Women's Basketball Celebrates Senior Day on Saturday Versus Colgate

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (9-14, 6-6 Patriot League) celebrates Senior Day when it hosts the Colgate Raiders (12-11, 5-7 Patriot League) on Saturday. The Orange & Blue are riding a season-high four-game winning streak after defeating Lehigh, 54-49 on Valentine's Day. Bucknell was missing four players, including two starters, due to injury and illness but gutted out the road win. The Bison lost 71-46 to the Raiders on Jan. 13. Bucknell owns the 54-24 series lead. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Colgate
When: Saturday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.
Where: Lewisburg, Pa.-Sojka Pavilion
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game's Starters:
Sr. F: Kaylee Reinbeau (1.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.3 apg)
Jr. F/G: Isabella King (6.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.2 apg)
So. G: Blake Matthews (5.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Fr. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (12.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 apg)
So. G: Ashley O'Connor (5.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.7 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER COLGATE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 10-14 on the season
• ... improve to 7-4 at home
• ... improve to 55-24 all-time against the Raiders
• ... improve to 6-2 against the Raiders under Woodruff
• ... improve to 80-48 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 44-16 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell continued its season-high four-game winning streak by defeating Lehigh 54-49 on Valentine's Day. The Bison were missing four players, including starters Grace Sullivan and Emma Theodorsson, to injury and illness. Despite being shorthanded, Bucknell never trailed in the game. The Orange & Blue led 27-16 at halftime and 40-24 after three quarters. Lehigh made a furious rally in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 points and cutting the deficit to three. Bucknell held sturdy and never yielded the lead. Bucknell improved to 9-14 overall and 6-6 in Patriot League competition. Ashley Sofilkanich recorded a third career double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Blake Matthews added ten points. Lehigh had three double-digit scorers.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won her fourth PL Rookie of the Week award on 2/12 for her game against Boston.
• 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.
• 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 COLGATE
• Colgate went 16-14 overall and 10-8 in Patriot League play during the 2022-23 season. The Raiders earned the #4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and fell in the Quarterfinals to #5 Army by a score of 55-50. In 2023-24, Colgate has gone 12-11 with wins over Cornell, UMBC, Canisius, Keuka, Le Moyne, St. Bonaventure, UMass Lowell, Loyola (Md.), Navy, Lafayette, Bucknell, and Holy Cross. The Raiders have been foiled by Miami (FL), Norfolk State, Georgetown, Central Connecticut State, Army, Boston, Lehigh, American, Army, Navy, and Loyola.
• The Bison and Raiders share one opponent (Cornell) outside the Patriot League schedule. Colgate defeated Cornell, while Bucknell lost to the Big Red.
• Colgate was picked to finish third in the Patriot League. Taylor Golembiewski was named to the preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Ganiyat Adeduntan is 34-49 in her three seasons at Colgate.

SERIES HISTORY with THE RAIDERS
• This is the 79th meeting between the Bison and the Raiders.
• The Bison lost the first game this season in Hamilton, N.Y.
• Trevor Woodruff is 5-2 against Colgate.

Series History with Colgate (Last Six Meetings)
2/26/20    at Colgate       W, 76-65
1/19/22    at Colgate       W, 61-41
3/2/22 Colgate            W, 91-49
1/14/23    Colgate L, 57-64 (OT)
2/11/23 at Colgate W, 50-44
1/13/24 at Colgate       L, 46-71

Series Record: 54-24
Record at Home: 30-5
Record at Colgate: 22-14
Neutral Site Record: 2-5
Trevor Woodruff Record: 5-2
Current Streak: Colgate W1
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 12 games

Last Time Out
• The Bison moved its winning streak to a season-high four games by beating Lehigh 54-49. Bucknell was missing four players, including two starters, Grace Sullivan & Emma Theodorsson. The Orange & Blue never trailed in the whole game and led 27-16 at halftime and 40-24 after three quarters. Lehigh scored 25 points in the final quarter to make things interesting, but Bucknell remained confident to win. The Bison improved to 9-14 overall and 6-6 in conference play.
• Bucknell shot 43.8% on 21-of-48 shooting. Lehigh was held to 15-of-53 (28.3%). Both teams struggled from the three-point line. The Bison were 2-of-12, while the Mountain Hawks went 8-of-29.
• Ashley Sofilkanich led Bucknell with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 6-of-11 from the foul line. Blake Matthews added 10 points. Kaylee Reinbeau received the start, scoring four points and gathering nine rebounds. Colleen McQuillen led Lehigh with 12 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. LEHIGH
Kaylee Reinbeau - Minutes (34)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Free Throws Attempted (11) & Rebounds (15)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley O'Connor- Starts (16)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (20)

Up Next

The Bison remain home when they face Holy Cross on Feb. 21.

Women's Basketball Celebrates Senior Day on Saturday Versus Colgate

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Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Isabella King

Blake Matthews

Ashley O'Connor

Kaylee Reinbeau

Emma Shaffer

Ashley Sofilkanich

Grace Sullivan

Emma Theodorsson