Hilltoppers went 19-14 and 14-6 in C-USA during the 2022-23 season. They made a run to the C-USA Conference Championship Game where they fell to Middle Tennessee State. They received an invitation to the WNIT and were defeated by Kansas in the first round. WKU is 3-1 this season with wins over Mercer, Southern Utah, Cornell, and a defeat to Vanderbilt.
• The Bison and Hilltoppers share one common opponent: Cornell.
• WKU was picked to finish tied for second in the C-USA. Junior Alexia Mead and Acacia Hayes were named to the Preseason All-CUSA Team.
• Greg Collins is 86-64 in six seasons with the Hilltoppers.

SERIES HISTORY with HILLTOPPERS
• This is the first meeting against WKU

Series History with Louisville/Western Kentucky

N/A

Series Record: 0-0
Record at Home: 0-0
Record at Louisville/WKU: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 0-0
Current Streak:
Longest Winning Streak:

Last Time Out
• Bucknell defeated FDU, 49-44 at Sojka Pavilion to open the home schedule of 2023-24. The game was the annual Education Day match. Over 1,000 students from area schools attended the game. Bucknell led 27-25 at halftime and used two timely three-pointers by Caroline Dingler and Kaylee Reinbeau to pull away in the second half. FDU threatened but the Bison hit their last 6-of-6 free throws to ice the contest.
• Bucknell's offense shot 37.2%, while holding FDU to a shooting percentage of 28.1%. Both teams hit six three-pointers but Bucknell was 6-for-17 and FDU was 6-for-24.
• Junior Isabella King led Bucknell with 10 points and hit two key free throws in crunch time. Senior Caroline Dingler totaled a career-high eight points on 3-of-3 shooting. Sophomore Emma Theodorsson scored nine points and added seven rebounds. FDU's Abby Conklin notched 14 points to lead both teams.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. FDU
Caroline Dingler - points (8)
Blake Matthews — blocked shots (2) and steals (3)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Isabella King — starts (19)

Women's Basketball Heads to the Bluegrass State for Two Games

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Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Isabella King

Isabella King

Blake Matthews

Kaylee Reinbeau

Emma Shaffer

Grace Sullivan

Emma Theodorsson