Feb. 13, 2006
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After seeing its program record-tying seven-game win streak come to an end last Saturday against Holy Cross, Bucknell will be looking to get back on the right track Tuesday against Lafayette. The Bison, who are tied with Army for first place in the Patriot League standings, have just four games left in the regular season. It appears as though it is a three-team race between Army, Bucknell and Holy Cross for the two hosting duties in the Patriot League Tournament. The Bison play the Black Knights twice in the season's final week and should they win out will claim the number one overall seed for just the second time in program history. Currently tied for last place with rival Lehigh, Lafayette is at the other end of the spectrum as it looks to close out the regular season on a high note. The Leopards are 2-8 in conference play, but are just one game behind sixth-place American. The last time they finished higher than seventh in the standings was the 2000-01 campaign when they finished sixth overall.
ABOUT LAFAYETTE
Since facing Bucknell two weeks ago at Sojka Pavilion Lafayette has posted a 1-3 mark. However, the lone win was a 54-49 home win over Holy Cross, a team that swept the season series from Bucknell. Since opening the season with a three-game winning streak Lafayette has gone just 4-16 and is being outscored by a 65.0-58.7 margin this season. The Leopards, who have lost five of their last six games, are paced by the trio of sophomore forward Vanessa Van De Venter (10.0 ppg), junior guard Kara Stetler (10.6 ppg) and senior guard Lindsay Myers (10.2 ppg). All three have started all 23 games and have accounted for nearly 54 percent of Lafayette's points. The Leopards, who are coached by fifth-year mentor Tammy Smith, have already eclipsed their win total from all of last year. In fact, Smith had only won 12 games in her first four seasons in Easton and has already won half that many games this season.
BISON VS. THE LEOPARDS
Lafayette leads the all-time series 31-25, but Bucknell has dominated since the mid-1990s, winning 18 of 24 meetings since the 1994-95 campaign, including an eight-game winning streak that was snapped last year. The 56 games Bucknell has played against Lafayette is the most the Bison have played any opponent.
LAST MEETING - Feb. 1, 2006 (Sojka Pavilion) - Bucknell 62, Lafayette 48
Avenging a sweep of the season series last year, Bucknell used a 22-5 run midway through the second half to help it defeat Lafayette 62-48 two weeks ago. Hope Foster led the Bison with 19 points and nine rebounds as she narrowly missed her fourth career double-double. After falling behind 12-2 early on 1 of 9 shooting, the Bison stormed back to even the score at 14-14. Bucknell's 21-20 halftime lead was its first of the game
WITH A VICTORY OVER LAFAYETTE, BUCKNELL WOULD...
• ...improve to 9-2 in the Patriot League for the fourth time in program history
• ...reach 16 wins for just the seventh time in program history
• ...win at least nine Patriot League games for the fourth time
• ...sweep the season series from the Leopards for the fifth time in the last six years
• ...post its biggest win improvement from one season to the next since 1995-96
QUICK FACTS
Lauren Schober has reached double figures in 10 of the last 12 games ... Lindsey Hollobaugh became the 15th Bison to eclipse 1,000 points earlier this season ... Kathy Fedorjaka has 201 career victories ... Hollobaugh's 406 career rebounds top current Bison ... Hope Foster has 364 career rebounds ... Foster is the all-time blocks leader in Bucknell history ... Amanda Brown and Schober are both in position to become the first Bucknell freshman to lead the team in scoring since Molly Creamer in 1999-2000 ... Creamer was the fourth freshman, and just second since 1980, to top the team in scoring ... Brown and Schober are attempting to become the first Bucknell freshmen to rank one-two in scoring since 1975-76, the second year of the program ... Bucknell is outscoring Patriot League opponents by an average of 38-27 in the second half ... Bucknell is off to the second-best 23-game start in program history ... Bucknell was tied for 13th in the nation in consecutive wins through games of Feb. 8 prior to falling to Holy Cross last weekend ... the 41 points Bucknell scored against Holy Cross equaled the season low for the Bison ... Bucknell has used the same starting lineup in all 10 Patriot League games.
BEST 23-GAME STARTS
Bucknell is 15-8 this year, tying it for the second-best 23-game start in program history. Only the 2000-01 squad that opened 17-5 posted a better mark through 23 contests.
Bucknell's Best 23-Game Starts
Year Start Final W-L
2000-01 17-6 20-8
2005-06 15-8 --
2001-02 15-8 21-10
1986-87 15-8 17-11
RECORD-TYING SEVEN WINS IN A ROW
Bucknell won seven games in a row from Jan. 18 to Feb. 7 to mark the second time in the 33-year history of the program the Bison have won that many consecutive games. The 1986-87 team that opened the campaign 7-0 owned the record for most consecutive wins in Bison history.
Bucknell's Longest Winning Streaks
Year Streak Final W-L
1986-87 7 17-11
2005-06 7 --
WIN NUMBER 200 FOR FEDORJAKA
Ninth-year Bucknell head coach Kathy Fedorjaka, who is in her 13th season as a college head coach, picked up her 200th career victory Feb. 4 against Colgate. The all-time winningest coach in Bucknell history, Fedorjaka has a career record of 201-154 (.566) and a 134-116 (.536) at the helm of the Bison. Bucknell has clinched a .500 record for the fifth time under Fedorjaka.
