Women's Basketball Welcomes Vermont on Wednesday for Annual Education Day Game

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (3-4) puts its three-game winning streak and 2-0 home record on the line when it comes the visiting Vermont Catamounts on Wednesday. The Orange & Blue spent a happy Black Friday defeating the Robert Morris Colonials 65-54, picking up its first road win of the season. Bucknell and Vermont have met twice in the short series with the Bison conquering both times. The tip is scheduled for 11 a.m. as women's basketball is hosting its annual Education Day game.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Vermont
When: Wednesday, December 4 at 11 a.m.
Where: Lewisburg, Pa.- Sojka Pavilion
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game's Starters:
R-Jr. G: Sophia Sabino (5.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 4.5 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (7.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.0 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (18.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.1 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (7.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg)
So. G: Anna Kunzwiler (4.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.4 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER VERMONT, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 4-4 on the season
• ... improve to 3-0 at home
• ... improve to 3-0 all-time against the Catamounts
• ... improve to 2-0 against the Catamounts under Woodruff
• ... improve to 87-56 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 48-19 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell recorded its third straight victory by defeating Robert Morris 65-54 on Black Friday. The Bison led for 37 minutes as its defense shut down the Colonial attack. The Orange & Blue grabbed the lead in the first quarter and never yielded it. Bucknell had the 36-26 halftime advantage and rode a 29-point second half to the easy win. Ashley Sofilkanich posted another 20-point game and gathered nine rebounds with four blocks. Former Colonial Tuana Coskun returned to Moon Township scoring 16 points. Isabella King added 15 points and moved into the top ten in career three-pointers. Bucknell held RMU to a paltry 17 rebounds. Noa Givon led RMU with 13 points.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won Patriot League Player of the Week (12/2) for her performance against Robert Morris.
• 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.
• Three new coaches joined the staff. Owen Brown left the University of San Francisco to join the Bison community. Shelby Case was hired as an assistant coach/director of operation combo. Case played at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Edward Joyner was hired before the FDU game. He spent 15 seasons as the men's head coach at Hampton.

SCOUTING VERMONT
• Vermont went 25-12 overall and 12-4 in America East play in 2023-24. They entered the conference tournament as the third seed and fell to one-seed Maine 64-48 in the championship game. They received an invitation to the WNIT and made a run to the Fab 4, defeating Niagara, Colgate, and Purdue before dropping a heartbreaker to Saint Louis.
• Vermont is 4-5 on the year and has been the globetrotting squad competing in the Great Alaskan Shootout immediately followed by participation in the Cancun Challenge in Mexico. They have tested themselves with games versus Power Four foes Minnesota and Missouri. They defeated Missouri, 62-46.
• Vermont's roster holds 16 players with three transfers and a player from Riga, Latvia, like Bucknell men's player Noah Williamson.
• The Bison and the Catamounts share two common opponents (Dartmouth and Holy Cross) this season. Vermont has defeated both squads.
• Vermont was picked to finish third in the nine-team America East. Anna Olson made the Preseason All-Conference Team.
• Alisa Kresge is 101-73 in her seventh season at Vermont.

SERIES HISTORY with THE CATAMOUNTS
• This is the third meeting between the Bison and the Catamounts. The series started in 1986.
• Bucknell leads the series, 2-0, and won both matchups by double-digits.
• Trevor Woodruff is 1-0 against Vermont, defeating the Catamounts during the 2021-22 season.

Series History with Vermont (All Meetings)
11/29/86   vs. Vermont           W, 94-81
11/28/21   at Vermont W, 68-5

Series Record: 2-0
Record at Home: 0-0
Record at Vermont: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 1-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 1-0
Current Streak: Bucknell W2
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: W2

Last Time Out
• Bucknell ran its winning streak to three games and picked up its first road win of the 2024-25 season by defeating Robert Morris 65-54 on Black Friday. The Bison led for over 37 minutes and delivered another double-digit win to the coffers. Bucknell led 36-26 at halftime and enjoyed a smooth second half staying ahead by 10+ despite the Colonials trying to muster momentum and being outscored 14-13 in the final stanza.
• The Orange & Blue's shooting was hot as the shopping deals going 55.8% (24-of-43) on the afternoon. Bucknell hit 12-of-13 (92.3%) from the free throw line. RMU hit 44.0% (22-of-50) of its shots. The Bison dominated the boards collecting 29 rebounds to Robert Morris's 17.
• Sofilkanich posted her fifth 20-point game of the year by hitting 20 on the nose. Her nine rebounds left her just short of another double-double. Former Colonial Tuana Coskun marked her homecoming with 16 points. Isabella King notched 15 points and inserted herself into Bucknell's top ten for career three-pointers. Noa Givon's 13 points led the Colonials.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. ROBERT MORRIS
Tuana Coskun - Points (16)
Sophia Sabino - Steals (3)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (35)

SOJKA PAVILION BLOCK PARTY
• The Bison recorded 12 blocks in back-to-back games against Mount St. Mary's and Youngstown State to set the new arena standard.
• Ashley Sofilkanich posted nine blocks against Youngstown State to set the new Sojka Pavilion individual mark.

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 500 career points against Holy Cross on Feb. 21, 2024. King broke into the top ten for career three-pointers with 111 when she hit three versus Robert Morris on November, 29, 2024.
• Ashley Sofilkanich directly hit the 500-point mark against Youngstown State on Nov. 23, 2024. She currently sits at 520 points.

Up Next

The Bison stay in Sojka to face Ivy League foe Dartmouth for a Friday night game.

Women's Basketball Welcomes Vermont on Wednesday for Annual Education Day Game

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Anna Kunzwiler

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich