What: Bucknell (6-9, 1-0 PL) at American (6-10, 0-1 PL)
Where: Bender Arena, Washington, D.C.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008, 7 p.m.
Radio: WVBU 90.5 FM and SportsJuice.com
Video: Patriot League All-Access
Game Notes
With a Victory Over American, Bucknell Would…
► Open the Patriot League season 2-0 for the third straight year
► Win its sixth consecutive game against the Eagles
► Improve to 14-5 in January since 2005-06
► Draw to within two games of .500 for the first time since owning 4-6 record in mid-December
► Post its first winning streak of the season
► Win back-to-back road games for the first time since defeating Navy and American last February
About the Game
Bucknell and American enter Wednesday night’s game heading in different directions. The Bison, who will wrap up a stretch where they have played five road contests in a six-game span, have won two of their last three, including a season-best 26-point victory at Navy on Saturday. The Eagles, who lost their Patriot League opener 55-37 Saturday against Lehigh, have dropped six in a row, failing to score more than 56 points in any of those outings. Kesha Champion continues to lead the Bucknell offense, averaging 16.8 points per game over the last five games, but she received some help last time out as four Bison reached double figures, led by a season high-tying 17 from Lauren Schober. Preseason All-Patriot League choice Liz Hayes lead American in scoring (13.6 ppg), but is the only Eagle scoring more than nine points per game.
Bucknell-American Series
Bucknell owns a 9-8 advantage in the series and has won five straight and six of the last seven. The Bison are 8-4 against the Eagles since American joined the Patriot League in 2001-02.
Last Meeting – Feb. 6, 2007
► Bucknell 70, American 57 (Bender Arena)
Amanda Brown equaled her career high with 22 points and added a career-high eight rebounds to help Bucknell to its fifth consecutive victory. The Bison, who jumped out to an early 12-2 lead, led by as many as 18 points. Hope Foster totaled 16 points for Bucknell, while Liz Hayes led the Eagles with 19.
Scoring Explosion for Champion
In recent weeks Kesha Champion has turned into a reliable scorer for Bucknell. After averaging less than eight points per game throughout her career, Champion has been scoring 16.8 points per game over the last five contests. She has tallied double figures in all five of those outings, marking the longest stretch of her career, and is now second on the team in scoring this year (10.9). Since the Dec. 21 Duke game, Champion has improved her 3-point shooting as well. A career 23.8 percent shooter from behind the arc through the first 98 games of her career, Champion has made 11 of 21 (52.4 percent) the last five outings. Her 39.3 percent shooting from 3-point range this season leads the team and would place her second in the Patriot League if she had made the minimum one per game.
Going for 2-0 in PL
Bucknell will be aiming for its third straight 2-0 Patriot League start when it faces American. The Bison have started 2-0 seven times in the first 17 years they have been members of the Patriot League (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007). With its win over Navy on Saturday, Bucknell improved to 12-6 all-time in Patriot League openers.
Taking Brown’s Place
Freshman Taylor Phillips took the place of an injured Amanda Brown in the starting lineup Saturday at Navy. In her third career start, Phillips registered 10 points, a game-high eight rebounds and five steals, the most by a Bison player since Jacquie Seawright had six last February against Colgate. Phillips is averaging 11.0 points in her three starts, including two of her three double-figure outputs. Classmate Jessica Lynch also helped fill Brown’s minutes as she played a season-high 17 and scored six points on 2 of 2 shooting from 3-point range.
Wide Margins
With its 71-45 victory at Navy on Saturday, Bucknell won another Patriot League game by at least 10 points. In their 12 regular-season conference victories in 2006-07, the Bison won by an average of nearly 17 points per game, including 10 by at least 10 points. Thirteen of Bucknell’s last 15 victories against Patriot League opponents have been by double figures.
Freshmen Strong on Defense
Heading into last Saturday’s game at Navy Bucknell’s five freshmen had combined for nine steals. Thanks largely to Taylor Phillips’ five thefts, the class nearly doubled its total with seven opposite the Mids. The quintet now has 16 steals this year.
Freshmen Strong on Boards
Taylor Phillips paced Bucknell with a season-high eight rebounds last Saturday at Navy. Fellow freshman Cosima Higham pulled down a team-high five boards at Buffalo in the previous game. It is the first time freshmen have led Bucknell in rebounding in back-to-back games since current seniors Kesha Champion and Hope Foster accomplished the feat in 2004-05.
Good vs. American
Hope Foster has been strong in her last four games against American. The senior co-captain is averaging 15.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game when facing the Eagles the last two years. Those numbers are drastic improvements over her freshman year when she totaled nine points and 11 rebounds in two games against American.
End of Road Woes
Bucknell snapped a four-game road losing streak with its 71-45 victory at Navy.
Keys to Success
Shooting better than the opponent, piling up the assists and jumping out to early leads have been keys in Bucknell victories this season. The Bison are 6-3 when outshooting their opponents, they are 5-0 when dishing out more than 15 assists and they have won five of the six times they have had a lead at halftime.
No Winning Streaks
Bucknell has not put together consecutive wins yet this year. The last time the Bison had not won back-to-back games until January was 1993-94 when they went the entire season without winning at least two games in a row.
Liking the Work Week
Bucknell has thrived on weekdays this year, going 5-2 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Bison are just 1-7 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Difficult Schedule
Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka put together a very difficult non-league schedule for her Bison squad this season. In fact, the nine teams Bucknell has lost to this season owned a combined 88-47 (.652) record through Jan. 13.
Rebounding Fact
Bucknell is at -6.3 in rebounding, but it is averaging 2.1 more per game than in 2006-07.
Better Rebounding
One of Bucknell’s weaknesses for most of the non-conference portion of the schedule was its rebounding. The Bison were outrebounded by 7.7 per game entering their Jan. 2 game at Buffalo. Bucknell faced a 34-26 deficit on the boards in that contest, but it was the fewest rebounds an opponent had grabbed. The Bison did better last Saturday against Navy when it outrebounded the Mids by a season-best 44-30 spread. It marked the fourth time this year Bucknell won the battle of the boards and it is 3-1 in those contests.
Balanced Scoring
For the second time this season, and the sixth time in the last two years, Bucknell had at least four players register double figures in points last Saturday at Navy. Lauren Schober led the squad with a season high-tying 17 points, while Kesha Champion (15 points), Hope Foster (11) and Taylor Phillips (10) rounded out the list of Bison with at least 10 points.
Up Next
Bucknell will return home Sunday for a national TV date with Holy Cross. The Bison and Crusaders will tip off at noon at Sojka Pavilion in a game that will be televised live on ESPNU. Bucknell is just 10-31 all-time against Holy Cross, but it swept the season series last year and is 5-4 against the Crusaders over the last nine meetings.
Source: Bucknell Women’s Basketball Goes for Second Straight Win Wednesday at American
