Women's Basketball Hosts Holy Cross in Midweek Matchup

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (9-15, 6-7 Patriot League) looks to bounce back against the Holy Cross Crusaders (14-10, 8-5 Patriot League) Wednesday after having its four-game winning streak broken by Colgate. The Bison will face the league favorite who enter the contest having lost four straight games. Bucknell fell 69-50 to Holy Cross in the opening game of conference play on Jan. 3. Holy Cross owns the 50-26 series lead. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Holy Cross
When: Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.
Where: Lewisburg, Pa.-Sojka Pavilion
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game's Starters:
So. F: Grace Sullivan (7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.7 apg)
So. G/F: Emma Theodorsson (13.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 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 HOLY CROSS, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 10-15 on the season
• ... improve to 7-5 at home
• ... improve to 27-50 all-time against the Crusaders
• ... improve to 4-4 against the Crusaders under Woodruff
• ... improve to 80-49 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 44-17 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell had its season-high four-game winning streak broken by Colgate on Senior Day. The Raiders defeated the Bison 59-55 on a last-second four-point play. Bucknell fell behind early to the inspired foe, trailing 26-18 at halftime. The Orange & Blue counterattacked after halftime and continued to inch closer and closer. Eventually, the Bison seized the late lead in the final quarter, 55-53. However, Colgate scored the final six points to win the game. Bucknell fell to 9-15 overall and 6-7 in the Patriot League. Emma Theodorsson led all scorers with 23 points. Ashley Sofilkanich tallied 17 points. Grace Sullivan chipped in 13. Sophia Diehl led Colgate with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won her fifth PL Rookie of the Week award on Feb. 19 for her games against Lehigh & Colgate.
• 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 HOLY CROSS
• The Crusaders went 24-9 overall and 13-5 in Patriot League play during the 2022-23 season. Holy Cross went 3-0 in the Patriot League Tournament and defeated #1 seed Boston University in the championship game. Holy Cross received a #15 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost to #2 Maryland 93-61 in the first round. This season, Holy Cross has gone 14-10 with wins over Brown, UMass-Lowell, Stonehill, Connecticut College, Northeastern, Merrimack, Bucknell, Army, Navy, Lehigh, Lafayette, Loyola (Md.), American, and Boston. The Crusaders have been defeated by Boston College, Stony Brook, Villanova, Vermont, Quinnipiac, Lehigh, Loyola (Md.), American, Colgate, and Army.
• The Bison and Crusaders share one common opponent (Merrimack) outside of the Patriot League schedule. Both teams defeated Merrimack.
• Holy Cross was picked to finish first in the Patriot League. Bronagh Power-Cassidy was named to the preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Maureen Magarity is 65-38 in her four seasons at Holy Cross

SERIES HISTORY with THE CRUSADERS
• This is the 77th meeting between the Bison and the Crusaders.
• The Bison lost the first game this season at Holy Cross.
• Trevor Woodruff is 3-4 against Holy Cross.

Series History with Holy Cross (Last Six Meetings)
2/19/20    Holy Cross            W, 63-45
1/22/22    Holy Cross            L, 62-63 (OT)
2/12/22    at Holy Cross       W, 66-49
12/30/22 Holy Cross          L, 45-62
1/21/23 at Holy Cross       L, 50-69
1/3/24 at Holy Cross       L, 54-69

Series Record: 26-50
Record at Home: 17-18
Record at Holy Cross: 8-30
Neutral Site Record: 2-5
Trevor Woodruff Record: 3-4
Current Streak: Holy Cross W3
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 4 games

Last Time Out
• The Bison lost its season-high four-game winning streak by losing to Colgate, 59-55. Bucknell fell behind 26-18 at halftime. The Orange & Blue rallied in the second half to tie the game and even take the lead, 55-53. Colgate scored the final six points to steal away the win. Bucknell fell to 9-15 overall and 6-7 in conference play. The loss dropped Bucknell over three spots in the conference standings.
• Bucknell shot 45.1% on 23-of-51 shooting. Colgate was slightly lower at 23-of-53 (43.4%). Colgate was magnificent from the three-point line, going 8-of-16. The Bison were 1-of-6. In two games against Colgate, Bucknell went 1-of-14 from three-point land.
• Emma Theodorsson led Bucknell with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-4 from the foul line. Ashley Sofilkanich notched 17 points, and Grace Sullivan provided 13. Blake Matthews was the only other Bison scorer with two points. Colgate's Sophia Diehl had a double-double (18 points and 13 rebounds).

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. COLGATE
Ashley Sofilkanich - Minutes (38)
Grace Sullivan - Minutes (31)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley O'Connor- Starts (17)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (21)

Up Next

The Bison enlist in a game against Army on Feb. 24.

Women's Basketball Hosts Holy Cross in Midweek Matchup

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Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Caroline Dingler

Tai Johnson

Blake Matthews

Ashley O'Connor

Emma Shaffer

Ashley Sofilkanich

Grace Sullivan

Emma Theodorsson