LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball heads to in-state foe Bucknell on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tip-off. This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the programs and just the second since 2012.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
» The Red Flash are one of two teams in the Northeast Conference (NEC) with a positive rebounding margin (+0.2). 
» Jada Dapaa is second in the NEC with 7.6 rebounds per game and ranks top-six in both defensive (5.0) and offensive (2.6) rebounds per game.
» Sam Miller produced her first double-digit point game of the season against Coppin State and tied a career-high with eight rebounds.
 
Scouting Bucknell
The Bison enter Wednesday's contest with a 4-2 record, their only two losses coming to No. 17 Ohio State, 71-48, and Temple, 59-46. Bucknell is 1-0 against NEC opponents this season after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson 66-56 in its first victory of the season. As a team, Bucknell is narrowly outscoring opponents, by just a 0.1 margin. The Bison are led by guard Taylor O'Brien, who has a team-leading 18.3 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game and 14 total steals this season. Forward Carly Krsul has a Patriot League-leading 11 blocks and adds 10 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. O'Brien was selected to the All-Patriot League Preseason Team and Bucknell was picked to finish third in the Preseason Poll. The Bison are currently 37-9 in head coach Trevor Woodruff's tenure with the program.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis lost its away contest at Coppin State, 68-38. The Red Flash led the game 4-2 early in the first quarter before the Eagles held Saint Francis scoreless for the remainder of the quarter and went on a 22-0 run into the second quarter. Sam Miller had a team-leading 10 points and tied a career-high with eight rebounds. Diajha Allen set a career-high with nine rebounds, which shattered her previous career-high of five. Freshman Nyla Rozier scored her first collegiate points off freshman Adison Novosel's first-career assist. Despite the loss, Saint Francis outrebounded its opponent for the second-straight game. 
 
All-Time vs. Bucknell
The Red Flash and the Bison are in an even 3-3 split of the matchup's six-game history. Bucknell won the most recent game, 70-46, in 2019 when currently team-leader in points, Taylor O'Brien, scored 14 points for the Bison. Prior to the loss, Saint Francis won two-straight games in 2012 and 2011 after Bucknell put together its own two-game winning streak in 2008 and 2007. The Red Flash won 81-61 in the matchup's inaugural game in 2004. 
 
Red Flash Picked Third in NEC Preseason Poll
Saint Francis was picked to finish third in the 2021-22 NEC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Red Flash trail Mount St. Mary's, unanimously selected to win the conference, and Wagner. Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson rounded out the top-five voting. Mount St. Mary's won the NEC in 2020-21 after defeating Wagner, 70-38.
 
Dapaa, McLemore Named Team Captains
Seniors Jada Dapaa and Jordan McLemore were named captains, selected by their teammates. Both will serve as captain for the first time, McLemore serving her captaincy in her first season with the Red Flash. "We opened up voting this year to our players," said head coach Keila Whittington. "She [McLemore] earned that respect from the work she put in during the summer."
 
2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule Highlighted by Two Power Five Opponents
The Red Flash non-conference schedule features marquee matchups against Georgia and West Virginia. Georgia finished the 2020-21 season ranked 10th, while West Virginia finished 17th in the Associated Press Poll. MAC opponents Toledo and Kent State and AAC opponent Temple join the group of notable non-conference opponents.
 
Taylor Returns to Saint Francis as Assistant Coach
Former Red Flash forward Brooklyn Taylor rejoined the program as an assistant coach in May 2021. She previously spent the past three seasons with Akron and two seasons at Mercer after her 2016 graduation from Saint Francis. As a player, Taylor appeared in 70 games across four seasons with the Red Flash.
 
Brown Named to Red Flash Coaching Staff
Assistant coach Erika Brown joined the Red Flash staff in May 2021 after previously coaching at Harcum College, Stony Brook and Florida International. During her time with Stony Brook in 2019-20, she assisted a team that went 28-3 and won the America East Championship. They were poised for a NCAA Tournament run before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a player at Delaware, Brown ranked 10th in program history with 1,402 career points.
 
The Red Flash Return Two Starters, Three Others with Saint Francis Starting Experience
Kaitlyn Maxwell and Lili Benzel return after starting 22 and 18 games, respectively. Jenna Mastellone (six), Jada Dapaa (three) and Sam Miller (one) also bring starting experience to the 2021-22 season. Benzel, Mastellone and Dapaa all averaged more than 22 minutes per game. Dapaa led the team with 8.6 rebounds-per-game, which ranked second in the NEC. Benzel had an NEC-leading 48 made three-point shots and team-leading 36.1 percent from three. She has a chance to reach the Saint Francis top-10 rankings in just three seasons with the team. Mastellone's 105-career appearances with Saint Francis is 47 more than second-most on the team (Dapaa, 58). Maxwell and Miller will fill larger roles with three key departures after averaging 18.6 and 15.8 minutes-per-game, respectively.
 
Five Newcomers Added
The Red Flash welcomed five new members, one transfer, Jordan McLemore, and four freshman, Layla Laws, Maria McConnell, Adison Novosel and Nyla Rozier. McLemore, a senior, comes from Hartford where she was fifth in the America East with 95 assists in 2019-20. The four freshman all stand 5-foot-11 or taller and have two forwards and two guards. McConnell grew up in Nanty Glo, Pa. and played basketball at Blacklick Valley, 20 minutes away from Saint Francis.
 
Next
The Red Flash host La Salle on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. for their annual Toy Drive. Any fan who donates a new or gently used toy will receive a half-priced general admission ticket.