March 8, 2011
WHAT: No. 4 Bucknell Bison (11-16) at No. 1 Navy Midshipmen (18-11)
WHERE: Alumni Hall, Annapolis, Md.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 9, 7 p.m.
RADIO: WVBU 90.5/SportsJuice.com
VIDEO: Patriot League All-Access 
LIVE STATS: BucknellBison.com 
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
ABOUT THE GAME
With its 14-point quarterfinal win on Saturday, Bucknell women’s basketball has advanced its farthest in the Patriot League Tournament since winning the title in 2008. The Bison will have a chance to continue their recent hot streak with a tough matchup against Navy in Annapolis. Tipoff against the No. 1 seed is set for 7 p.m. with the victor going to the Patriot League Championship for a chance at the automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
Fans planning on attending the Bison-Midshipmen showdown in Annapolis should park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Parking is $5 per vehicle. A free shuttle bus to Alumni Hall will be provided. Fans over the age of 16 must present government-issued photo ID to gain access to the Navy grounds. Visit navysports.com for more information.
WITH A VICTORY OVER NAVY, BUCKNELL WOULD...
► Advance to the Patriot League Championship for the first time since 2008 and the fourth time in program history.
► Snap a five-game losing streak to the Midshipmen.
► Improve to 4-1 against Navy in the postseason.
► Win its sixth game in seven tries.
LAST MEETING - FEB. 5, 2011
► Navy 66, Bucknell 43 (Alumni Hall)
► Shelby Romine led Bucknell with 14 points, but one of the worst scoring droughts of the year sent Bucknell to its fifth Patriot League loss. The Midshipmen took advantage of the Bison’s 12-minute scoreless streak during the first half during which they went on a 27-0 run.
► Bucknell ran off the first nine points of the game, but a 3-pointer from Rachel Voss at 17:21 gave the Bison their last points until 5:19. Angela Myers gave Navy the momentum by rattling off 10 straight points.
► The Midshipmen led 38-17 at the half. Navy shot 46.9 percent (15-for-32) from the field, compared to 21.9 percent (7-for-32) for Bucknell.
► Scoring came more easily for Bucknell through much of the second half, but Navy matched its opponent basket for basket never allowing their lead to drop to single digits.
► The Bison offense went cold for a second time down the final stretch after getting the score to 57-44 with 6:10 to play. Bucknell ended the game with just one free throw after that.
QUICK FACTS
Bucknell claimed the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2003 after winning four of its last five games of the regular season ... Cosima Higham (Second Team All-PL), Shelby Romine (PL All-Rookie Team) and Joyce Novacek (Academic All-PL) received the first of Bucknell’s postseason honors on March 1 ... Bucknell’s two lowest turnover totals (15 and 13) this season have both come against Navy ... Bucknell earned a three-game winning streak in February for the first time since 2008-09 ... Bucknell held Lafayette to 18.0 percent shooting (11-for-61) on Feb. 16, setting a Sojka Pavilion record for lowest field goal percentage ... Bucknell’s .569 field goal percentage vs. Holy Cross on Feb. 12 was its highest against a Division I opponent since 2004-05 ... the Bison held Holy Cross to a Sojka Pavilion low record 12 defensive rebounds ... Joyce Novacek played in her 100th consecutive game vs. Army on Jan. 29 ... Shelby Romine broke a Bucknell record with 19 made free throws at Colgate on Jan. 22 ... Kathy Fedorjaka claimed her 200th win at Bucknell with the Bison’s 57-49 victory at Lafayette on Jan. 19 ... Romine was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 3, Jan. 10 and Jan. 24 ... Romine leads the Bison with six 20-point games, while Cosima Higham has three and Novacek has two.
HISTORY VS. NAVY
► Bucknell leads Navy in the all-time series, 27-20. That includes an 11-10 advantage in Annapolis. The Midshipmen have won each of the last five meetings, but the Bison were the victors in each of the previous nine.
► In their most recent winning streak, the Bison were outscoring the Mids by more than 18 points. The tides have turned, however, and in Navy’s five wins since then, Bucknell is being outscored by 14.8 points per game.
► Bucknell has won nine of the last 12 meetings on Navy’s home court.
► In the last six years, Bucknell and Navy have seen the two extremes when it comes to scoring. On Jan. 27, 2006, the Bison defeated the Mids 88-51 and claimed the largest margin of victory in series history at 37 points. More recently, Navy took a 70-40 win on Jan. 8, 2010. At 30 points, it was Bucknell’s largest margin of defeat since the teams’ first meeting in 1981.
► Bucknell dropped its first ever postseason decision to Navy when the two met in 2009. Even with that loss, however, the Bison are hold a 66-55.5 scoring advantage over the Mids in those four meetings.
► Bucknell’s 79 points against Navy in the 2003 Patriot League quarterfinals is the fourth-most for the Bison in a tournament game. Bucknell also set its tournament record in free throws made with 35 as a team (on a record 47 attempts), while Molly Creamer shot 18-for-22 from the line. Her 18 made free throws was a school record until earlier this season when Shelby Romine went 19-for-21 at Colgate. The Orange and Blue won the contest vs. the Mids, 79-69 in overtime.
► The Bison shot an impressive 55.3 percent (24-for-46) from the field when they played the Midshipmen in the 2002 Patriot League Tournament. Bucknell advanced to the semifinals with a 72-57 victory in that contest and eventually went on to claim its first ever championship title and NCAA Tournament berth.
► Recent Results:
March 7, 2009: Navy, 53-51 (PL Quarterfinals)
Jan. 8, 2010: Navy, 70-40
Feb. 6, 2010: Navy, 61-46
Jan. 8, 2011: Navy, 62-56
Feb. 5, 2011: Navy, 66-45
ABOUT THE MIDSHIPMEN
Navy defeated Colgate 55-36 last weekend to advance to the semifinal game with Bucknell. The Raiders’ 36 points was the fewest allowed by Navy this season. Three Midshipmen finished in double-digit scoring - Angela Myers and Cassie Consedine both had 13 and Alix Membreno added 11 - while Consedine and Jade Geif both reached double figures in rebounds. Navy shot 34.0 percent from the field and limited Colgate to 25.0 percent.
Navy claimed the No. 1 seed through tiebreakers after finishing 10-4 in the Patriot League along with Lehigh and American. The Mids played their shakiest ball down the stretch, however. After opening 6-1 in the league, Navy went 4-3 in the second round of action. With their most recent win, the Mids are 18-11 on the year. Earning postseason honors earlier this month were first-team selection Myers, second-team selection Consedine and Coach of the Year Stefanie Pemper. Geif was also named the Rookie of the Year.
ODDS & ENDS
► Bucknell recorded its best field goal percentage of the season on Feb. 12, shooting 56.9 percent from the field against Holy Cross. The Bison are now 8-6 in games in which they shoot better than 40 percent.
► When Bucknell defeated Colgate 76-66 in overtime on Jan. 22, it marked the first time this season in which the Bison were the victors in the same game that Shelby Romine tallied at least 20 points. Bucknell is 1-5 this winter when Romine scores 20+ points.
► Bucknell has faced just four opponents with a winning record this season. American was 10-4 overall when it entered the game with the Bison on Jan. 12 and went into the Feb. 9 game with a 15-7 record. Penn State was 10-3 prior to its game with Bucknell on Dec. 28. Bucknell’s third .500+ opponent was Lehigh (11-9 in January, 18-9 in February). A fourth foe was added to the list when the Bison took on Navy (13-8) on Feb. 5.
► Five of Bucknell’s first six wins this season came by single digits. The Bison defeated Rider by five (53-48), Niagara by seven (69-62), Cornell by nine (54-45), Lafayette by eight (57-49) and Army by one (49-48). Bucknell earned its first double-digit victory at Colgate on Jan. 22, winning 76-66 in overtime.
ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE BISON
Cosima Higham was named Second Team All-Patriot League and Shelby Romine claimed All-Rookie honors on March 1. Romine’s citation comes behind one of the most impressive freshman campaigns in recent history. The guard won a league-best six Rookie of the Week honors and set a Bucknell record in single-game free throws when she shot 19-for-21 from behind the line at Colgate in January. Romine, who tied first-team all-league selection Erin Anthony from Army for a league-best six 20-point games, leads Bucknell in scoring (13.9), assists (98), steals (36), free throw percentage (.734), three-point field goal percentage (.412) and minutes played (38.1) while starting all 27 games this season.
Higham is averaging 7.9 points and 8.0 rebounds this season after improving her numbers greatly over the last four games. Since facing Lafayette on Feb. 16, Higham has posted 11.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Her performance against the Leopards included her second double-double of the season as well as six blocked shots. She currently ranks third in career blocked shots (110), 10th in single-season blocked shots (35) and as a sophomore she tied for seventh in single-season blocks (36). If the season were to end today, her .495 career percentage would rank fourth at Bucknell. The second-team citation is the first postseason honor of Higham’s career.
The Bison have now claimed multiple postseason honors in 18 of the Patriot League’s 20 years. Bucknell has earned 51 Patriot League postseason honors from 24 different players since 1990-91.
BUCKNELL-NAVY 2011 SERIES SNAPSHOT
Bucknell is 0-2 against Navy in the 2011 regular season. In those contests, the Mids outscored the Bison 64.0 to 50.5 points, while Bucknell had a slight advantage in rebounds, 34.0 to 33.5. Bucknell’s field goal percentage was a respectable .367 (40-for-109), but Navy topped its opponent in that category as well with a .444 mark (48-for-108).
From an individual perspective, Shelby Romine leads Bucknell with a 17.0 scoring average and Joyce Novacek is not far behind at 12.5 points per game. Christina Chukwuedo’s 4.0 assist average is tops on the team in the series this season, as is her 1.5 steals per game.
WE MEET AGAIN, MIDSHIPMEN
Bucknell suffered its first-ever postseason loss to Navy when the teams last met in the Patriot League Tournament. The sixth-seeded Midshipmen knocked out No. 3 Bucknell 53, 51 at Lehigh’s Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., on March 7, 2009. The loss not only ended the Bison’s season, but it also put a stop to Bucknell’s nine-game winning streak opposite Navy. The loss dropped Bucknell’s record to 3-1 against Navy in the postseason.
HIGHAM DOUBLED UP AND SETTING RECORDS
Cosima Higham showed why she was deserving of her all-league citation when she posted her 13th career double-double against Army in Saturday’s Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal game. The senior, who had 10 points and 11 boards, has recorded a double-double in each of the Bison’s last two meetings with the Black Knights (10 points, 13 rebounds on Feb. 26). It was the first back-to-back double-double performance of Higham’s career.
Higham also tallied five blocked shots, four assists and two steals, all of which were team highs. Her five rejections were the most by a Bison in a Patriot League Tournament game and the most by any player in a Patriot League quarterfinal.
TOP FOUR MOVING ON
For just the second time in Patriot League history and the first time since 1991-92, the top four seeds in the league tournament advanced to the semifinals. The 1992 tournament progressed without an upset, as No. 1 Fordham went on to take the title over No. 2 Lafayette, 65-54.
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
In 2008, Bucknell became the first No. 5 seed to win a Patriot League Championship. The Bison have a chance to repeat history as the fourth seed this season. Only one No. 4 seed has ever advanced to the championship game and none has ever won. Fourth-seeded American fell to No. 3 Holy Cross 56-48 in the 2007 final.
ROMINE ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER RECORD
With at least one game remaining in the season, Shelby Romine is looking to become the first Bison freshman with at least 300 points, 100 assists and 100 rebounds in her rookie campaign. She currently has 375 points, 98 assists and 95 boards. Only Molly Creamer came close to reaching those marks as a freshman. Creamer had 475 points and 107 assists in 1999-2000, but fell one rebound short of the century mark.
The last Bison from any class to record a 300-100-100 line was Kesha Champion in 2007-08. The guard finished with 335 points, 126 assists and 137 rebounds as a senior.
TURNAROUND FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY
Bucknell got off to a slow start, but it seems to be peaking at just the right time. The Bison opened the season with a 3-12 record. Since then, they are 8-4 and have won five of their last six games.
WE ARE NUMBER FOUR
Bucknell is 2-3 all-time at the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament with the last time as fourth coming in 2003. The Bison opened that postseason with a 79-69 overtime win against No. 5 Navy, but fell to top-seeded Holy Cross, 66-63, in the semifinals. Bucknell was also seeded fourth in 1997 when they were upset by Lafayette 60-47 and in 1998 when they suffered a 59-55 loss to Lehigh.
ACADEMIC ALL-LEAGUE FOR NOVACEK
Joyce Novacek was recognized for her academic success for the second time this season after being named to the inaugural Academic All-Patriot League Team on Tuesday. Novacek earns the distinction with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.92 and as the only Patriot League women’s basketball player with three Academic All-District First Team citations on her resume. She was joined on the team by Army’s Erin Anthony, who was also cited as the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the third time, American’s Liz Leer, Holy Cross’ Whitney Fremeau and Lehigh’s Erica Prosser.
PROVING THEM WRONG
With the regular season officially at an end, Bucknell has claimed fourth place in the Patriot League. After being picked eighth in the league’s preseason poll, the Bison have finished higher than predicted for the ninth time in 13 years.
A HOMECOMING OF SORTS
Before Saturday’s Patriot League quarterfinal game, it had been eight years since Bucknell played a game in Davis Gym. That makes head coach Kathy Fedorjaka the only current Bison with coaching or playing experience at the historic facility. In five years (1997-98 to 2002-03), Fedorjaka earned a 43-19 (.694) record at Davis.
SENDING IN A NEW FIVE
Bucknell used a new starting lineup consisting of Christina Chukwuedo, Cosima Higham, Felicia Mgbada, Joyce Novacek and Shelby Romine when they traveled to Army on Feb. 26. The lineup changed again, substituting Lindsay Horbatuck for Higham, in the March 5 matchup with the Black Knights. Bucknell has used eight different starting lineups this season.
ANOTHER 200
Joyce Novacek recorded her second consecutive 200-rebound season with her performance against Army on Saturday. The senior, who closed out last year with 201 boards, currently has a career-best 205 boards with at least one more game to play. Novacek has been held without a rebound just six times in her career, although the last time she failed to grab a board came against Army on Feb. 27, 2010.
The last Bison to finish with 200 rebounds in more than one season was Hope Foster. Foster totaled 265 boards as a sophomore in 2005-06, 244 as a junior and 222 as a senior. She finished her time at Bucknell as the all-time leader in rebounds with 904.
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Saturday marked the first time Bucknell has ever hosted a Patriot League Tournament game for women’s basketball. Since the start of the league in 1990-91, the Bison are 14-18 all-time in the postseason tournament, including 4-5 on the road, 9-13 at a neutral site and now 1-0 at home.
IN THE 2010 PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Joyce Novacek scored a career-high 24 points, which is the second-most by a Bison in a Patriot League Tournament game, but No. 8 Bucknell could not pull off the upset over No. 1 Lehigh, falling 72-58 at the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass. Novacek shot 8-for-8 from the field and finished with 19 points in the first half. The Bison also shot well as a team, going 14-for-24 (58.3 percent) in the first.
Despite a lopsided final score, Bucknell hung around throughout the first half. The Bison led at halftime, 32-20. Momentum changed quickly in the second, however, as the Mountain Hawks starting things off with a 9-2 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from Alex Ross. Lehigh outscored Bucknell 46-24 in the second half. The Bison won the battle of the boards, 39-25.
BOARD DOMINANCE
Bucknell has outrebounded each of its last seven opponents and 11 of its last 12. In their last seven contests, which include American, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Colgate, Lehigh and Army twice, the Bison have a +9.7 rebounding margin.
NOT DONE YET
When Taylor Phillips tallied eight points against Lehigh on Feb. 23, the senior became Bucknell’s high scorer for the first time since her freshman campaign. On Nov. 19, 2007, Phillips shared the team lead with Hope Foster and Lauren Schober, claiming 17 points apiece against Howard. Those 17 points still stand as Phillips’ career high and came on 7 of 15 (.467) shooting in her first career start. Phillips totaled 23 minutes in the contest.
The recent outing vs. Lehigh was the first time Phillips had led the team in scoring outright.
ROAD WOES PART I
Bucknell went into the contest at Army on Feb. 26 with a 2-11 record in road games this season. Even with the win at West Point, the Bison are being outscored by 12.9 points per game compared to a -7.1 scoring margin in games at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell is shooting .402 in all 27 games to date, but that field goal percentage drops to .383 in road games. Opponents are also significantly more comfortable shooting on their home court. Bucknell’s field goal percentage defense is .417 on the road but .378 overall.
ROAD WOES PART II
The Bison struggled to put the ball in the basket at Lehigh on Feb. 23, shooting a season-low .294 (15-for-51) from the field. That has turned out to be a trend in recent road games. In recent games at Navy, American and Lehigh, Bucknell is at the wrong end of a 27.3-point scoring margin while shooting .327 from the field, .243 from behind the 3-point arc and .548 from the free throw line. Despite leading the Patriot League in rebounding margin (+6.4) this season, the Bison were also getting beat on the boards by an average of two rebounds during that stretch.
IT’S GOOD FOR THREE
For the first time in over a year, Bucknell put together a three-game winning streak (Holy Cross, 68-52; Lafayette, 46-34; Colgate, 79-64). During that stretch, the Bison outscored their opponent by 14.3 points (64.3 to 50.0) and outrebounded them by 17.0 boards (43.0 to 26.0) per game. Bucknell also shot .500 from the field (74-for-148), compared to .274 (49-for-179) for its opponents. Individually, Cosima Higham averaged a double-double at 13.7 and 10.0 rebounds per game and added 3.3 blocks per contest. Bucknell will be playing for its second three-game winning streak when they meet Navy in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals on Wednesday.
OFFENSIVE THREAT
Cosima Higham had one of the most efficient games of her career when she shot 11-for-13 (.846) from the field for 22 points against Colgate on Feb. 19. It had been seven years since a Bison made 11 field goals in a single game. Lindsey Hollobaugh last did it on Feb. 29, 2004 against the Raiders, going 11-for-23 from the field. That game made her the last in a string of four straight big offensive performances as Desire Almind shot 11-for-22 at Holy Cross (Feb. 27) and 11-for-16 vs. Army (Feb. 22) in the two games before that. Hollobaugh kicked off the stretch with an 11-for-18 performance against Lafayette on Feb. 20.
BACK IN THE STARTING FIVE
For the first time this season, Cosima Higham earned a spot in the starting lineup in back-to-back contests vs. Lafayette and Colgate. The senior took advantage of the opportunity, posting her two highest scoring totals of the year. In her six starts this season, Higham is averaging 9.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. In her 14 games off the bench prior, the forward’s numbers drop to 7.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 block per game.
MORE THAN JUST A SHOOTER
Since arriving on campus, Shelby Romine has made it clear that she can score. Since Patriot League play started, the freshman also proved that she can distribute the ball. Romine leads Bucknell in assists this season with 98, and 65 of those - 66.0 percent - have come since that first Patriot League game vs. Navy. In 14 league contests, Romine’s assist average stands at 4.6. In Bucknell’s 13 non-conference games, Romine’s numbers drops to 2.6 assists per game.
BEAST ON THE BOARDS
Joyce Novacek led Bucknell in rebounding for the 13th time this season when she grabbed 10 boards against Colgate on Feb. 19. The senior now has five double-digit rebounding games this season and in 18 games in her career. Ten of those performances have come against Patriot League foes, and four of those have come against Colgate.
NINETEEN AND COUNTING
Christina Chukwuedo might not be the team’s leading scorer, but she is currently enjoying the longest scoring streak of her career at 19 games. Prior to the offensive stretch, the junior was averaging 2.0 points per game. She now stands at 4.1 points per game, her highest average of the season and more than double her average from all of 2009-10. Chukwuedo has also dished out 42 of her 63 season’s assists during that same time frame.
TURNING THEM AWAY
After not registering a blocked shot in the first game of the season, Cosima Higham tried to make up for lost time. The senior has 35 blocks, including a career-best six against Lafayette. Higham now has 110 rejections in her career, placing her third all-time at Bucknell. Teammate Joyce Novacek ranks sixth with 97 career rejections.
MOVING UP THE RANKS
Shelby Romine continues to make inroads in the Bucknell record book. With 375 points this winter, she ranks seventh on the Orange and Blue’s freshman scoring list. Just ahead of her is Vicki Quimby in sixth with 388 points. Lindsey Hollobaugh holds the top mark with 483 points in 2003-04.
After going 1-for-4 from behind the arc at American on Feb. 9, Romine moved onto the program’s single-season record list for 3-point field goals made. She has since improved to seventh with 47 successful attempts, making her the only freshman on the list. Over the course of the season, Romine is 47 of 114 from long range, giving her a .412 shooting percentage. If the season ended today, that average would rank fourth among single-season marks.
MORE BOARDS
Joyce Novacek has been doing her best to leave her mark in the history books at Bucknell. The forward has ranked among the Bison’s top three in rebounding in each of her first three seasons in the Orange and Blue. After averaging 4.3 boards as a freshman, that number improved to 6.3 in 2008-09 and finally 7.2 to lead the team in 2009-10. With 205 rebounds (7.6/game) this season, Novacek leads all current Bison with 715 career rebounds, ranking her seventh all-time at Bucknell.
STREAKING
Although Joyce Novacek’s 88-game scoring streak came to an end vs. Army on Jan. 29, she still has plenty of others in the works. The senior forward has ...
► played in 108 consecutive games (last non-appearance: at Marist, 12/1/07).
► made 79 consecutive starts (last non-start: vs. Drexel, 11/25/08).
► grabbed at least one rebound in 28 straight games (last rebound-less night: vs. Army, 2/27/10).
Over the course of her career, Novacek has played in 114 of a possible 115 games and has been a part of the Bison’s starting lineup 93 times, more than any other current Bison. She has been held without a rebound just six times in her nearly four years.
NOVACEK NAMED CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
For the third consecutive year, Joyce Novacek was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 2 First Team on Feb. 3. Novacek becomes the only Bison other than Bucknell Hall of Famer Jennifer Walz to be recognized for her academic success during all three years in which she was eligible for the award. Walz was named First Team Academic All-America from 1986-87 to 1988-89. After more than three years at Bucknell, Novacek has maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.92 while majoring in management and English. She has even recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA on four separate occasions.
In order to be considered for Academic All-America honors, a candidate must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve on his/her team.
RECORD-BREAKING ROMINE
Shelby Romine never ceases to amaze the crowd and the game at Colgate on Jan. 22 was no exception. The freshman guard broke a Bucknell record, making 19 of her 21 free throw attempts. Romine’s success at the line snapped the record previously held by Molly Creamer, who was 18-for-22 vs. Navy on March 7, 2003. The 19 made free throws also tied a Patriot League record, set by Navy’s Erica Hayes shot 19-for-22 vs. Morgan State on Jan. 19, 2000. Romine led all scorers against Colgate with a career-best 28 points.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: ROMINE NAMED PATRIOT LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AGAIN
For a league-best sixth time, Shelby Romine was named the Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week on Jan. 24. The freshman, who was also cited as the league’s top newcomer on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 27, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, earned the award after setting the Bucknell free throw record with 19 made shots at Colgate and averaging 20.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds on the week. In two games, Romine set career highs in points (28 at Colgate), assists (7 at Lafayette, Colgate) and rebounds (7 at Lafayette). She also combined to go 24-for-28 from the free throw line.
