Women's Basketball Completes Non-Conference Road Schedule Tomorrow at Duquesne

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (5-4) heads to the Steel City for the third time this season as the Orange & Blue puts its five-game winning streak on the line versus the potent Duquesne Dukes (6-2) for a Tuesday night tussle. The Bison and Dukes have met five times on the hardcourt but have not clashed since 1998. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Duquesne
When: Tuesday, December 10 at 6 p.m.
Where: Pittsburgh, Pa.- UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: goduquesne.com

Last Game's Starters:
R-Jr. G: Sophia Sabino (5.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 4.4 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (8.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (19.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (8.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)
So. G: Anna Kunzwiler (4.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.6 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER DUQUESNE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 6-4 on the season
• ... improve to 2-4 on the road
• ... improve to 3-3 all-time against the Dukes
• ... improve to 1-0 against the Dukes under Woodruff
• ... improve to 89-56 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 39-35 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell clinched its fifth straight victory with an exciting 53-50 win over the Dartmouth Big Green on Friday night. Bucknell ground out the narrow victory with timely shooting and pressing defense. The game started hot with a 14-14 first quarter but both teams cooled down to a 26-22 halftime lead for Bucknell. The Bison led 37-31 entering the final stanza before Dartmouth tied the game but Isabella King and Ashley Sofilkanich hit clutch shots and free throws to seal the win. Sofilkanich scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for another double-double. King hit two massive shots as part of her 15-point effort. Dartmouth had two players score in double-digits.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won Patriot League Player of the Week (12/9) for her performances against Vermont and Dartmouth. It is her second POW award this season and the first time a Bison won consecutive POW awards since Kaitlyn Slagus (2016).
• 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 DUQUESNE
• Duquesne went 21-13 overall and 13-5 in A-10 play in 2023-24. They earned the fifth seed in the A-10 Tournament and made a run to the semifinals defeating #13 seed Massachusetts and #4 seed George Mason before losing the top seeded Richmond Spiders. Duquesne received a WNIT bid where they downed Monmouth before losing to Purdue.
• The Dukes have started strong going 6-2 overall and 3-0 against Steel City rivals: Carnegie Mellon, Robert Morris, and Pitt. They also defeated in-state Catholic rival Saint Francis.
• Duquesne's roster has 14 players with six transfers including players from Power Four schools Indiana and Pitt.
• The Bison and the Dukes share three common opponents (Penn State, Pitt, and Robert Morris) this season. Bucknell went 1-2 against that trio while Duquesne recorded a 2-1 record. Both teams lost to Penn State.
• Duquesne was picked to finish sixth in the 15-team Atlantic 10.
• Dan Burt is 215-134 in his 12 seasons at Duquesne.

SERIES HISTORY with THE DUKES
• This is the sixth meeting between Bucknell and Duquesne.
• The Bison are making their third trip to Pittsburgh. They have lost to Pitt and defeated Robert Morris.
• Trevor Woodruff has never faced Duquesne.

Series History with Duquesne (All Meetings)
1/27/83   at Duquesne           L, 55-45
12/2/83   Duquesne                L, 75-56
12/6/88   Duquesne               W, 75-66
12/30/89 at Duquesne           W, 62-59
11/21/98 vs. Duquesne          L, 72-58

Series Record: 2-3
Record at Home: 1-1
Record at Duquesne: 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 0-1
Trevor Woodruff Record: 0-0
Current Streak: Duquesne W1
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: W2

Last Time Out
• The Bison moved 5-4 on the season via its fifth straight win by defeating the Dartmouth Big Green, 53-50. Bucknell led for 24 minutes and most of the second half before Dartmouth rallied from six points down to tie the contest. Bucknell remained calm and hit several big shots and free throws to obtain the victory.
• Bucknell shot just under 40% hitting 21-of-53 (39.6%) attempts. The Orange & Blue kept the Big Green in check by holding the visitors to 31.1% (19-of-61). Bucknell was outrebounded 39-34 but made up for the deficit with timely baskets.
• Ashley Sofilkanich led the Bison by notching another double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, despite shooting 7-of-22 on the day. Isabella King was amazingly efficient collecting 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting and nailing two clutch baskets down the stretch. Sophia Sabino provided five assists. Reese Zemitis returned from injury and scored three points. Zeynep Ozel led Dartmouth with 16 points.

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (37) & Double Digit Scoring Games (8)

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 600 career points against Dartmouth on Dec. 6, 2024 and currently has 605 overall. King broke into the top ten for career three-pointers with 111 when she hit three versus Robert Morris on November, 29, 2024. She now has 113 career three-pointers - sitting ninth all-time.
• Ashley Sofilkanich directly hit the 500-point mark against Youngstown State on Nov. 23, 2024. She currently sits at 560 points.
• Trevor Woodruff reached the 200 career win mark as a women's basketball head coach after defeating Vermont on Dec. 4, 2024.

Up Next

The Bison will rest during finals week and complete the non-conference schedule with a home game versus Hofstra on Dec. 21.

Women's Basketball Completes Non-Conference Road Schedule Tomorrow at Duquesne

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Anna Kunzwiler

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis