Women's Basketball Faces Colgate in Midweek Matchup

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison (8-9, 3-3 Patriot League) return home to comfy Sojka Pavilion to face the red-hot Colgate Raiders (14-5, 4-2 Patriot League) after opening the conference schedule with a challenging stretch that featured four road contests in the first five competitions. The Bison started 3-1 in Patriot League but have dropped the last two games to league-leading Holy Cross and Navy. The Naval defeat came in the form of a 49-47 heart-breaker after the Bison rallied to erase a 13-point halftime deficit. The Raiders fell 51-34 to Bucknell at home on Jan. 5 but since then have won their last four games. Bucknell owns the all-time record 55-25. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Colgate
When: Wednesday, January 22 at 6 p.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 (6.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.4 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (7.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.5 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (18.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Fr. G/F: Reese Zemitis (8.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.9 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER COLGATE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 9-9 on the season
• ... improve to 6-2 at home
• ... improve to 56-25 all-time against the Raiders
• ... improve to 7-3 all-time against the Raiders under Woodruff
• ... improve to 92-61 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 51-21 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell dropped its second straight game with a heartbreaking 49-47 loss to Navy on Saturday. The Bison trailed 29-16 at halftime but rallied to force a 47-47 tie with less than 30 seconds to go. Navy's Zanai Barnett-Gay hit a layup to retake the lead and Ashley Sofilkanich's reply would not fall as Navy escaped to remain tied for first in the competitive Patriot League.
• Sofilkanich earned three slots on the 2023-24 All-Patriot Defensive, Rookie, and Third Teams. She is the first Bison to do so.
• Sofilkanich ranks ninth nationally in blocks per game (2.53).
• The Orange & Blue have nine newcomers (six freshmen & three transfers) on the roster.
• 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. She has been on fire this season averaging 20.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
• Tessa Brugler became the second active former Bison to sign overseas when she inked a deal with Balencesto Miralvalle Club, in picturesque Plasencia, Spain. The team plays in the Spanish Liga Femenina (LF2) league - the third tier of Spanish professional basketball. She currently averages 9.9 ppg and 10.6 rpg.
• 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 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 COLGATE
• Colgate finished 20-14 overall and 10-8 in the Patriot League in 2023-24. The Raiders earned the second seed in the Patriot League Tournament. They defeated seventh seed Navy in the quarterfinals before falling to third seeded Boston in the semifinals. Colgate received a bid to the WNIT and made a run to the Super Sixteen before losing to Vermont.
• The Raiders posted a 9-3 mark in non-conference play with several notable wins over Akron and St. Bonaventure. Colgate played #5 UCLA and only lost 81-63. They opened conference play with a 56-38 defeat to Army - a game in which they were held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Since that defeat, they have won four of their last five contests to move into one game behind the four teams tied for first place.
• Colgate's roster contains 16 players with only one transfer (a rarity in today's women's basketball) - former Bucknell member, Grace Klag.
• The Bison and the Raiders shared zero common non-conference foes in 2024-25.
• Colgate was picked to finish second in the ten-team Patriot League and received five first place votes. Senior guard Taylor Golembiewski slotted on the Preseason All-League Team. She received Second Team honors in 2023-24.
• Ganiyat Adeduntan is 56-57 in her four seasons at Colgate.

SERIES HISTORY with THE RAIDERS
• This is the 81st meeting between Bucknell and Colgate.
• The series originated in 1983 at the Siena Tournament.
• Trevor Woodruff is 6-3 all-time against the Raiders.

Series History with Colgate (Last Six Meetings)
3/2/22        Colgate                W, 91-59
1/14/23 Colgate                L, 57-64 (OT)
2/11/23 at Colgate           W, 50-44
1/23/24 at Colgate           L, 46-71
2/17/24 Colgate                L, 55-59
1/5/25 at Colgate           W, 51-34

Series Record: 55-25
Record at Home: 30-6
Record at Colgate: 23-14
Neutral Site Record: 2-5
Trevor Woodruff Record: 6-3
Current Streak: Bucknell W1
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 12 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell dipped to 3-3 in conference play with a 49-47 defeat to the Naval Academy. Navy led 29-16 at halftime and seemed poised to coast to victory before the Bison rallied in the second half. Bucknell kept chipping and clawing and eventually tied the contest at 47-47. Navy's star guard Zanai Barnett-Gay hit the go-ahead layup and Ashley Sofilkanich's shot grazed the left side of the rim to clinch a 49-47 Navy triumph.
• Bucknell shot 36.2% (21-of-58). Bucknell's three-point shooting remained cool as the team went 1-of-10 (10.0%). Navy shot poorly only hitting 30.0% (18-of-60) of its salvos. The Bison out-rebounded the Mids, 45-37 but produced 14 turnovers to Navy's seven.
• Ashley Sofilkanich scored a team-high 21 points on 10-of-23 shooting and 1-of-1 from the charity stripe. Sophia Sabino added nine points. Julianna Almeida and Kyah Smith each led Navy with 11 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. NAVY
None

STREAKS OF NOTE
Tuana Coskun - Starts (17)
Isabella King - Starts (17)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (45)

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 600 career points against Dartmouth on Dec. 6, 2024 and currently has 659 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 124 career three-pointers - sitting tied for eighth all-time with Kate Walker (2015-2019).
• Ashley Sofilkanich passed the 700-point mark against Navy on Jan. 18, 2025. She currently sits at 706 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 remain at home to face Boston U. on Jan. 25.

Women's Basketball Faces Colgate in Midweek Matchup

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis