Bucknell Brushes Past Colgate 63-58 to Advance to PL Semifinals; Coach Woodruff Earns 100th Bucknell Win

HAMILTON, N.Y. - The sixth-seeded Bucknell women's basketball team weathered a second-half Colgate surge, and Reese Zemitis hit several clutch three-pointers to help the Bison brush past third-seeded Colgate 63-58 in Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal action on Monday night at Cotterell Court. The victory completed a three-game season series sweep of Colgate (23-9) and gave head coach Trevor Woodruff his 100th win at Bucknell. The Bison will travel to second-seeded Army on Thursday night in a semifinal matchup.

"This game was big for so many reasons," said Woodruff. "It feels great to be able to practice again tomorrow and play on Thursday with this group. They have been such a fun and united group. The 100th win is about the program. It is an honor and a privilege to coach Bucknell women's basketball. It is such a wonderful place. To win 100 games is significant. We have done good work with good players. I am looking forward to coaching again on Thursday night."

Ashley Sofilkanich led Bucknell with 28 points on an efficient 11 of 14 shooting from the field and 6 of 9 from the charity stripe. The sophomore was unstoppable despite Colgate throwing multiple defenses and options against her. The 28 points boosted her 2024-25 output to 595, moving her to fourth all-time in Bucknell single-season history.

Zemitis scored 13 points. The freshman hit two clutch three-pointers in the final minutes, giving Bucknell leads of 52-49 and 58-55. The latter trey put the Bison ahead for good. Her three arc-launchers tied her for sixth in Bucknell single-season history with Molly Creamer's 2002-03 season (62).

Isabella King displayed a senior's clutch gene with 13 points on 4 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 6 from three-point land.

The Bison withstood Colgate's physical and tenacious defense with poise and bravery, shooting 21 of 44 (47.7%). Colgate also hit 21 shots but had 49 attempts. The Raiders were perfect from the free-throw line going 11 for 11. Senior star Taylor Golembiewski paced Colgate with 20 points on 9 of 17 shooting.

The fourth quarter belonged to Zemitis. The freshman scored 10 points on 2 of 4 from beyond the arc and went 4 of 4 from the charity stripe. She entered the final quarter shooting 1 of 5 but showcased a veteran's confidence by continuing to fire away.

The first quarter foreshadowed the resulting drama. King opened the scoring with a perfect three-pointer but Colgate responded with a 6-0 run. The Bison went ahead 9-8 on a Sofilkanich layup. Colgate again zoomed ahead with a 5-0 run. Bucknell ended the quarter with its own 5-0 run capped by King's two free throws.

Bucknell extended its lead to 25-13 via a 16-0 run. The Bison received points from two Sofilkanich layups, a Zemitis three-pointer, and a King up-and-under layup. Colgate fired back and cut the deficit to 29-25 with 35 seconds left. King regained momentum for Bucknell with a three-pointer with six seconds left.

The Bison led 36-25 in the third quarter and seemed snug until a 14-2 Colgate run flipped the lead back to the Raiders. Colgate added five more points for its largest lead of the game 44-38. Sofilkanich stepped up and scored four points as the quarter expired. The sophomore tallied all ten of Bucknell's points in the third period.

Colgate inched ahead 49-45 and Bucknell responded with a 7-0 run capped by Zemitis's first clutch three-pointer. Colgate tallied twice and regained the 53-52 advantage. Sofilkanich proved why she won Player of the Year honors with a tough layup. Elana Weisman hit 1 of 2 free throws for the 55-53 lead. Colgate's Morgan McMahon was fouled and tied the game at 55-55.

The stage was set for Zemitis's second clutch trey. The freshman received the ball from a double-teamed Sofilkanich as the shot clock was dwindling and hit nothing but net. Defensive stops set up Anna Kunzwiler hitting 1 of 2 free throws and Zemitis nailing both. Colgate refused to die. McMahon was left alone and hit an open three making it 61-58. Bucknell called timeout to advance the ball but a turnover on the sideline gave the Raiders one last chance. Anne Bair's three-pointer hit the rim and Zemitis grabbed the ball after the mad scramble. She shot two free throws with 0.6 seconds left for the cherry on the victory sundae.

Bucknell returns to West Point for the semifinal game against Army on Thursday night. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the contest will be streamed on ESPN+.

Bucknell Brushes Past Colgate 63-58 to Advance to PL Semifinals; Coach Woodruff Earns 100th Bucknell Win

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Team Stats

Ashley Sofilkanich

Isabella King

Reese Zemitis

Anna Kunzwiler

Players Mentioned

Isabella King

Anna Kunzwiler

Ashley Sofilkanich

Elana Weisman

Reese Zemitis