Brown Women's Basketball Hosts Bucknell in Second Game of Homestand

Brown University women’s basketball hosts Bucknell University at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 3:00 p.m. The matchup, which will be broadcast on ESPN+, marks the second game of a three-game homestand for the Bears, according to brownbears.com.

Brown looks to build momentum at home

The Bears enter Saturday’s contest looking to capitalize on recent individual performances from a roster that blends seasoned veterans with impactful newcomers. In their most recent outing against Army on Nov. 5, first-year forward Nalah Smith recorded 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Sophomore forward Morgan Ross also contributed a career-high 11 points and six rebounds, as reported by brownbears.com.

This performance follows a season opener at Siena on Nov. 2, where junior guard Gia Powell scored 25 points—the highest single-game total of any player in the Ivy League on opening night. Powell’s return to form changes the program after she missed last winter due to injury.

The Brown roster includes returning players across the class years. While the team is integrating six newcomers from the Class of 2030, Brown is coming off a season in which it led the Ivy League in field goal percentage defense, 3-point percentage defense, and rebounds per game. Last season, the Bears led the Ivy League in field goal percentage defense (35.7) and 3-point percentage defense (27.3), while also ranking 10th nationally in field goal percentage defense.

Bucknell seeks first win of the season

Bucknell University arrives in Providence following an 83-60 road loss to Florida on Nov. 2, according to bucknellbison.com. Elana Weisman led the Bison in that contest, scoring 18 points and shooting perfectly from behind the three-point arc, connecting on 3-of-3 attempts.

The Bison are currently 0-1 for the 2026-27 season. Last year, the program finished with an 11-19 overall record and a 7-11 mark in Patriot League play, ending their season with a loss to Colgate in the first round of the conference tournament.

Statistical breakdown of recent performances

Player	Team	Recent Scoring/Stat	Context
Gia Powell	Brown	25 points	Career high; most in Ivy League on opening night
Nalah Smith	Brown	13 points	6-of-7 shooting in collegiate debut
Morgan Ross	Brown	11 points	Career high; 6 rebounds vs. Army
Elana Weisman	Bucknell	18 points	Led Bison in loss to Florida

Brown's recent program successes continue

The program is also riding the momentum of a recent successful run, having made an “Ivy Madness” appearance for the first time since 2017.

Beyond the court, the Brown program has seen success in transitioning players to the professional level. Two alumnae, Isabella Mauricio and Gianna Aiello, signed professional contracts in Germany’s Damen Basketball Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A1, respectively, ahead of the current season. This professional pipeline coincides with the program’s recent strength in the Ivy League preseason polls, where Brown was projected to finish fifth, ahead of Cornell, Yale, and Dartmouth.

The atmosphere at the Pizzitola Sports Center will also include the presence of the team’s newest member, nine-year-old Grace Ryan. Through a partnership with Team IMPACT, Ryan signed with the team on Oct. 13 and will participate in various team activities, including practices and games, over the next two years.