Women's Basketball Travels to Colgate for PL Quarterfinals

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women's basketball team heads to Hamilton, New York for its third-straight road quarterfinals matchup as it faces the third-seeded Colgate Raiders (23-8, 13-5 Patriot League) on Monday night. Bucknell (16-13, 11-7 Patriot League) enters the Patriot League Tournament after thrashing American 77-46 to conclude the regular season. The Bison finished tied for fourth with Holy Cross and Navy but tiebreakers dropped Bucknell into the sixth seed. Bucknell swept the season series with the Raiders and will look to down the New York foe for the third time and advance to the semifinals to challenge the winner of Army/Lafayette. Bucknell owns the 56-25 series lead. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Game Notes

What: #6 Bucknell at #3 Colgate
When: Monday, March 10 at 6 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 (7.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)
Sr. F/G: Isabella King (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)
So. F: Ashley Sofilkanich (19.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.2 apg)
Fr. G/F: Reese Zemitis (9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)
So. F: Tuana Coskun (7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER COLGATE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ... improve to 17-13 on the season
• ... improve to 7-9 on the road
• ... improve to 57-25 all-time against the Raiders
• ... improve to 8-3 all-time against the Eagles under Woodruff
• ... improve to 100-65 overall under Woodruff
• ... improve to 44-40 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• Bucknell concluded the regular season with a 77-46 victory over American. The Bison never trailed and easily routed the Eagles. The victory improved Bucknell to 16-13 overall and 11-7 in the Patriot League - tied for fourth.
• Ashley Sofilkanich won Patriot League Player of the Year and notched spots on the First Team and All-Defensive Team. Reese Zemitis received All-Rookie honors.
• 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.
• Sofilkanich ranks 19th nationally in blocks per game (2.2) and 25th in points per game (19.5).
• 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 20.5 ppg and 7.1 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 9.8 ppg and 10.0 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 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. Colgate finished strong to earn the third seed in the conference tournament.
• 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.
• Senior guard Taylor Golembiewski made First Team All-Patriot League. Guards Anne Bair and Morgan McMahon earned Third Team honors.
• Ganiyat Adeduntan is 65-60 in her four seasons at Colgate.

SERIES HISTORY with THE RAIDERS
• This is the 82nd meeting between Bucknell and Colgate.
• The series originated in 1983 at the Siena Tournament.
• Trevor Woodruff is 7-3 all-time against the Raiders and swept the series this season.

Series History with Colgate (Last Six Meetings)
1/14/23   Colgate     L, 57-64 (OT)
2/11/23   at Colgate           W, 50-44
1/23/24   at Colgate           L, 46-71
2/17/24   Colgate                L, 55-59
1/5/25 at Colgate           W, 51-34
1/22/25   Colgate                W, 71-67 (OT)

Series Record: 56-25
Record at Home: 31-6
Record at Colgate: 23-14
Neutral Site Record: 2-5
Trevor Woodruff Record: 7-3
Current Streak: Bucknell W2
Longest Bucknell Winning Streak: 12 games

Last Time Out
• Bucknell never trailed in the 77-46 thrashing of 1-28 American on Wednesday night. The outgunned Eagles fell behind and couldn't keep up with Bucknell's hot offense. The Bison led 38-23 at halftime and coasted to the easy victory. The result tied Bucknell for fourth in the conference with Holy Cross and Navy. Tiebreakers relegated Bucknell to the sixth seed and the Orange & Blue will play third-seeded Colgate on Monday night.
• Bucknell shot 46% (30-of-64) and hit eight three-pointers. American hit 28.3% (17-of-60) from the field and 7-of-15 from the free throw stripe (46.7%).
• Ashley Sofilkanich paced Bucknell with 22 points and tallied 11 rebounds. Sophia Sabino added 14 points. Cecilia Key led American with 12 points.

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. American
Elana Weisman - Field Goals Attempted (9)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Isabella King - Starts (29)
Sophia Sabino - Starts (23)
Ashley Sofilkanich - Starts (57) & Double-Digit Scoring Games (13)
Reese Zemitis - Starts (19)

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 782 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 145 career three-pointers - sixth all-time.
• Ashley Sofilkanich passed the 900-point mark against Army on Feb. 24, 2025. She currently sits at 957 points and has an outside shot at reaching 1000 points in two seasons. 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). She ranks fourth in career blocks (128).
•Sofilkanich has moved up the single-season charts ranking third in field goals made (220), fourth in points (569), fifth in blocks (68), and tenth in free throws made (124).
• Reese Zemitis is tied for seventh all-time in single-season three-pointers (59). She sits eighth in single-season three-point attempts (160).

Up Next

Bucknell will face the winner of #2 Army/#7 Lafayette in the semifinals on Thursday. If Army wins, Bucknell heads to Sojka. If Lafayette pulls the upset, Bucknell will host the Leopards.

Women's Basketball Travels to Colgate for PL Quarterfinals

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Players Mentioned

Tuana Coskun

Nicole Davis

Caroline Dingler

Isabella King

Isabella King

Julie Kulesza

Kaylee Reinbeau

Sophia Sabino

Sophia Sabino

Ashley Sofilkanich

Ashley Sofilkanich

Elana Weisman

Reese Zemitis