POINTS AT A PREMIUM FOR OPPONENTS
Over the last eight games Bucknell has limited its opponents to a total of just 407 points (50.9 ppg). Bucknell is allowing just 58.0 points per game this season, the second-best figure in program history. The Bison have allowed less than 63 points per game just once since the 1979-80 campaign.
Scoring Defense
Year Points Allowed/Game
1. 1975-76 56.9
2. 2005-06 58.1
3. 1974-75 59.0
1979-80 59.0
PATRIOT LEAGUE SUCCESS
In addition to being at the top of the Patriot League standings, Bucknell tops the PL in scoring defense during conference games, and is third in scoring offense. The Bison are averaging nearly 68 points per game (third to Army and Colgate) and holding opponents to less than 53 in their 10 league contests. Patriot League opponents are making just 32.2% of their field goal attempts against the stingy Bison defense.
LARGE VICTORY MARGIN
Bucknell, which won seven consecutive games by at least 13 points, is outscoring its opponents by a league-best 6.1 points per game this season. After winning just five games by at least 10 points last year, the Bison have 11 wins by double figures this season. In Patriot League contests, Bucknell has outscored opponents by 15.6 points per game.
HALFTIME LEADS
Bucknell owns a 12-2 record when leading at halftime. The Bison, who have won their last 11 games they led at the half, have trailed at intermission just three times since Jan. 1.
13-4 IN LAST 17
Bucknell has won 13 of its last 17 games, marking the first time since the 2001-02 campaign it has experienced a stretch that good. It is the second-most wins in a span where the Bison have only had four losses in program history.
Bucknell's Most Wins in a Span with Only Four Losses
Year Record
1. 2001-02 18-4
2. 2005-06 13-4
UNSELFISH BISON = SUCCESS
Bucknell tallied 20 assists Feb. 7 against American. It marked the ninth time this season the Bison have dished out at least 15 assists and they have won each of those games.
DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORERS
Eight different Bucknell players have combined to total 66 double-figure scoring games this season. Five players - Amanda Brown, Lauren Schober, Kesha Champion, Hope Foster and Lindsey Hollobaugh - have tallied at least 10 points at least 10 times. Last year, in 28 games, there were just 66 double-figure games registered by seven different Bison players.
SEVEN STRAIGHT ON ROAD
Bucknell's 81-63 victory at Colgate on Feb. 4 was the seventh straight road win for the Bison, which is a program record. The streak came to an end with a 56-41 loss at Holy Cross Feb. 11.
Consecutive Road Victories
Year Streak Final W-L
2005-06 7 in progress
1986-87 4 17-11
2000-01 4 20-8
EIGHT STRAIGHT AWAY FROM HOME
Bucknell's win at Colgate on Feb. 4 was its eighth straight away from home. The Bison outscored their opponents by an average score of 74.1-59.2 during the eight games. The program-record streak came to a close Feb. 11 with a 56-41 loss at Holy Cross.
ROAD SWEET ROAD
After struggling to a 3-13 record away from Sojka Pavilion last year, Bucknell has posted an impressive 8-4 mark away from home this season, including 7-4 on the road. The Bison are averaging 67.1 points per game away from home and just 60.8 at Sojka Pavilion, where they own a 7-4 record.
BLOCKED SHOTS FOR FOSTER
Sophomore Hope Foster leads the Patriot League and has broken her own Bucknell single-season blocks record with 81 this year. She ranks sixth all-time in PL history. The Washington, D.C., native has blocked at least four shots in a game 10 times this season and 17 times in 51 career games. Earlier this year she had a string of 33 games with at least one block snapped. In the latest NCAA rankings, which include games through Feb. 6, Foster ranked fifth in the nation in blocks. Ironically, Foster has more blocks than any Patriot League team. Lafayette's leader in blcoked shots in Lindsay Myers with seven.
Patriot League Career Blocks
Player, School Years Games Blocks
1. Kathy Courtney, Holy Cross 1994-97 117 309
2. Lisa Andrews, Holy Cross 2002-05 118 201
3. Karen Juda, Holy Cross 1993-96 112 194
4. Kelly Roche, Fordham 1991-93 78 174
5. Leandra Fuller, Colgate 2002-05 119 170
6. Hope Foster, Bucknell 2005- 51 153
2005-06 Patriot League Blocked Shot Leaders
Player, School Games Blocks Avg.
1. Hope Foster, Bucknell 23 81 3.5
2. Kaitlin Foley, Holy Cross 23 23 1.0
3. Carly Meyer, Navy 18 13 0.7
2005-06 Blocked Shots
Player/Team Blocks
1. Bucknell 107
Hope Foster 81
2. Holy Cross 61
3. Army 46
Navy 46
UP NEXT
Bucknell continues its three-game road trip Saturday, Feb. 18, at Army. Tip off between the two teams currently tied for first place is slated for 1 p.m. at Christl Arena. Two of Bucknell's final three regular season contests are against the Black Knights.
