Women's Basketball Hosts Army in Saturday Showdown

Women's Basketball Hosts Army in Saturday Showdown

1/26/2024 2:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (5-13, 2-5 Patriot League) seeks to regain momentum after the loss to Navy on Wednesday when the squad faces the Army Black Knights (7-10, 4-3 Patriot League) Saturday. Bucknell looks to break into the top six of the league while Army tries to remain in the top four. Army recently defeated Boston and wants to keep its run of three straight wins going. The Orange & Blue owns a 44-27 series lead. The tip is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the game is First Responder & Military Appreciation Day.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Army
When: Saturday, January 27 at 3:30 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 (12.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.9 apg)
So. F: Grace Sullivan (6.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.5 apg)
So. G: Blake Matthews (5.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Fr. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (11.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.9 apg)
So. G: Ashley O'Connor (4.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.6 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER Army, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 6-13 on the season
• ... improve to 6-3 at home
• ... improve to 45-27 all-time against the Black Knights
• ... improve to 6-2 against the Black Knights under Woodruff
• ... improve to 76-47 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 43-15 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell had its two-game winning streak snapped Wednesday by the Navy Midshipmen at Annapolis. The Bison fell 59-48. The Orange & Blue offense struggled all game, and the first quarter set the tone, as Bucknell only mustered four points. The halftime tally was 21-17 Navy. Bucknell rallied to tie the game at 32-32 in the third quarter before the Mids broke away for good. The Bison were outscored 18-13 in the final quarter. The Bison fell to 5-13 overall and 2-5 in PL competition. Ashley Sofilkanich carried the Bison offense, scoring 21 points. Isabella King also performed well, tallying 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. But the rest of the team shot 4-of-31 when King and Sofilkanich did not attempt a shot. Navy had three 16-point scorers to lead their offense.
• Emma Theodorsson won PL Player of the Week on 1/22 for her 31-point performance against Boston University.
• 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.
• 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 stepped up for the Bison after Second Team All-Patriot League member Cecelia Collins was injured. 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 selected in the top four.
• 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.
• This summer, Bucknell graduate Taylor O'Brien signed with the Leicester Riders of the Women's British Basketball League. O'Brien has dominated the circuit and recently won Player of the Month for December. She is currently up for All-Star honors. Fans can vote at the Women's British Basketball League website. O'Brien holds second place in the voting.
• 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 Army
• Army went 13-17 overall and 10-8 in Patriot League play during the 2022-23 season. Army received the #5 seed and defeated #4 seed Colgate 55-50 in the Quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Army lost 84-68 to #1 seed Boston in the Semifinals. Army is 7-10 overall and 4-3 in the PL. They have defeated FDU, Connecticut College, Five Towns College, Loyola (Md.), Colgate, Navy, and Boston. Army has been beaten by NJIT, Marist, Air Force, TCU, Hofstra, Vermont, Binghamton, Lafayette, Holy Cross, and American.
• The Bison and Black Knights shared one opponent (FDU) outside the Patriot League schedule. Both teams defeated FDU at home.
• Army was picked to finish seventh in the Patriot League. No Black Knights were named to the preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Missy Traversi is 36-40 in her four seasons at the Point.

SERIES HISTORY with THE BLACK KNIGHTS OF THE HUDSON
• This is the 72nd meeting between the Bison and the Black Knights.
• The teams split the two-game series during the 2022-23 season. Both sides won the opposing team's home court.
• Trevor Woodruff is 5-2 against the United States Military Academy.

Series History with Army (Last Six Meetings)
1/29/20       Army                  W, 75-65
3/9/20      Army (PLT)       L, 55-57
1/2/22        at Army              W, 53-43
2/23/22      Army                  W, 64-44
1/18/23 Army              W, 67-49
2/4/23 at Army W, 70-49

Series Record: 44-27
Record at Home: 26-9
Record at Army: 17-18
Neutral Site Record: 1-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 5-2
Current Streak: Bucknell W1
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 9 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell witnessed its two-game winning stretch broken by Navy in a 59-48 defeat on Wednesday night in Annapolis. The Bison trailed 12-4 after one quarter and were down 21-17 at halftime. The team rallied to tie the game at 32-32 in the third segment. But Navy scored 12 seconds later, and Bucknell never tied the contest again.
• Bucknell shot 28.1% on 16-of-57 shooting. The team went 4-of-31 when Isabella King and Ashley Sofilkanich were not shooting. Navy shot 21-of-57 (36.8%). Neither team shot well at the three-point line. The Bison were 3-of-15 (20.0%), while the Mids went 2-of-17 (11.8%). Both teams did fine at the free-throw line. Bucknell went 13-of-15, and Navy was 15-of-18.
• Ashley Sofilkanich led Bucknell with 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Isabella King scored 11 points, as the other only Bison in double-digits. Reigning PL Player of the Week, Emma Theodorsson, had seven points and eight rebounds. Navy has three 16-point scorers for 48 out of its 59 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET Vs. Navy
Isabella King- Steals (3)
Blake Matthews - Minutes (36)
Ashley O'Connor - Minutes (38) & Steals (3)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Field Goals Attempted (19)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (15)
Emma Theodorsson - Starts (16)

Up Next

The Bison will hit the road to play Loyola (Md.) on Jan. 30.