Patriot League WBB Notebook (1.2.26)
 
THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (AND HOW TO WATCH)
Patriot League women’s basketball continues Saturday, with a full five-game slate beginning at 1 p.m. as Holy Cross travels to Navy and Boston University visits American. At 2 p.m., Bucknell takes on Lehigh in an in-state battle, Loyola Maryland meets Lafayette, and Army West Point heads to Colgate. For more information on Patriot League women’s basketball schedules, visit the composite schedule on the League’s official website at www.PatriotLeague.org.

PATRIOT LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS THROUGH JAN. 2
Lafayette junior guard Teresa Kiewiet leads the Patriot League in scoring through the non-League schedule averaging 17.5 points per game (PPG). Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay ranks second with 17.3 ppg, while Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks thurd at 16.6 ppg. Smith leads the League in rebound averaging 11.1 rebounds per game, followed by American freshman forward Charolotte Tuhy at 9.9 rpg. Holy Cross senior forward Simone Foreman and Therien are tied for third at 8.6 rpg. Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan leads the League in assists with 4.1 apg, while Barnett-Gay ranks second with 3.9 apg and Navy sophomore guard Julianna Almeida and Army West Point senior guard Reese Ericson are tied for third with 3.5 apg.

2025-26 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Standings (as of 1.2) 

	PL	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
Holy Cross	1-0	1.000	7-5	.583
Navy	1-0	1.000	7-5	.583
Colgate	1-0	1.000	5-7	.417
Lehigh	1-0	1.000	5-7	.417
Loyola Maryland	1-0	1.000	5-7	.417
Army West Point	0-1	.000	9-3	.750
Boston University	0-1	.000	4-8	.333
Bucknell	0-1	.000	4-8	.333
Lafayette	0-1	.000	4-8	.333
American	0-1	.000	2-10	.167

STATS | SCHEDULE

GREYHOUNDS, MOUNTAIN HAWKS, CRUSADERS, RAIDERS AND MIDS ALL PICK UP LEAGUE OPENING WINS
Loyola Maryland built a commanding first-half lead and held off a late push to earn a 68-59 victory at American. Graduate forward Lex Therien led the Greyhounds with 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting. Lehigh used efficient shooting to defeat Army West Point, 77-66, extending its winning streak against the Black Knights to eight games as senior forward Lily Fandre and junior forward Whitney Lind scored 18 points apiece. Holy Cross edged Bucknell, 58-55, behind timely free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter, converting all eight attempts in the final frame to secure the win. Navy pulled away from Boston University with a decisive third quarter, outscoring the Terriers 24-15 in the period en route to a 77-64 victory, led by junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay’s 18 points. Colgate closed out a 63-57 win over Lafayette by shooting 12-of-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, earning head coach Shannon Bush her first Patriot League win as junior guard Ella Meabon poured in 27 points.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAY CONTINUES ON SATURDAY
The 2025–26 Patriot League women’s basketball season continues Saturday with a full slate of League action. Holy Cross and Navy meet in Annapolis at 1 p.m. in a matchup featuring two of the League’s top passers in Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan (4.1 assists per game) and Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay (3.9 apg). Boston University travels south to face American, with both teams seeking their first Patriot League win of the season.

Bucknell visits Lehigh in a matchup of strength versus strength, as the League’s top-ranked defense looks to slow the Mountain Hawks’ third-ranked offense following Lehigh’s opening win. Lafayette hosts Loyola Maryland in Easton, Pa., featuring two of the League’s leading scorers in Lafayette senior guard Teresa Kiewiet (17.6 points per game) and Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien (16.9 ppg). Army West Point rounds out the slate with a road trip to Colgate, as the Black Knights look for their first League victory while the Raiders aim to build on early momentum.

PATRIOT LEAGUE STATS LEADERS
Lafayette junior guard Teresa Kiewiet leads the Patriot League in scoring through the non-League schedule averaging 17.5 points per game (PPG). Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay ranks second with 17.3 ppg, while Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks thurd at 16.6 ppg. Smith leads the League in rebound averaging 11.1 rebounds per game, followed by American freshman forward Charolotte Tuhy at 9.9 rpg. Holy Cross senior forward Simone Foreman and Therien are tied for third at 8.6 rpg. Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan leads the League in assists with 4.1 apg, while Barnett-Gay ranks second with 3.9 apg and Navy sophomore guard Julianna Almeida and Army West Point senior guard Reese Ericson are tied for third with 3.5 apg. Boston University senior forward Anete Adler leads the League in blocks (17) and blocks per game (1.5), while Barnett-Gay leads the League in steals with 29 and 2.4 steals per game.

PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG NCAA LEADERS
Multiple Patriot League players rank among the NCAA Division I top 50 through January 2.
Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith ranks eighth nationally in rebounds per game (11.1) and 20th in field-goal percentage (59.7) through 12 games. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy is 30th in rebounds per game at 9.9. Smith’s teammate, senior guard Reese Ericson, ranks 18th nationally in three-pointers made per game (3.0) and 40th in total three-pointers made (36). Lafayette senior forward Sauda Ntaconayigize ranks 45th in three-point percentage at 43.33%. Navy sophomore guard Julianna Almeida and Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan both rank in the national top 50 in assist-to-turnover ratio. Almeida is 18th at 3.00, while Flanagan sits 33rd at 2.58.
 
SMITH POST 20-20 GAME IN BLACK KNIGHTS WIN OVER HOWARD
Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith recorded a dominant 27-point, 22 rebound double-double in the Black Knights’ 64-56 win over Howard. The junior went a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line while shooting 6-of-10 from the field to help the Black Knights pull away in the second half from the Bison who are ranked in the top 125 of the NET Rankings. Smith recorded the most rebounds in a game since Loyola Maryland graduate forward grabbed 23 boards in 2024.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE PICKS UP POWER 4 WINS IN NON-LEAGUE PLAY
Patriot League women’s basketball earned four Power Four wins during nonleague play, posting victories against two ACC opponents, one Big 12 opponent and one SEC opponent.
 
Holy Cross knocked off in-state rival Boston College, 72–71, when senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan found forward Simone Foreman on an inbound play for the game-winning basket with less than a second remaining.
 
The following night, Lehigh opened its season with an 88–85 road win at Cincinnati, led by 25-point performances from senior forward Whitney Lind, playing in her hometown, and junior guard Jessie Ozzauto.
 
Navy dominated Florida, 69–54, at Alumni Hall, as junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay posted 22 points and eight rebounds. The Midshipmen’s defense held the Gators to 29 percent shooting from the field.
Lafayette secured the League’s second win against the ACC with a 76–59 road victory over Pittsburgh, limiting the Panthers to five points in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Teresa Kiewiet led the Leopards with 19 points and eight rebounds, while guards Haylie Adamski and Talia Zurinskas added 18 points apiece.
 
THERIEN RISING ON REBOUNDS LIST
Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien is rising the Patriot League’s career rebounds leaderboard as she now sits in fifth place with 1,104 rebounds and 93 rebounds away from becoming the Patriot League’s leading rebounder. Therien ranks fourth in the League in rebounding at 8.6 rpg and averages 10.4 rpg in her career.
 
ARMY WEST POINT’S ERICSON CLIMBING 3PM LIST
Army West Point senior guard Reese Ericson is climbing the League’s career three-pointers-made leaderboard. Ericson currently is tied for 11th place with 218 and has already made 36 three-pointers this season while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
 
PL CAREER 3-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE
6. Sara Ellis, Lehigh (2003–07) – 238
7. Alex Giannaros, Boston University (2021–24) – 233
8. Alexis Dobbs, American (2010–14) – 222
9. Ella Stemmer, Lehigh (2021–24) – 221
10. Allison Lipinski, Colgate (2001–05) – 220
T11. Chloe Stapleton, Navy (2011–15) – 218
T11. Reese Ericson, Army (2022–present) – 218

PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE NET
The Patriot League features three teams in the top 200 of the latest NCAA NET rankings. Army West Point leads the League at No. 118 following wins over UMass and Howard in their non-conference play. Holy Cross ranks second in the League at No. 161, followed by Navy at 162. The 2025-26 season marks the seventh year of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI as the primary tool for evaluating teams.

LEHIGH’S ADDIE MICIR AND NAVY’S ZANAI BARNETT-GAY SELECTED TO HOOP HER STATS WATCHLISTS
Lehigh head coach Addie Micir was named to the Hoop Her Stats 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watchlist, one of 20 selections across 13 conferences. Micir guided the Mountain Hawks to a 27–7 overall record, including a 15–3 mark in League play and a 17–1 record at home inside Stabler Arena. Lehigh won the regular-season title and defeated Army West Point in the 2025 Patriot League PenFed Credit Union Women’s Basketball Championship Game to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Navy’s Zanai Barnett-Gay was named to the Hoop Her Stats Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist, one of 25 players selected from 19 teams and 12 conferences. Barnett-Gay led the Mids with 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, earning 2025 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors and helping Navy secure the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship.

ARMY WEST POINT OFF TO HOT START UNDER KUESTER
The Army West Point Black Knights are off to a 9–3 start under first-year head coach Katie Kuester, posting a Patriot League-best +9.9 scoring margin. Army earned key nonleague wins, including a comeback victory over St. Thomas, followed by a 64–61 win against previously unbeaten UMass at Christl Arena, and closed nonleague play with a 64–58 win over Howard who is ranked inside the top 125 of the NET. The Black Knights have recorded six double-digit victories through 11 games and are powered by a balanced lineup with four double-figure scorers. Junior forward Kya Smith leads the team with 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, while senior guard Reese Ericson averages 10.8 points and leads the League, ranking sixth nationally at 3.27 three-pointers made per game. Junior guards Camryn Tade and Taylor Wilson also average double figures while logging more than 25 minutes per game.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK
CBS Sports Network will provide live coverage of five Patriot League Women’s Basketball games this season. The network will carry both Army West Point–Navy matchups, beginning with Navy hosting the Black Knights on Saturday, Jan. 24, followed by Army West Point welcoming the Mids on Saturday, Feb. 21. CBS Sports Network will also feature two in-state rivalry matchups: Bucknell at Lafayette on Monday, Jan. 26, and Boston University hosting Holy Cross on Monday, Feb. 2. The Patriot League PenFed Credit Union Women’s Basketball Championship Game will air on CBS Sports Network for the 17th consecutive season on Sunday, March 15, at noon.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE AMONG NCAA GRADUATION RATE LEADERS
The Patriot League’s 10 women’s basketball programs tied for the best GSR score (100) and posted the highest FGR score (93) among NCAA DI conferences. Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Loyola Maryland recorded perfect GSR scores, with Army West Point (95), American (92) and Navy (88) all finishing above the national average. Boston University and Lehigh finished with perfect FGR scores, while Colgate (93), Bucknell (92), Holy Cross (92), Loyola Maryland (92), American (85), and Lafayette (71) all finished above the national average. 
 
PENFED CREDIT UNION RETURNS AS SPONSOR
The Patriot League announced that PenFed Credit Union will return as the presenting sponsor of the 2024-25 League men’s and women’s basketball championships. PenFed Credit Union became the first presenting sponsor of the Patriot League Championship for the 2020-21 season. This will mark the fifth season that the nation’s second-largest federal credit union will partner with the League.
 
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.