AT BUCKNELL (12-10, 7-4 PL) 75, ARMY WEST POINT (16-5, 8-3 PL) 65
Sojka Pavilion/ Lewisburg, Pa. Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
LEWISBURG, Pa.- A dominant first quarter and balanced scoring effort powered Bucknell to a 75-65 victory over Army West Point on Saturday afternoon.
*After Bucknell opened the game with a basket, Army West Point responded with three early 3-pointers—two from junior guard Reese Ericson and one from sophomore forward Fiona Hastick—to take a 9-2 lead.
*The Bison answered with a 16-1 run to close the first quarter, sparked by freshman Reese Zemitis, who knocked down two 3-pointers.
*The teams traded baskets in the second quarter, with an Ericson jumper cutting Bucknell’s lead to 22-18. The Bison regained control, pushing their advantage to 34-27 at halftime.
*Bucknell extended its lead in the third quarter with an 11-2 run and never looked back, maintaining a double-digit advantage the rest of the way. Sophomore forward Ashley Sofilkanich scored 10 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
*Sofilkanich finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Senior Isabella King added 17 points, Zemitis scored 15 points and sophomore forward Tuana Coskun chipped in 10 points
*Ericson led Army West Point with a game-high 28 points, including eight 3-pointers. Hastick added 13 points and Kya Smith finished with 10.
RECAPS: ARMY WEST POINT | BUCKNELL
LEHIGH (19-4, 10-1 PL) 67, AT AMERICAN (1-21, 1-10 PL) 52
Bender Arena, Washington, D.C. 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A dominant second half propelled Lehigh to its eighth straight win, extending its lead atop the Patriot League standings to two games with a 67-52 victory over American.
*Lehigh jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead before the Eagles fought back, taking a 21-20 edge midway through the second quarter. The Mountain Hawks closed the half with a 4-0 run to reclaim a 30-26 lead at the break.
*The momentum carried over into the third quarter, as Lehigh put together a 12-1 run and knocked down eight straight free throws to enter the fourth up 50-33.
*Lehigh’s lead grew to 22 in the final period, with sophomore Whitney Lind knocking down key baskets to halt two American runs and secure the win.
*Senior guard Ella Stemmer led Lehigh with 16 points. Senior forward Meghan O’Brien added 14 points, while fifth-year forward Maddie Albrecht finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
*Freshman forward Cecilia Kay paced American with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Graduate guard Ivy Baled chipped in 11 points off the bench.
RECAPS: LEHIGH | AMERICAN
AT HOLY CROSS (15-7, 8-3 PL) 60, BOSTON UNIVERSITY (8-14, 2-9 PL) 47
Hart Center Arena/ Worcester, Mass. 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – A strong defensive fourth quarter helped Holy Cross pull away for a 60-47 win over Boston University, evening the season series.
*Holy Cross opened the game on a 6-0 run behind back-to-back baskets from junior guard Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, with the Crusaders leading 16-13 after one.
*Both teams made scoring runs in the second quarter. Boston University took a brief 24-23 lead with three minutes left before Holy Cross answered with a 9-2 run. Senior forward Lindsay Berger capped it off with a buzzer-beater to send the Crusaders into halftime up 32-26.
*The Terriers cut the deficit to three late in the third, but Holy Cross responded and entered the final period up 49-41.
*The Crusaders’ defense tightened in the fourth, holding Boston University to six points on 3-of-9 shooting to secure the victory.
*Junior forward Meg Cahalan led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Berger added 12 points.
*Freshman forward Allison Schwertner paced Boston University with 10 points and eight rebounds.
RECAPS: BOSTON UNIVERSITY | HOLY CROSS
LAFAYETTE (6-16, 3-8 PL) 61, NAVY (15-7, 7-4 PL) 60
Alumni Hall/ Annapolis, Md. 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Lafayette defeated Navy 61-60 with crucial fourth-quarter baskets and a defensive stop to seal the win.
*The teams traded baskets early before Lafayette went on a 9-0 run, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Abby Antognoli and another from senior guard Halee Smith. The Leopards led 17-11 at the end of the first.
*Navy chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter, closing the gap to 29-28 at halftime after sophomore guard Kyah Smith drained a three to end the half.
*The back-and-forth battle continued in the third, featuring six lead changes before Lafayette took a 45-43 edge into the final frame.
*With under a minute to play, Navy’s Zanai Barnett-Gay tied the game at 56-56 before sophomore guard Teresa Kiewiet put Lafayette back in front with a jumper.
*The teams traded baskets again, with junior forward Morgan Demos tying the game at 58-58. Sophomore forward Teresa Chudy responded with a go-ahead bucket for Lafayette, then split a pair of free throws to make it 61-58.
*Navy freshman guard Julianna Almeida scored with 36 seconds left to make it a one-point game, but the Leopards came up with a crucial defensive stop on the Mids’ final possession to clinch the win.
*Chudy led Lafayette with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. Antognoli added 14 points, while junior forward Sauda Ntaconayigize chipped in 10 points
*Barnett-Gay matched her career high with 29 points, adding 13 rebounds and three blocks for Navy. Almeida finished with 11 points.
RECAPS: LAFAYETTE | NAVY
Loyola Maryland will host Colgate tomorrow tipping off at 2 p.m.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.