Women's Basketball Awaits Navy in a Sojka Saturday Showdown

LEWISBURG, Pa.- February begins finding the Bucknell Bison (11-9, 6-3 Patriot League) riding a three-game winning streak and two contests above .500 for the first time in the 2024-25 season. The Orange & Blue will play the Navy Midshipmen (14-6, 6-3 Patriot League) at Sojka this Saturday for sole possession of fourth place with a chance at the second or third slot should Army or Holy Cross fall. The Mids and the Bison were predicted to finish seventh and eighth respectively in the preseason poll. Bucknell defeated preseason favorite Loyola 54-49 on Wednesday night. It is the 79th meeting between Bucknell and the Naval Academy with the Bison holding a 45-33 advantage but Navy has won the past three games.  The tip is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell vs. Navy
When: Saturday, February 1 at 4 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 (6.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.5 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (7.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (20.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.7 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Fr. G/F: Reese Zemitis (8.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER NAVY, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 12-9 on the season
• ... improve to 8-2 at home
• ... improve to 46-32 all-time against the Midshipmen
• ... improve to 7-4 all-time against the Midshipmen under Woodruff
• ... improve to 95-61 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 53-21 at home under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell emerged victorious for the third straight time with a tight 54-49 victory over preseason favorite Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday. The Bison led comfortably 48-33 before the Greyhounds ended the game on a 16-6 run. Clutch free throws proved decisive for Bucknell.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won her fourth Patriot League Player of the Week for 66-point performance in Bucknell's 2-0 week. The sophomore scored 44 points against Colgate tying Bison legend Molly Creamer's single game record. Sofilkanich also won USBWA National Player of the Week.
• 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 (2.5).
• 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 20.4 ppg and 6.4 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 8.9 ppg and 9.4 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 NAVY
• The Midshipmen finished 14-17 overall but went 9-9 in conference play, showing immense growth after a 1-29 voyage in 2022-23. Navy beat Bucknell in the season finale to gain the seventh seed in the Patriot League Tournament. They defeated #10 Lafayette in the First Round and fell by five to #2 Colgate in the Quarterfinal after being outscored 23-14 in the final stanza.
• Navy stands at 14-6 overall and 6-3 in conference play. They went 7-3 in non-conference play with several notable wins over Delaware and Iona. The Mids started 4-0 in conference before going 2-3 over their past five games and are tied for fourth with Bucknell.
• Navy's roster has 14 players with one transfer (Lizzie Holder) coming from Colorado. Five players come from Maryland and Virginia.
• The Bison and the Middies share one common non-conference foe in 2024-25 in Dartmouth. The Big Green sunk Navy while Bucknell emerged victorious.
• Navy was picked to finish seventh in the ten-team Patriot League but has made sport of the prediction. Zanai Barnett-Gay made the Preseason All-League Team.
• Tim Taylor is 44-80 in his fifth season as head admiral of the Midshipmen.

SERIES HISTORY with THE MIDSHIPMEN
• This is the 79th meeting between Bucknell and Navy.
• The series began in 1981 as a non-conference clash.
• Trevor Woodruff is 6-4 all-time against Navy but has lost the last three games.

Series History with Navy (Last Six Meetings)
3/10/22         Navy (PLT)     W, 64-44
1/25/23         at Navy       W, 67-49
2/8/23       Navy           W, 70-49
1/24/24        at Navy           L, 48-59
3/6/24       Navy               L, 49-55
1/18/25       at Navy       L, 47-49

Series Record: 45-33
Record at Home: 23-14
Record at Navy: 19-17
Neutral Site Record: 3-2
Trevor Woodruff Record: 6-4
Current Streak: Navy W3
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 12 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell improved to 6-3 in conference play with a gritty 54-49 victory over the Loyola Greyhounds for its 11th straight win over the Old Line State foe. The Orange & Blue trailed 18-16 at halftime. The Bison stormed ahead in the third quarter and led by 15 points in the final period before Loyola rallied to almost tie the game. Bucknell hit enough free throws to avoid the loss. The result moved Bucknell to two games above .500 overall (11-9) for the first time all season.
• Bucknell shot a rough 36.7% (18-of-49) but hit 75% of its shots in the third quarter. The Bison's free throw percentage was 59.1% (13-of-22). Loyola went 36.5% (19-of-52) on its chances. The Greyhounds out-rebounded the Bison, 38-30.
• Despite increased attention, Ashley Sofilkanich tallied 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Reese Zemitis contributed 13 points. Koi Sims provided a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. LOYOLA (Md.)
Reese Zemitis - Free Throws Made (6)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Tuana Coskun - Starts (20)
Isabella King - Starts (20)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (48)
Reese Zemitis - Starts (10)

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 600 career points against Dartmouth on Dec. 6, 2024 and currently has 678 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 128 career three-pointers - sitting eighth all-time.
• Ashley Sofilkanich passed the 700-point mark against Navy on Jan. 18, 2025. She currently sits at 793 points. She tied Molly Creamer's Bucknell single-game point record (44) against Colgate. She also set the Sojka Pavilion record for points (44) and field goals made (16).
• Trevor Woodruff reached the 200 career win mark as a women's basketball head coach after defeating Vermont on Dec. 4, 2024.

Up Next

After the league bye on Wednesday, the Bison will welcome Army to Sojka Pavilion on Jan. 8 for National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Women's Basketball Awaits Navy in a Sojka Saturday Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis