W. Hoops aims to spear Bison at Bucknell

The Penn women's basketball team travels to Bucknell in search of its fourth win away from the Palestra this year. In a week where the Penn women's basketball team saw its coach resign and a loss to Lafayette drop its record to 3-10, only one thing is certain for the Quakers -- they desperately need a lift in Lewisburg tomorrow when they face Bucknell. "There's a lot going on with these young adults right now," said outgoing Quakers coach Soriero of her team's reaction to her resignation. "I'm glad they've had some time to let it sink in and that we're going on the road together." Penn freshman Julie Epton knows the perfect panacea for her win-starved squad -- a victory against the Bison (7-11). "It feels so great to win," she said. "We're all so hungry for a win right now. It makes everything more fun -- the games and the practices." According to Epton, the Quakers need victories in their next two games against Patriot League opponents Bucknell and Army to bolster their egos for the remainder of the season. Sustaining a positive attitude is important because following Penn's match-up with Army, the Quakers have only Ivy League contests remaining on their schedule. Soriero feels that this weekend's opponents will provide valuable preparation for upcoming challenges. "The Lafayettes, Bucknells and Armies are all comparable to the Ivy League teams we'll face in terms of size, speed and execution," Soriero said. "Bucknell is pretty much equivalent to a Brown." But hopefully Penn will fare better than it did against the Bears on January 9. In keeping with the trend of their season, the Quakers squandered a substantial lead in Providence as their opponents came away with a victory in the second half, 77-72. "We have a problem preserving a lead," sophomore guard Erin Ladley said. "We start to relax and we think it's fine to just trade baskets with them instead of stringing baskets together to get a run going." Soriero agreed that it is focus, not motivation, that plagues her team in every contest. "We go out to a lead and think we can sit back," she said. "It has cost us some big games." Such troubles have culminated in Penn's 3-10 record this season. But according to Bison coach Cathy Fedorjaka, the Quakers' losing ways are no indication of their talent. The second-year coach expects a challenge from the Quakers this weekend, especially from sophomore forward Diana Caramanico and junior guard Mandy West. "Their record is very deceiving," Fedorjaka said. "Those two kids are key for them and need to be respected." While this weekend's contest is a non-conference game, there will be a lot on the line for both teams. Fedorjaka explained that just as Penn's morale is at stake, her squad is also looking to rebound from a tough loss. After falling 54-44 to Colgate last Wednesday, the Bison "need to regroup and get back to playing [their] game," according to Fedorjaka. Unlike Wednesday's defeat, however, Bucknell will have one big advantage against the Quakers -- the home court. "We play much better at home," Fedorjaka said. "I'm not pumping that up because it can obviously be a problem, but it does make a difference. I'm looking forward to our next stretch of four straight home games." But this alleged Bison advantage may prove a blessing in disguise for the Quakers, who have grabbed all of their wins on the road. And with the crux of the season steadily approaching, it appears Penn needs all the help it can get.