Jan. 2, 2006
Game 11
Stony Brook (6-4) vs. Bucknell (6-5)
January 2, 2006 • 7:00 p.m.
Sojka Pavillion • Lewisberg, Pa.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Tonight's Matchup
Stony Brook (6-4) looks to earn a sweep of the season series when the Seawolves travel to take on Bucknell (6-5) this evening. Earlier this season, SB earned an 81-62 victory over the Bison to open up the 2005-06 campaign and improve to 2-1 all-time vs. Bucknell.
Scouting the Bison
Bucknell enters tonight's contest coming off its first loss in five outings, a 60-42 setback to Delaware State.
The Bison are led by Kesha Champion's 10.7 points per game, while Amanda Brown (10.3 ppg) and Lindsey Hollobaugh (10.0) are also scoring in double-figures.
Last Time Out
Farah Vasquez Jacobo provided a huge spark off the bench, posting career-highs of 12 points and seven rebounds to help lift Stony Brook to a 70-59 victory over Delaware State on Wednesday. With the win, the Seawolves improved to 4-1 at home for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.
After sitting out the first half, Vasquez Jacobo was the story in the second, nailing 6-of-6 shots from the field for 12 points and pulling down seven boards in her best performance as a Seawolf.
Jessica Smith netted a team-high 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, making seven of her final eight shots after starting the game 0-for-4. Mykeema Ford finished with 13 points and tied her career-high with nine assists and eight rebounds, while Kelly Watson chipped in with 12 points and four assists off the bench and Dana Ferraro pulled down 14 rebounds to go with nine points.
Farah Breaks Out
Junior transfer Farah Vasquez Jacobo had a breakthrough performance on December 28 vs. Delaware State. The forward came off the bench in the second half to score 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor and pulled down seven boards, all season-highs, in the win. Her perfect shooting performance was good for second place all-time in a single-game at Stony Brook.
SB Duo Approaching 1000 Points
Juniors Mykeema Ford and Jessica Smith are rapidly approaching the 1000-point milestone for their careers, with Ford entering tonight's game with 978 career points and Smith just behind with 952.
Assuming both players reach the plateau this season, it will mark the first time in program history two Stony Brook players accomplished the feat in the same season.
Paw Prints
Stony Brook improved to 4-1 at home to open the season for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign... SB has defeated both conference champions it has faced so far this year, knocking off A-10 champ Temple on December 7 before downing Ivy League champion Dartmouth on December 13... the Seawolves have faced three teams that have either been ranked or received votes in the national polls so far this season, going 1-2 in those games.
Seawolves Earn Highest RPI Ranking in Program History
Behind several strong wins to open the season, Stony Brook has earned an RPI ranking of 38, tops in America East and the program's best ranking ever.
The Seawolves topped 19th-ranked Temple while also earning impressive wins over defending Ivy League Champion Dartmouth and the Sunbelt Conference's Arkansas State.
America East boasts four teams with RPIs in the top 100 and, as a conference, ranks 12th in the nation in The Collegiate Basketball News Women's RPI Report. More importantly, AE is fourth among I-AA conferences with only the Colonial (eighth), Missouri Valley (10th) and Atlantic 10 (11th) posting higher rankings among I-AA leagues.
SB Trio Among League Leaders
Stony Brook's Dana Ferraro, Jessica Smith and Mykeema Ford rank tops among America East league leaders in three categories in games played through January 1. If the trio remains locked in those spots, it would mark the first time in America East history three different players from the same team led the league in the three major categories.
Smith, who also ranks first with 2.40 steals, leads the league with 17.0 points per contest while Ferraro is tops with 10.9 rebounds per game and Ford leads the conference with 5.60 assists per outing.
Back during the 1989-90 campaign, two players led in the three categories as Maine's Rachel Bouchard was tops in scoring and rebounding, while teammate Cathy Iaconeta ranked first in assists.
Ferraro Among NCAA Leaders
Stony Brook's Dana Ferraro ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders in games played through December 19. Ferraro, who leads America East in rebounding, ranks tied for 17th in the nation with 10.6 rebounds per game.
Smith Earns Second Straight AE co-Player of the Week Nod
Jessica Smith was named the America East co-Player of the Week for the second straight week and the third time this season for the week ending December 17. She posted a pair of 20-point games in a 1-1 week as the Seawolves knocked off another defending conference champion in Dartmouth.
Smith averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 60.7 percent (17-for-28) from the field. In SB's win over Dartmouth, she posted her second double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 boards while shooting 61.5 percent (8-for-13) from the floor and dishing out a season-high four assists. In a loss at St. John's, she added a game-high 21 points to go with nine rebounds.
Smith Earns America East Co-Player of the Week Honors
Jessica Smith was named the America East co-Player of the Week in women's basketball for the week ending December 11. Smith picks up the honors after averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals in a 1-1 week for the Seawolves that included a 58-56 upset victory over No. 19 Temple.
Smith posted a team-high 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field to go with four rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists in the upset of the Owls and added 12 points and five boards at George Washington.
Orndorff Becoming Threat for SB
Newcomer Sidney Orndorff heated up over a three game span from December 7-13, and is quietly becoming one of the biggest threats in the Stony Brook lineup.
During those three outings, Orndorff averaged 12.3 points while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor, 53.3 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. In addition, the junior transfer pulled down 4.0 rebounds and dished out 3.3 assists, including a season-high six in SB's win over Dartmouth on December 13.
