Women's Basketball Travels to Lafayette for Midweek Matchup

NOTE: The next Bucknell Basketball Luncheon will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9 at the Bull Run Tap House on Market Street in Lewisburg. Coaches John Griffin III and Trevor Woodruff, along with select players from the men's and women's teams, will be on hand to talk about the season and answer questions.

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team (6-7, 1-1 Patriot League) looks to start a conference winning streak after defeating Colgate 51-34 with a victory over in-state rival Lafayette (4-9, 1-1 Patriot League) on Wednesday night. The Bison and Leopards are meeting for the 94th time in a series that dates back to 1977. Bucknell swept the series in 2023-24 and has the 54-39 advantage in the win-loss column. Coach Trevor Woodruff holds a 9-1 mark against the Easton-based foe. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Lafayette
When: Wednesday, January 8 at 6 p.m.
Where: Easton, Pa.- Kirby Sports Center
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: goleopards.com

Last Game's Starters:
R-Jr. G: Sophia Sabino (5.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (9.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.2 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (18.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Fr. G/F: Reese Zemitis (8.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.9 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER LAFAYETTE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 7-7 on the season
• ... improve to 3-5 on the road
• ... improve to 55-39 all-time against the Leopards
• ... improve to 10-1 against the Leopards under Woodruff
• ... improve to 90-59 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 40-36 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell used Reese Zemitis's first collegiate double-double to win its first conference victory 51-34 over Colgate. The 34 points were a season-low for a Bison foe. Bucknell led for 37 minutes and, except for a 3-3 tie, Colgate never led or tied again. Bucknell led 27-14 at halftime and extended its lead to as high as 19 points in the second half. Two back-to-back three-pointers by King and Zemitis sealed the win. Ashley Sofilkanich's 16 points led both teams. Zemitis scored 14 points and collared 11 rebounds. Sophia Sabino tallied ten points. Anne Bair's 12 points paced the Raiders.
• Zemitis earned her second Patriot League Rookie of the Week award on Jan. 6 after scoring 26 combined points against Colgate and Lehigh. The freshman totaled eight three-pointers in the two contests.
• 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 eighth nationally in blocks per game (2.54).
• 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 dominated the 2024-25 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 LAFAYETTE
• Lafayette finished 10-20 overall and 5-13 in the Patriot League in 2023-24. The Leopards placed last in the conference and received the #10 seed. They drew #7 Navy in the Patriot League Tournament First Round and lost 67-45.
• The Leopards have started 4-9 overall and 1-1 in conference play. They defeated two NEC foes in Saint Francis and Wagner along with beating NJIT. Their conference win came over Boston U. with the loss occurring to Navy. They also played #6 Notre Dame and #13 West Virginia.
• Lafayette roster has 13 players with two transfers including former Bucknell member, Rosie Scognamiglio.
• The Bison and the Leopards shared two common non-conference foes in 2024-25 in Dartmouth and FDU. Lafayette lost to both teams while Bucknell beat Dartmouth and lost to FDU.
• Lafayette was picked to finish ninth in the ten-team Patriot League. No Leopards made the Preseason All-League Team.
• Kia Damon-Olson is 75-130 in her eight seasons at Lafayette and is currently one of the longest tenured coaches in the circuit.

SERIES HISTORY with THE LEOPARDS
• This is the 94th meeting between Bucknell and Lafayette.
• The series originated in 1977 and remains one of Bucknell's oldest rivalries.
• Trevor Woodruff is 9-1 all-time against the Leopards with a scoring differential of +145.

Series History with Lafayette (Last Six Meetings)
2/6/22        Lafayette                W, 68-40
2/19/22 at Lafayette           W, 68-60 (OT)
1/8/23        Lafayette                W, 56-44
2/25/23 at Lafayette           L, 69-61
1/20/24      Lafayette                W, 65-58
3/2/24        at Lafayette           W, 56-45

Series Record: 54-39
Record at Home: 32-13
Record at Lafayette: 22-23
Neutral Site Record: 0-3
Trevor Woodruff Record: 9-1
Current Streak: Bucknell W2
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 17 games

Last Time Out
• The Bison evened their conference record at 1-1 with a 51-34 shutdown of the Colgate Raiders. Bucknell led for 37 minutes and except for a brief 3-3 tie never trailed or were deadlocked with the home team. The Orange & Blue owned a 27-14 lead at halftime and never allowed the lead to dip back into single digits. A 14-9 fourth quarter put the matter to bed without any last minute heroics.
• Bucknell shot 38.8% (19-of-49). The Bison were 8-of-15 (53.3%) from three-point land. Colgate hit 12 shots on 46 attempts (26.1%). The Raiders out-rebounded Bucknell, 36-32 but had 17 turnovers to the Bison's 11.
• Ashley Sofilkanich led the Bison with 16 points extending her double-digit scoring streak to 12 games. Reese Zemitis notched 14 points and grabbed 11 boards for her first collegiate double-double. Sophia Sabino tied a career-high with ten points. Anne Bair's 12 points led the Raiders.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. COLGATE
Reese Zemitis - Rebounds (11)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Tuana Coskun - Starts (13)
Isabella King - Starts (13)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Double Digit Scoring Games (12) & Starts (41)

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 600 career points against Dartmouth on Dec. 6, 2024 and currently has 646 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 122 career three-pointers - sitting ninth all-time.
• Ashley Sofilkanich passed the 600-point mark against Lehigh on Jan. 2, 2025. She currently sits at 626 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 back to Sojka on Jan. 11 to welcome American.

Women's Basketball Travels to Lafayette for Midweek Matchup

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Rosie Scognamiglio

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis