Le Moyne (1-4) vs. Bucknell (2-3)
Info: Tuesday, Nov. 25 | 11:00 A.M. | Lewisburg, Pa. | Sojka Pavilion
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: https://bucknellbison.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Bucknell's Links: Schedule | Roster | News

Lewisburg, Pa. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team is set to travel to Bucknell University for a matchup with the Bison at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ and FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM from Sojka Pavilion. 

Season Summary:
The Dolphins have earned a 1-4 record early in the 2025-26 campaign through four road games and one home contest against non-conference opponents. They opened the season against St. John's on Nov. 3 and dropped the matchup, 68-53, before downing Lafayette, 82-79, in overtime the following Sunday, Nov. 9. During their latest road trip, Le Moyne fell to seventh-ranked Baylor, 43-99, in Waco, T.X. on Sunday, Nov. 16 before traveling to Pitt and coming away with a 65-87 defeat on Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

In their most recent game, the Dolphins dropped their home-opener to Cornell, 51-52, in overtime at Ted Grant Court on Saturday, Nov. 22. 

Last Time Out:
Le Moyne faltered against the Big Red at home in overtime on Saturday afternoon as sophomore guard Eli Clark led all players with 17 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 3-3 rate from the free-throw line while adding a pair of rebounds and one assist in 39 minutes of action.

Senior guard Sierra Linnin added 11 points while going 3-9 from three, passing Kim Black (1989-93) on the program's three-point field goals made list, and now sits second-all time. Linnin tallied seven rebounds and two steals on the defensive side of the ball. 

Junior forward Ashley Buragas tied Linnin with 11 points and registered her second double-double of the season (Lafayette, Nov. 9) by bringing in a team-high 10 boards, as well. Buragas also led the team in assists with three and tied Linnin with a pair of steals. 

Junior guard Jessica Wangolo ranked second on the team in both rebounds (seven) and assists (two) while adding one steal and one point to the stat-sheet for the 'Phins. 

As a team, Le Moyne shot 36.0% from the field, 38.1% from deep, and 77.8% from the line. They added 10 points off turnovers with eight bench points against Cornell.

Series History:
Tuesday's contest will mark the first between Le Moyne's and Bucknell's programs all-time. 

It will also act as the Dolphins' sixth against a Patriot League member institution since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 2023-24 season. The team is currently 1-4 against members of the conference with their most recent matchup coming against Lafayette in this season (Nov. 9) where they earned their lone win of the season to this point, in overtime.

Common Opponents:
The Dolphins and Bison have just one common opponent this season, Bucknell's Patriot League conference rival Lafayette College. 

Le Moyne played to their first win of the season against the Leopards on Sunday, Nov. 9, taking the road matchup, 82-79, in overtime. 

Bucknell will host Lafayette later this season once conference play begins on Wednesday, Jan. 14 before traveling to Easton, Pa. to meet the Leopards on the road less than two weeks later on Monday, Jan. 26.

Year #3:
Le Moyne is in its third year transitioning to the Division I level and is the only institution in the nation in its transition "class." The Dolphins went 18-15 in their first season at the Division I level in 2023-24, including 14-2 in NEC action to earn the second seed in the postseason tournament before advancing to the conference title game. The team then posted a 7-24 overall record last season, including going 6-10 in conference play, en route to their second straight NEC tournament, this time as the fifth seed. 

Returners:
The 2025-26 Dolphins will feature six returners; senior guards Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) and Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Averill Park), juniors guard Jessica Wangolo (Ottawa, O.N. / Capital Courts Academy / Buffalo) and forward Sydney Postell (Churchville, N.Y. / Churchville-Chili), sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township), and redshirt sophomore guard Amya McLeod (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy / Youngstown State).

Newcomers:
The Dolphins welcomed eight new players to the program this year, including six freshman, one sophomore, and one junior. Guards Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore), Ava Lucarotti (Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep), and Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) join forwards Ava Johnson (Richmond, Va. / The Steward School), Rachel Lynch (Cork, Ireland / Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)), and Praise Matthews (Red Lion, Pa. / Dallastown) as 'Phins freshmen this season. Junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College) joins Le Moyne's program after a two-year stint at NJCAA Mineral Area College in Park Hills, M.O. while sophomore guard Sophia Bonnell (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads / SUNY New Paltz) played one season in NCAA Division-III for the New Paltz Hawks.

NEC Outlook:
Le Moyne's squad was selected to finish fourth in the regular season standings in the NEC preseason coaches' poll, just behind unanimous favorite FDU, Stonehill, and Chicago State. CCSU, Mercyhurst, Wagner, LIU, New Haven, and Saint Francis rounded out the poll behind the Dolphins. 

Eli Clark was named to the preseason All-NEC team, as well, after recording averages of 8.2 points (third on the team), 3.3 rebounds (fifth on the team) and a team-best 2.9 assists over a team-high 31.5 minutes per game as a starter in 27 of 30 games played. During NEC action, she increased her averages to 8.5 points and 3.5 assists to go with 3.1 rebounds as a starter in 12 of 15 games.

Coach DiPillo:
Nick DiPillo was named the seventh head coach in Le Moyne women's basketball program history on May 23, 2024 after stints as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University, University of Pittsburgh, Seton Hall University and with the New York Liberty, in addition to a successful head coaching stint at the University of Scranton. 

The Dolphins earned the fifth seed in the 2024-25 NEC tournament in coach Dipillo's first season, eventually taking down #4 Saint Francis, 62-51, in the opening round before falling to #2 Stonehill, 41-60, in the semifinals. 

Bison Brief:
Bucknell has played to a 2-3 overall record so far this season, head coach Trevor Woodruff's six as the leader of the program.

The Bison opened the season with a pair of road losses against Penn State (55-83) on Nov. 3 and Virginia (35-80) on Nov. 9 before earning their first win of the season in their home-opener against Mount St. Mary's (Md.) with a 49-45 final on Nov. 12.  

The team then hit the road once again and suffered a 53-60 setback at Youngstown State last Sunday, Nov. 16, before rebounding at Hofstra in a 61-55 win in their most recent game on Saturday, Nov. 22. 

Through their first five games, sophomore guard/forward Reese Zemitis leads the squad 12.2 points and 13 assists with a .389 field-goal percentage and a 12-39 mark from three-point land. She's added 2.6 rebounds, eight assists, eight steals, and three blocks through 35.4 minutes per game for the Bison, as well. 

Junior forward Tuana Coskun is bringing in a team-high 4.6 boards while also leading with 13 assists through five games played this season. 

Bucknell brings back eight players from its 2024-25 team that went 17-14 overall and defeated #3 Colgate in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Tournament. They're joined by four freshmen newcomers and one transfer, as well.

The Bison lost their leading scorer, shot-maker, rebounder, and blocker from a season ago, but brought back Zemitis and Coskun who finished second and fourth in scoring with 9.6 and 7.5 points per game, respectively during the 2024-25 campaign. 

Bucknell's team was voted to finish seventh of 10 in the Patriot League Preseason Coaches' Poll after going 11-7 in conference play and earning the sixth-seed in the conference tournament last season.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will travel to Urbana-Champaign, Ill. for a matchup with the Illinois University Fighting Illini on Sunday, Nov. 30 with tip scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT.