Women's Basketball Heads to Boston to Play Terriers

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (7-14, 4-6 Patriot League) desires to achieve its first three-game winning streak in 2023-24 when it ships up to Massachusetts to face the Boston Terriers (13-8, 5-5 Patriot League) on Saturday. The Bison upset the Terriers 61-52 in Sojka on Jan. 17 breaking a four-game losing stretch to the Beantown foe. The Orange & Blue owns the 12-7 series lead. The tip is scheduled for 2 p.m., and Boston is celebrating Girls and Women in Sports Day. Bucknell held a festival for the holiday last Sunday.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Boston
When: Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.
Where: Boston, Mass.-Case Gym
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game's Starters:
So. G/F: Emma Theodorsson (12.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Sp. F: Grace Sullivan (6.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.7 apg)
So. G: Blake Matthews (5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Fr. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)
So. G: Ashley O'Connor (5.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER BOSTON, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 8-14 on the season
• ... improve to 2-10 on the road
• ... improve to 13-7 all-time against the Terriers
• ... improve to 2-6 against the Terriers under Woodruff
• ... improve to 78-48 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 34-30 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell unlocked its second two-game winning streak by beating American, 61-47, at Sojka Pavilion on National Girls & Women in Sports Day. The Bison fall behind 7-0 early before rallying to take the 18-17 lead. Bucknell kept that one-point lead (31-30) at halftime. The Orange & Blue used suffocating defense in the third quarter, holding American to three points. Bucknell rode the final quarter to the decisive win and cleared the bench. The Bison moved to 7-14 overall and 4-6 in Patriot League play. Ashley O'Connor had a breakout game, scoring 18 points. Emma Theodorsson narrowly missed a double-double, tallying 17 points and nine rebounds. Ashley Sofilkanich totaled 13 rebounds, and Grace Sullivan scored 11 points. American had two double-digit scorers, led by Anna LeMaster's 15 points.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won her third PL Rookie of the Week award on 1/29 for her games against Army & Navy.
• 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 BOSTON
• Boston went 24-9 overall and 17-1 in Patriot League play during the 2022-23 season. They lost 66-61 in the Championship Game to Holy Cross. Their season ended with a 46-40 loss to URI in the WNIT First Round. In 2023-24, Boston has gone 13-8 with wins over UMass Lowell, New Hampshire, Yale, Le Moyne, Northern Colorado, Harvard, Emmanuel, Northeastern, Navy, Lafayette, Loyola (Md.), Colgate, and Lafayette. The Terriers have been collared by Rider, #7 Colorado, St. Joseph's, American, Bucknell, Army, Holy Cross, and Lehigh.
• The Bison and Terriers share one opponent (St. Joseph's) outside the Patriot League schedule. Both teams lost to the Philly school.
• Boston was picked to finish second in the Patriot League. Caitlin Weimar was named to the preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Melissa Graves is 54-31 in her three seasons at Boston.

SERIES HISTORY with THE TERRIERS
• This is the 20th meeting between the Bison and the Terriers.
• The Bison won the first game this season at Sojka.
• Trevor Woodruff is 2-5 against Boston.

Series History with Boston (Last Six Meetings)
2/29/20 Boston             W, 55-53
2/2/22         Boston           L, 58-67
2/26/22       at Boston L, 51-69
1/2/23         at Boston L, 47-68
2/18/23       Boston L, 57-66
1/17/24       Boston W, 61-52

Series Record: 12-7
Record at Home: 7-2
Record at Boston: 5-5
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 2-5
Current Streak: Bucknell W1
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 9 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell started a two-game winning streak by defeating American, 61-47, at Sojka Pavilion on National Girls & Women in Sports Day. American jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Bison battled back to take a narrow 31-30 halftime lead. The second half was all Bucknell as the Bison held the Eagles to three points in the third quarter. The Orange & Blue coasted to the easy win and improved to 7-14 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
• Bucknell shot 38.9% on 21-of-54 shooting. American shot 17-of-64 (26.6%). Both teams struggled from the three-point line. The Bison were 5-of-17 (29.4%), with Ashley O'Connor hitting four, while the Eagles went 6-of-25 (24.0%).
• Ashley O'Connor led Bucknell with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from downtown to set a career-high. Emma Theodorsson had 17 points and nine rebounds. Anna LeMaster led American with 15 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. AMERICAN
Ashley O'Connor - Field Goals Made (7), Field Goals Attempted (12), & Points (18)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Rebounds (13)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Ashley O'Connor- Starts (14)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (18)
Emma Theodorsson - Starts (19)

Up Next

The Bison have Valentine's Day plans in Bethlehem with a showdown against Lehigh.

Women's Basketball Heads to Boston to Play Terriers

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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