Bucknell Women’s Basketball earned its first road win of the season against Loyola on Wednesday night before returning home victorious against the Eagles of American University. This now opens up a 2-game win streak for the Bison ahead of a week-long road trip.
Bucknell traveled to Loyola previously 0-10 on the road for the season, desperate to pick up some conference wins to bring themselves back into the crowded middle of the pack in the Patriot League standings. And, it did just that with a 61-59 victory.
Ashley Sofilkanich ’27 went for her second double-double after obtaining 12 rebounds. Sofilkanich gained 19 points and 12 rebounds on 9/12 shooting from the field. Emma Theodorsson ’26 also added 18 points of her own, and she’s now scored in double figures in 8 of her last 10 games.
Typically, outside shooting is the reason Bucknell wins its games, but it was the defensive effort that propelled it to a win here. The Bison held Loyola to 47 points and converted 14 Greyhound turnovers into 15 points.
“Coach Woodruff has really put an emphasis on defense these past two games and that is what helped us win,” Theodorsson said. “So, just having that dog mentality we have to be gritty on defense and stop the ball from being scored and the offense will flow.”
After a massive road win, the Bison entered the weekend in position to steal another game from American, one of the top teams in the Patriot League. The Bison put themselves right in the big crowd in the middle of the conference standings, giving themselves a real shot for home-court advantage come conference tournament time.
The Eagles pushed the tempo early, looking for quick buckets early in the shot clock in order to keep the Bison’s defense from getting set. American got out to an early lead by pushing the pace of the game and converting off of a few Bison turnovers.
After a first-quarter timeout, the Orange and Blue adjusted and controlled the basketball game the rest of the way. Once the Bison forced American to play a full possession and go against their half-court set defense, the Eagles had absolutely no hope of getting a quality shot. American took outside shots and clogged the paint to prevent inside high percentage looks.
Ashley O’Connor ’26 led the way for the Bison in this one, with 18 points on 4-7 shooting from 3. O’Connor has turned into this X-factor for the Orange and Blue as she provides a third scoring threat on a consistent basis in addition to Theodorsson and Sofilkanich.
The Bison head to Boston University on Saturday, Feb. 10.
