Women's Basketball Travels to West Point to Battle Second Place Army

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison (14-11, 9-5 Patriot League) sit tied for fourth place with Holy Cross as the conference regular season hits the final stretch run. The Orange & Blue have four games remaining and the first contest starts at the most important post in America where Bucknell will battle the second place Army Black Knights (19-5, 11-3 Patriot League) in a massive conference clash. Bucknell's three-game winning streak was snapped Wednesday by league-leading Lehigh but the Bison are still in play for a quarterfinal home contest. The Orange & Blue beat Army 75-65 earlier this season at Sojka and have a two-game winning stretch over the academy. Bucknell owns the 46-28 series lead as the two teams meet for the 75th time. The tip is scheduled for high noon.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Army
When: Saturday, February 22 at Noon
Where: West Point, N.Y.- Christl Arena
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: goarmywestpoint.com

WITH A WIN OVER ARMY, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 15-11 on the season
• ... improve to 6-8 on the road
• ... improve to 47-28 all-time against the Black Knights
• ... improve to 8-3 all-time against the Black Knights under Woodruff
• ... improve to 98-63 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 43-39 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell witnessed its three-game winning streak ending with a 73-59 defeat to league-leading Lehigh on Wednesday. The Orange & Blue led 3-0 before Lehigh grabbed the lead for good. Bucknell crept within 40-33 but never got closer. The Bison fell to 9-5 in conference dropping from third to fifth place and 14-11 overall.
• Ashley Sofilkanich was named to the USBWA Top 50 Midseason Watch List for the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year Award. The Bison forward was one of 11 mid-major players to earn the honor and only one of two Patriot League hoopers to notch the laurel.
• 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 11th nationally in blocks per game (2.4) and 21st in points per game (20.5).
• 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 ARMY
• The Black Knights finished 12-17 overall but went 9-9 in conference play to finish as the sixth seed in the tight Patriot League. They dropped a 65-63 decision to the third seeded Boston Terriers in the PL Quarterfinals.
• Army sits at 19-5 overall and 11-3 in conference play for second place. They went 8-2 in non-conference play but did not play a single high major squad. Their only conference losses have come to league-leading Lehigh, third place Holy Cross, and Bucknell.
• Army's roster has 15 players with zero transfers. It is a national roster as expected with players from 11 different states.
• The Bison and the Black Knights shared zero common non-conference foes in 2024-25.
• Army was picked to finish fourth in the ten-team Patriot League and has exceeded expectations so far. No Black Knights made the Preseason All-League Team. Trinity Hardy was on the All-Patriot League Second Team in 2023-24.
• Missy Traversi is 60-52 in her fourth season as head coach of the Black Knights.

SERIES HISTORY with THE BLACK KNIGHTS
• This is the 75th meeting between Bucknell and Army.
• The series began in 1984 with an Army victory.
• Trevor Woodruff is 7-3 all-time against Army.

Series History with Army (Last Six Meetings)
2/23/22   Army           W, 79-51
1/18/23   Army           L, 43-52
2/4/23 at Army W, 60-50
1/27/24   Army           L, 66-75
2/24/24   at Army       W, 65-63
2/8/25   Army           W, 75-65

Series Record: 46-28
Record at Home: 27-10
Record at Army: 18-18
Neutral Site Record: 1-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 7-3
Current Streak: Bucknell W2
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 9 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell led 3-0 for nearly two minutes but never held the lead again in a 73-59 defeat to Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks grabbed the advantage and led 36-27 at halftime. The Bison, in several instances, inched within seven points but Lehigh refused to fade away. The Mountain Hawks build a 21-point lead before coasting to the finish. The result dropped Bucknell to 14-11 overall and into a fourth place tie with Holy Cross in the Patriot League standings.
• Bucknell shot 38% (19-of-50) as Lehigh's defense proved pressing. Lehigh went 49.1% (27-of-55) from the field. The Bison were out-rebounded by the Mountain Hawks, 33-30.
• Ashley Sofilkanich scored 14 points to lead Bucknell. Reese Zemitis scored 13 points for her seventh straight double-digit game. Sophia Sabino added 12 points. Maddie Albrecht tallied 20 points to pace Lehigh.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. LEHIGH
Sophia Sabino - Free Throws Made (5) & Free Throws Attempted (8)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Tuana Coskun - Starts (25)
Isabella King - Starts (25)
Sophia Sabino - Starts (19)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (53) & Double-Digit Scoring Games (9)
Reese Zemitis - Starts (15) & Double-Digit Scoring Games (7)

MORE MILESTONES UNEARTHED
• Isabella King reached 700 career points on the nose with a career-high 22 tallies versus Navy on Feb. 1, 2025 and sits at 751 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 138 career three-pointers - tied for sixth all-time with Lauren Schober.
• Ashley Sofilkanich passed the 800-point mark against Navy on Feb. 1, 2025. She currently sits at 884 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

The Bison return home on Feb. 26 to face the preseason favorite Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds.

Women's Basketball Travels to West Point to Battle Second Place Army

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Reese Zemitis