Romine’s first two Rookie of the Week accolades came back-to-back to open the season, making her the sixth player in league history to be named the top newcomer in each of the season’s first two weeks. With her latest honor, the guard becomes the first Bison to earn at least six league rookie accolades since Lindsey Hollobaugh received the award eight times in 2003-04.
ROMINE TAKING THE LEAD
With the season heading into the final stages, Shelby Romine is trying to hold on to her team lead in scoring (13.9) and assists (98). The last freshman to end her campaign with team highs in both categories was Molly Creamer. The former guard averaged 15.8 points and tied Lori Houck for the team high in assists with 107 during the 1999-2000 season.
MORE HONORS FOR ROMINE
Shelby Romine claimed a second honor on Jan. 24 after her record-breaking performance at Colgate. Along with her sixth Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week accolade, the guard was selected as the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week. Romine is the first women’s basketball player to earn the award since Lauren Schober on Feb. 1, 2009.
DISHING IT OUT
Taylor Phillips dished out a career-high-tying three assists against Cornell on Dec. 30 before equaling that total at Yale just days later. The performances gave the senior her 10th assist in five games. She has since recorded a season-best 38 assists, more than doubling her career total. Phillips’ unselfish play has been rewarded by making her the Bison with the best assist/turnover ratio this season at 1.1.
NOT A LOT OF POINTS
Lafayette suffered one of the toughest offensive outings in Sojka Pavilion history when Bucknell defeated them 46-34 on Feb. 16. The Leopards finished the night shooting 18.0 percent, setting facility records for lowest field goal percentage and fewest field goals (11-for-61) by an opponent.
The Leopards’ 34 points were the fewest allowed by the Bison since a 64-32 win over Colgate on Feb. 17, 2007 and is the ninth-lowest point total by a Bucknell opponent in the program’s 38-year history. Bucknell and Lafayette also combined for 80 points, giving them the lowest combined point total since Bucknell and Lehigh totaled 77 points on Jan. 26, 1980. The Bison came away with a 39-38 win 31 years ago.
REBOUNDING REPEATS
With 13 rebounds at Wofford and another 10 in the following game at Penn State, Lindsay Horbatuck became the first Bison this year to earn double-digit boards in back-to-back contests. Cosima Higham joined the act later when she grabbed 12 boards opposite Holy Cross on Feb. 12 and 14 against Lafayette the next time out. Most recently, Higham has reached double figures in each of her last three contests.
During the 2009-10 campaign, Horbatuck was one of three Bison to record double-digit rebounds in at least two consecutive games. Higham went three straight vs. Holy Cross (16), Lafayette (11) and Colgate (13), while Joyce Novacek had back-to-back strong outings against Fordham (15) and Loyola (Md.) (10).
TRIPS TO THE LINE
Shelby Romine, who broke the school record with 19 made free throws, was not the only Bison to get in on the act at Colgate on Jan. 22. As a team, Bucknell was 30 of 35 (.857) from the line, setting a season high in free throws made. The team’s previous high had been 18 against Rider in the season opener.
The last time Bucknell attempted more free throws was on Nov. 19, 2007. Bucknell was 31-for-38 (.816) from the line against Howard and won the game 89-79 at Sojka Pavilion.
FEDORJAKA GETS 200TH WIN AT BUCKNELL
For the second year in a row, Kathy Fedorjaka has reached a major milestone in her head coaching career. Now in her 14th season at Bucknell, Fedorjaka claimed her 200th win with the Orange and Blue when they defeated Lafayette 57-49 on Jan. 19. She now has a 207-195 record at Bucknell, good for a .515 winning percentage. That total has long put her at the top of the list for most program victories. Number two on that list is Fedorjaka’s predecessor, Julienne Simpson, with a six-year mark of 65-98.
