Women's Basketball Heads to the Steel City to Face Pitt

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (0-1) continues its stretch of playing Pennsylvania's Power Four teams by journeying across the Commonwealth to face ACC foe Pitt (1-0) this Saturday. Bucknell fell 90-68 to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Monday night in a game not indicative of the final score. The series has not been heavily contested with only three games between the Keystone State foes. The Panthers lead 2-1 but the Bison won the first game back in 2001 and are looking to repeat that upset. The tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Pitt
When: Saturday, November 9 at 1 p.m.
Where: Pittsburgh, Pa.- Petersen Event Center
Streaming: ACCNX
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game's Starters:
So. G: Anna Kunzwiler (11.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.0 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (9.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.0 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (4.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.0 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Jr. G: Ashley O'Connor (0.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.0 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER PITT, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 1-1 on the season
• ... improve to 1-1 on the road
• ... improve to 2-2 all-time against the Panthers
• ... improve to 1-0 against the Panthers under Woodruff
• ... improve to 84-53 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 38-32 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell opened the season with a 90-68 defeat to Route 45 Rival Penn State. The Lions jumped to 33-15 lead after the opening quarter. Bucknell battled back and only trailed 67-57 entering the final period. The Bison outscored Penn State 42-34 during the second and third stanzas. The Nittany Lions had more depth and it showed up in the fourth quarter as they won 90-68. It was an excellent showing for the Bison who debuted four freshmen and three transfers. Freshman Reese Zemitis led the team with 12 points. Stetson transfer Anna Kunzwiler scored 11 points and Sophia Sabino tallied ten. Bucknell made 12-of-29 treys. Penn State's Moriah Murray totaled 28 points, thanks to eight three-pointers.
• Ashley Sofilkanich earned three slots on the 2023-24 All-Patriot Defensive, Rookie, and Third Teams. She is the first Bison to do so.
• The Orange & Blue have nine newcomers (six freshmen & three transfers) on the roster. Only four players return from the 2023-24 team.
• Bucknell finished 13-18 overall and 9-9 in Patriot League play last season. The Bison reached the 2024 Patriot League Quarterfinals, playing as the No. 8 seed in the tournament, but they fell 61-56 to No. 1 seed Holy Cross.
• Bucknell graduated four seniors in the spring: Nicole Davis, Caroline Dingler, Julie Kulesza, and Kaylee Reinbeau. Dingler served as the 2023-24 captain and Kulesza was a three-point threat off the bench.
• Bucknell was picked eighth in the 2024-25 Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Bison were picked sixth last season and finished eighth in the conference.
• Sofilkanich received two preseason honors. She was named Preseason Defender of the Year and notched a spot on the Patriot League's Preseason Five. Her 60 blocks ranked eighth on the Bucknell single-season list.
• Senior Isabella King was named captain ahead of the 2024-25 season.
• This summer, Bucknell graduate Taylor O'Brien signed with the Essex Rebels of the Women's British Basketball League. O'Brien dominated the circuit with the Leicester Riders having won Player of the Month for December and a spot on the All-League Team.
• Head coach Trevor Woodruff is in his sixth season at Bucknell. He was named PL Coach of the Year in his first two seasons.
• Sherill Baker was recently promoted to associate head coach. Baker came to Lewisburg after a stint at George Washington University. Baker played in the WNBA and overseas professional leagues. She was dubbed "The Queens of Steals" for her defensive prowess at Georgia.
• Two new coaches joined the staff. Owen Brown left the University of San Francisco to join the Bison community and Shelby Case was hired as an assistant coach/director of operation combo. Case played at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

SCOUTING Pitt
• Pitt had a dismal first season under head coach Tory Verdi going 8-24 overall and 2-14 in the always tough ACC. There went bright spots with wins over Clemson and Virginia and a narrow 71-66 loss to ranked Notre Dame. The Panthers were the #15 seed in the ACC Tournament and their season ended with a 73-60 loss to tenth-seeded Georgia Tech.
• The Panthers started the 2024-25 season with a decisive 78-36 win over Canisius. Khadija Faye scored a career-high 25 points.
• Pitt, like Bucknell, has 13 players on roster. It is a transfer-heavy roster with seven of the 13 players journeying to the Steel City. All seven transfers came from Power Four programs
• The Panthers will play in the Paradise Jam against Kansas, Auburn, and Northern Iowa on Nov. 28-30 in the US Virgin Islands.
• The Bison and Panthers share two common opponents (Duquesne and Robert Morris) this season.
• Pitt was projected to finish 18th in the newly refreshed ACC. The conference invited California, SMU, and Stanford this year as part of the massive realignment that shook collegiate athletics.
• Tory Verdi is 9-24 in his two seasons at Pitt.

SERIES HISTORY with THE PANTHERS
• This is the fourth meeting between the Bison and the Panthers.
• Pitt leads the series, 2-1 after losing the first contest in 2001.
• Trevor Woodruff has never faced the Panthers.

Series History with Pitt (All Meetings)
11/20/01   at Pitt       W, 58-57
11/08/13   at Pitt       L, 55-61
12/20/17   at Pitt       L, 39-57

Series Record: 1-2
Record at Home: 0-0
Record at Pitt: 1-2
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Trevor Woodruff's Record: 0-0
Current Streak: Pitt W2
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: W1

Last Time Out
• Bucknell fell 90-68 to Penn State in the Route 45 Rivalry (named for the section of highway that runs near both campuses). Bucknell trailed early as the Nittany Lions blitzed to a 33-15. The Bison counterattacked and steadily decreased the deficit until it was 67-57 entering the final quarter. The Orange & Blue ran out of gas as Penn State outscored the Bison 23-11 over the final ten minutes.
• Both teams shot well. Bucknell shot 25-of-61 (41.0%) from the court while Penn State went 30-of-66 (45.5%). Both teams shot amazingly from three-point land: Bucknell hit 12-of-29 (41.4%) and Penn State went 11-of-25 (44.0%). The Nittany Lions had a large advantage at the free throw line receiving 26 attempts and making 19. Bucknell had nine chances and deposited six. The Bison were out-rebounded 44-32.
• Reese Zemitis marked her collegiate debut with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Stetson transfer Anna Kunzwiler grabbed 11 points in her first day in Bison colors. Sophia Sabino scored ten points. Penn State's Moriah Murray led all players with 28 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. PENN STATE

Sophia Sabino - Assists (5) & Points (10)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley O'Connor- Starts (25)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (29)

Up Next

Bucknell continues its four-game road trip by playing at FDU on Nov. 13. The Bison won last year's meeting at Sojka, 49-44.

Women's Basketball Heads to the Steel City to Face Pitt

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Anna Kunzwiler

Ashley O'Connor

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis