LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison women’s basketball team (2-6) hits the road for the first time since Nov. 21 to play MAAC foe Mount St. Mary’s (2-4) on Dec. 5. The two universities located on Route 15 will renew a rivalry that has laid doormat for nearly a decade. The Bison are seeking to stop a two-game losing streak. Bucknell lost their previous game, 58-53, to Cornell on Saturday afternoon. Tuesday’s tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Game Notes

What: Bucknell at Mount St. Mary’s
When: Tuesday, December 5 at 7 p.m.
Where: Emmitsburg, Md.-Knotts Arena
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: bucknellbison.com

Last Game’s Starters:
So. G/F: Emma Theodorsson (9.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Jr. F/G: Isabella King (8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr./G: Caroline Dingler (5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Fr./F: Ashley Sofilkanich (11.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.8 apg)
So./G: Ashley O’Connor (3.1 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 1.1 apg)

WITH A WIN OVER MOUNT St. MARY’S, BUCKNELL WOULD…
• … improve to 3-6 on the season
• … improve to 1-4 on the road
• … improve to 4-6 all-time against the Mountaineers
• … improve to 1-0 against the Mountaineers under Woodruff
• … improve to 73-40 overall under Woodruff
• … improve to 33-24 on the road under Woodruff

HEADLINES
• The Bison concluded a three-game home stretch with a 58-53 defeat to Cornell. Bucknell was 15-0 at home against Cornell before the loss. The Big Red led for 26 minutes. Bucknell fell behind from the beginning as Cornell had a 15-11 lead after the first quarter. The Bison sneaked within one point (28-27) by halftime. The Bison rallied to take a 45-43 lead into the fourth quarter. Alas, Cornell outscored Bucknell 15-8 in the final stanza to collect the victory. Ashley Sofilkanich carried the Bison, scoring a career-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Bucknell fell to 20-6 all-time against Cornell.
• The Orange & Blue have four newcomers on the roster. All four players hail from New Jersey. The Garden State has been fruitful for the Lewisburg team. 
• Against American, on Feb. 11, 2023, Emma Shaffer earned her seventh career double-double by scoring 12 points and obtaining 21 rebounds. Her 21 rebounds were two away from the Patriot League record. 
• Bucknell finished 13-17 overall and 9-9 in Patriot League play last season. The Bison reached the 2022 Patriot League Quarterfinals, playing as the No. 6 seed in the tournament, but they fell 63-55 to No. 3 seed Lehigh.
• Bucknell graduated two seniors in the spring, Tai Johnson and Emma Shaffer. Tai Johnson stepped up for the Bison after Second Team All-Patriot League member Cecelia Collins was injured. Shaffer was a constant double-double member and led the Bison attack in the paint. 
• Bucknell was picked sixth in the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Poll. It’s the first time since 2015-16 Bucknell was not picked in the top four. The Bison have gone 109-25 in league play since the start of the 2015-16 season. 
• Senior Caroline Dingler was named captain ahead of the 2023-24 season.
• Emma Theodorsson spent the summer playing for the U20 Icelandic National Team as they competed in the U20 Nordic Championships and FIBA U20 European Championships. Theodorsson powered the Icelandic attack, averaging 8.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, and 1.6 apg. All three marks were in the top 70 in the FIBA competition. Theodorsson finished third in points and second in rebounds for Iceland.
• This summer, Bucknell graduate Taylor O’Brien signed with the Leicester Riders of the Women’s British Basketball League. O’Brien is averaging 21.3 points per game for the British outfit. 
• Head coach Trevor Woodruff is in his fifth season at Bucknell. He was named PL Coach of the Year in his first two seasons.
• Following the departure of associate head coach Kelly Mazzante to Georgetown, Sherill Baker was hired as the newest assistant coach. Baker comes to Lewisburg from a stint at George Washington University. Baker played in the WNBA and overseas professional leagues. Dubbed “The Queens of Steals” for her defensive prowess at Georgia, Baker joins a staff of continuity. Taylor Coleman has been enrolled for five years at Bucknell, and LaSashia Connelly marks her fourth season in Lewisburg. Molly Gillis enters her second season as the program’s manager of operations.

SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY’S
• The Mountaineers went 12-19 overall and 7-13 in MAAC play during the 2022-23 season. They qualified as the eighth seed for the MAAC Tournament. They defeated ninth-seeded Canisius before falling 39-37 to the No. 1-seeded Iona Gauls in a defensive duel. Mount is 2-4 with wins over FDU and Navy. The Mountaineers have been knocked off the hill against Cornell, Howard, Loyola (Md.), and Maryland Eastern Shore. 
• The Bison and Mountaineers share four common opponents: Cornell, FDU, Loyola (Md.), and Navy.
• Mount was picked to finish eighth out of the 11 teams in the MAAC. Jessica Tomasetti made the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.
• Antoine White is 30-36 in his three seasons at the Mount.

SERIES HISTORY with THE Mountaineers
• This is the 10th meeting versus the Mountaineers in the Route 15 Rivalry.
• Bucknell is 3-6 all-time against Mount St. Mary’s. This is the first time the Mount has faced Bucknell as a member of the MAAC. Mount departed the NEC after the 2020-21 season. 
• Trevor Woodruff has never faced the Mountaineers. 

Series History with Mount St. Mary’s (Last Six Games)     
12/21/93    Mount St. Mary’s        L, 72-59    
11/27/94    at Mount St. Mary’s    L, 79-47   
12/31/11    at Mount St. Mary’s    L, 58-46   
11/28/12    Mount St. Mary’s        W, 55-43
12/21/14    at Mount St. Mary’s    W, 74-49
11/24/15    Mount St. Mary’s        W, 71-45

Series Record: 3-6
Record at Home: 2-3
Record at Mount St. Mary’s: 1-3
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Trevor Woodruff Record: 0-0
Current Streak: Bucknell W3
Longest Winning Streak: 3 games

Last Time Out
• Cornell edged Bucknell, 58-53, Saturday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. Cornell had never won at Bucknell before then. The Bison fell behind early in the contest but only trailed by one point, 28-27, at halftime. Bucknell seized a 45-43 lead, entering the final quarter, but Cornell went the segment 15-8 to clinch the victory. 
• Bucknell’s offense shot 35.1%, while Cornell shot 41.4%. Neither team did much from three-point land as Bucknell went 4-of-17 (Isabella King and Emma Theodorsson both hit two threes), and Cornell hit 2-of-13. Cornell only had six turnovers. 
• Freshman Ashley Sofilkanich tallied a career-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. Sofilkanich was a sharp 8-of-15 from the field. King provided eight points for Bucknell. Kaylee Reinbeau had a career and season-high nine boards to tie Sofilkanich for the team lead. Cornell was led in scoring by Emily Pape, who generated 20 points. Kaya Ingram scored 11 points, including two crucial baskets to seal the win. 

Notable CAREER HIGHS SET vs. Cornell
Kaylee Reinbeau – rebounds (9)
Ashley Sofilkanich – points (22) and blocked shots (4)

STREAKS OF NOTE
Isabella King — starts (24)

Up Next

The Bison will rest up during finals week before hosting Merrimack at Sojka on Dec. 17