Last year, Fedorjaka surpassed the century mark in Patriot League wins with her 60-47 win over Colgate. She entered 2010-11 with a career record of 101-73 in the league.
EXTRA TIME
Bucknell played its first overtime in more than two years when it lost to American, 60-55, on Jan. 12. The Bison did not have to wait that long for their next overtime game, going into extra time at Colgate 10 days later. Before this season, the last time Bucknell needed overtime was on March 8, 2008, when it knocked Army out of the Patriot League Tournament with a 50-47 victory. The 2007-08 season saw four games into overtime with Bucknell going 3-1 in those contests. Here are some other OT tidbits:
► The Bison are 19-15 all-time and 1-1 this year in overtime games.
► The four overtime games in 2007-08 tied a program record for the most in a single season. The 1988-89 team also played four overtime games, going 2-2.
► The last overtime loss prior to Jan. 12 vs. American came on Jan. 23, 2008. Bucknell fell to Lafayette, 64-58, at Sojka Pavilion.
► The last overtime win prior to Jan. 22 at Colgate came on March 8, 2008 over Army, 50-47.
► The Orange and Blue’s longest overtime game came on Dec. 17, 2005. Bucknell defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore 93-92 in triple-OT.
► Bucknell is 1-3 all-time in double-overtime games.
100 GAMES AND COUNTING
Joyce Novacek played in her 100th career game when she went up against Navy on Jan. 8 (she’s now at 114). Novacek’s classmate Taylor Phillips also joined the club recently, having played in her 100th career contest vs. Colgate on Feb. 19. The last Bison to reach 100 contests were Amanda Brown (113) and Lauren Schober (120), who both played from 2005-06 to 2008-09.
PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
With the season nearly being over, Shelby Romine has 16 contests in which she has scored in double figures. That is the most by a Bison freshman in more than five years. Romine’s highest point total this year was 28 at Colgate on Jan. 22.
BECOMING A HABIT
Shelby Romine continued to impress when she recorded 28 points at Colgate on Jan. 22. The point total gave the freshman six games with at least 20 points this season. The last Bucknellian to have at least six 20-point games in the same campaign was Amanda Brown, who posted seven in 2008-09. Lindsey Hollobaugh was the last Bison freshman with more than six 20-point games, tallying nine during her rookie season.
ANOTHER DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
For the second time this season, Bucknell had two players record double-doubles in the same game when Lindsay Horbatuck and Felicia Mgbada posted all-around games at Wofford on Dec. 21. Mgbada’s double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds was the first of her career, while Horbatuck’s was her second with 11 points and 13 boards. Horbatuck was involved in the Bison’s first double double-double this season as well, as she teamed up with Joyce Novacek at Loyola (Md.) on Dec. 1. Novacek led the Orange and Blue with 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Horbatuck finished with 11 points and 10 boards.
Mgbada and Horbatuck’s performance against Wofford gave Bucknell its eighth game with two players in double-double territory in the last 10 years. The Bison are 5-3 since the 2000-01 season when two or more players have earned double-doubles.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Bucknell continued to excel in the classroom during 2009-10. As a team, the Bison were ranked 14th nationally in grade-point average when the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) released its Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll in July. With a 3.422 GPA, Bucknell was the only Patriot League team to earn recognition. Bucknell also led the pack on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. The Bison placed 11 of its 12 players on the list, while no other squad had more than seven.
Joyce Novacek and Trisha Krewson added ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team honors to their resumes as well. It was Novacek’s second selection of her career.
UP NEXT
Should Bucknell pull off the upset at Navy, the Bison will advance to the Patriot League Championships. The Orange and Blue’s opponent will be either No. 2 Lehigh or No. 3 American. Bucknell lost both meetings with both teams during the 2011 regular-season. The final game is set for 6 p.m. at the site of the higher seed and will be televised live on CBS College Sports.
