Bison Host Robert Morris on Black Friday

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (1-4) hosts the Robert Morris Colonials (2-3) in a special deal of a Black Friday basketball game. The tip is slated for a 2 p.m. start. The Orange & Blue look to return to the victory column after losing twice to Louisville and WKU during a trip to the Bluegrass State. The Bison are 1-0 at home in 2023, having defeated FDU, 49-44.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Robert Morris
When: Friday, November 24 at 2 p.m.
Where: Lewisburg, Pa.-Sojka Pavilion
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game's Starters:
So. G/F: Emma Theodorsson (8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Jr. F/G: Isabella King (10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Sr./G: Caroline Dingler (4.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Fr./F: Ashley Sofilkanich (7.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.8 apg)
So./G: Blake Matthews (5.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER RMU, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 2-4 on the season
• ... improve to 2-0 at home
• ... improve to 5-2 all-time against the Colonials
• ... improve to 1-0 against the Colonials under Woodruff
• ... improve to 72-38 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 39-12 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell fell 63-45 to Louisville on Tuesday afternoon. The Bison fought hard as the entire healthy team played in the game. The first quarter was a defensive-minded contest as WKU led 11-5. Bucknell shut down the Lady Toppers in the second quarter, holding them to three points. The Bison led 21-14 at halftime. The second half was all WKU. The home team scored 49 points in the second half to pull away from Bucknell. Ashley Sofilkanich scored a career-high 15 points and had nine rebounds to nearly obtain her first double-double. Kaylee Reinbeau scored a career-high seven points. The Bison fell to 0-1 all-time against WKU.
• 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 ROBERT MORRIS
• The Colonials went 11-19 and 5-15 in the Horizon League during the 2022-23 season. They lost in the First Round of the Horizon League to Milwaukee Panthers, 64-58. RMU is 2-3 this season with wins over PSU Beaver and Saint Francis with defeats to Akron, George Mason, and St. Bonaventure.
• The Bison and Colonials share zero common opponents.
• RMU was picked to finish last (11th) in the Horizon League. The Colonials didn't place any players on the preseason league teams
• Charlie Buscaglia is 122-87 in his eight seasons at RMU.

SERIES HISTORY with the Colonials
• This is the seventh meeting with the Colonials.
• Bucknell is 4-2 all-time against RMU.
• Trevor Woodruff has never faced the Colonials.

Series History with Robert Morris
12/28/84     at RMU      L, 90-53
12/12/85        RMU            W, 80-73
1/13/87          at RMU       L, 81-73
1/9/88         RMU    W, 78-70
11/24/96        RMU W, 73-57
11/29/97        at RMU W, 84-53

Series Record: 4-2
Record at Home: 3-0
Record at RMU: 1-2
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 0-0
Current Streak: Bucknell W3
Longest Winning Streak: 3 games

Last Time Out
• WKU defeated Bucknell, 63-45 at the E.A. DIddle Arena. The Lady Toppers overcame a 21-14 halftime deficit to win by double-digits. Bucknell held WKU to 1-of-19 shooting in the second quarter but the Lady Toppers scored 49 points in the second half.
• Bucknell's offense shot 31.7%, while WKU shot 34.8%. However, the Bison committed 25 turnovers to WKU's 12.
• Freshman Ashley Sofilkanich scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Senior Kaylee Reinbeau set a career-high in points (7) and steals (3). Junior Isabella King scored six points and gathered seven rebounds. Emma Theodorsson also grabbed seven rebounds. WKU was led by Acacia Hayes who notched 18 points to lead both teams.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. WKU
Nicole Davis - rebounds (5)
Kaylee Reinbeau - points (7) and steals (3)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Isabella King — starts (21)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Isabella King

Isabella King

Blake Matthews

Kaylee Reinbeau

Emma Shaffer

Ashley Sofilkanich

Emma Theodorsson