Women's Basketball Heads to Colgate for First Conference Road Game

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (5-7, 0-1 Patriot League) hits the road for the team's first conference away game against potent foe Colgate (10-4, 0-1 Patriot League). Bucknell opened Patriot League play with a 65-53 home loss to Lehigh while Colgate lost 56-38 to Army in its first conference match. The Bison and Raiders are meeting for the 80th time. Colgate swept the 2023-24 series but Bucknell has the 54-25 series advantage. The tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Colgate
When: Sunday, January 5 at 2 p.m.
Where: Hamilton, N.Y.- Cotterell Court
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: colgateathletics.com

Last Game's Starters:
R-Jr. G: Sophia Sabino (5.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.5 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (9.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.1 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (18.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (8.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Fr. G/F: Reese Zemitis (8.2 ppg, 2.9, rpg, 0.8 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER COLGATE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 6-7 on the season
• ... improve to 2-5 on the road
• ... improve to 55-25 all-time against the Raiders
• ... improve to 6-3 against the Raiders under Woodruff
• ... improve to 89-59 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 39-36 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• The Bison dropped the opening game of Patriot League play in a 65-53 defeat to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Lehigh jumped out to a 43-23 halftime lead and appeared ready to roll to a decisive victory. The Orange & Blue rallied and cut the deficit to 51-45 and 53-49 before the Mountain Hawks used one final stretch to complete the 65-53 victory. It marked the third straight loss for Bucknell. Ashley Sofilkanich scored 15 points leading the Bison and improving her double-digit scoring streak to 11 games. Tuana Coskun and Reese Zemitis each tallied 12 points. Maddie Albrecht led the Mountain Hawks with a game-high 17 points.
• Zemitis won Patriot League Rookie of the Week (12/23) due to her 15-point performance against the Pride. The freshman made the most of her starting opportunity shooting 6-of-12 from the field. .
• 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 sixth nationally in blocks per game (2.82).
• 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.
• 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.
• Colgate's roster holds 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 52-56 in her four seasons at Colgate.

SERIES HISTORY with the RAIDERS
• This is the 80th meeting between Bucknell and Colgate.
• The series originated in 1983 with a meeting at the Siena Tournament.
• Trevor Woodruff is 5-3 all-time against the Raiders.

Series History with Colgate (Last Six Meetings)
1/9/22        at Colgate           W, 61-41
3/2/22        Colgate                W, 91-59
1/14/23 Colgate                L, 64-57 (OT)
2/11/23      at Colgate           W, 50-44
1/13/24   at Colgate           L, 71-46
2/17/24 Colgate                L, 59-55

Series Record: 54-25
Record at Home: 30-6
Record at Colgate: 22-14
Neutral Site Record: 2-5
Trevor Woodruff Record: 5-3
Current Streak: Colgate W2
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 12 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell started conference play with a 0-1 mark as in-state rival Lehigh defeated the Bison at Sojka Pavilion with a 65-53 effort. The Mountain Hawks owned the first half building a 43-23 advantage. The Orange & Blue never wavered and fought back to move within four points (53-49) in the fourth quarter. Lehigh prevented any late game heroics with a 12-4 run to end the contest.
• Bucknell shot 40.8% (20-of-49). The Bison were 12-of-25 (48.0%) in the second half. Lehigh hit 22 shots on 53 attempts (41.5%). The Mountain Hawks outrebounded Bucknell, 31-27 and hit 16 free throws on 17 attempts.
• Ashley Sofilkanich led the Bison with 15 points extending her double-digit scoring streak to 11 games. Reese Zemitis scored 12 points in her second start. Tuana Coskun tallied 12 points. Maddie Albrecht paced Lehigh with 17 points and Ella Stemmer recorded 12 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. LEHIGH
Sophia Sabino - Rebounds (7)
Reese Zemitis - Minutes (39) & Three-Point Attempts (13)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Tuana Coskun - Starts (12)
Isabella King - Starts (12)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Double Digit Scoring Games (11) & Starts (40)

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 600 career points against Dartmouth on Dec. 6, 2024 and currently has 640 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 120 career three-pointers - sitting ninth all-time.
• Ashley Sofilkanich passed the 600-point mark against Lehigh on Jan. 2, 2025. She currently sits at 610 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

Bucknell heads to Easton on Jan. 8 to face the Lafayette Leopards.

Women's Basketball Heads to Colgate for First Conference Road Game

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis