Patriot League WBB Notebook (1.23.26)
 
THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (AND HOW TO WATCH)
Patriot League women’s basketball returns Saturday, January 24, with a five-game schedule highlighted by an early rivalry matchup as Army West Point visits Navy and then Holy Cross heads to American both tipping off at 11 a.m. Loyola Maryland travel to Bucknell at noon and Colgate visit Boston University at 2 p.m. The day closes in Bethlehem, Pa., as Lafayette meets Lehigh in a rivalry matchup tipping off at 4:30 p.m. 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. 23
Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay leads the Patriot League in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game (PPG), while Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks second at 17.1 ppg and Lafayette junior guard Teresa Kiewiet rounds out the top three at 16.9 ppg. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy leads the League in rebounds averaging 10.8 rebounds per game, followed by Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith at 9.9 rpg Therien at 8.9 rpg. Barnett-Gay leads the League in assists with 4.3 apg, while Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan ranks seconds with 4.0 apg and Lehigh junior guard Gracyn Lovette ranks third with 3.6 apg.

2025-26 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Standings (as of 1.23) 

	PL	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
Army West Point	6-1	.857	15-3	.833
Navy	6-1	.857	11-6	.647
Lehigh	5-2	.714	9-8	.529
Holy Cross	4-3	.571	10-8	.556
Loyola Maryland	4-3	.571	8-10	.444
Lafayette	3-4	.429	7-11	.389
American	3-4	.429	5-13	.278
Boston University	2-5	.286	6-12	.333
Bucknell	1-6	.143	5-13	.278
Colgate	1-6	.143	5-13	.278

STATS | SCHEDULE

BLACK KNIGHTS AND MIDS IMPROVE TO 6-1, TERRIERS AND EAGLES EARN ROAD WINS WHILE MOUNTAIN HAWKS DOWN GREYHOUNDS IN OT
Boston University 66, Lafayette 55 – Boston University set the tone early and never trailed, using a strong first half to earn the road win and split the season series. Anete Adler posted a dominant double-double with 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Terriers controlled the paint and built separation before fending off a fourth-quarter push.
American 44, Colgate 41 – American held on late to complete the season sweep, closing the game on a 6–2 stretch to pull out a defensive road win. Charlotte Tuhy finished with 22 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, while Colgate’s final three-point attempts in the closing seconds came up short.
Army West Point 64, Bucknell 44 – Army West Point broke the game open with a 17–0 second-quarter run and cruised to a wire-to-wire victory at Christl Arena. Camryn Tade led the Black Knights with 16 points as Army limited Bucknell to five points in the second quarter.
Navy 72, Holy Cross 58 – Navy used a strong third quarter to pull away and split the season series in Worcester. Zoe Mesuch and Zanai Barnett-Gay scored 19 points apiece as the Midshipmen extended the margin by holding Holy Cross to 25 percent shooting in the fourth.
Lehigh 67, Loyola Maryland 61 (OT) – Lehigh erased a halftime deficit and outscored Loyola Maryland 10–4 in overtime to secure the road win. Lily Fandre poured in 32 points and Whitney Lind added 24 as the Mountain Hawks seized control in the extra period.
 
SERVICE ACADEMIES SET FOR SATURDAY SHOWDOWN FOR FIRST PLACE
Army West Point and Navy are tied for first place in the Patriot League at 6–1 through seven games and will meet for the first time this season on Saturday. The Black Knights have won six straight, led by junior forward Kya Smith, who is averaging a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. Army West Point owns the League’s second-best offense at 67.9 points per game and the top defense, holding opponents to 56.6 points per game. Navy leads the Patriot League in scoring at 72.1 points per game behind a strong backcourt trio. Junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay averages 17.8 points per game, while freshman guard Zoe Mesuch adds 12.8 points per game and sophomore guard and 2025 Patriot League Rookie of the Year Julianna Almeida contributes 10.6 points per game. The Mids also control the glass, ranking first in the League with 39.5 rebounds per game, including 13.4 offensive rebounds per contest. The Black Knights and the Mids will face off Saturday, Jan. 24, on CBS Sports Network.
 
NAVY’S ZANAI BARNETT-GAY SELECTED TO HOOP HER STATS MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST
Zanai Barnett-Gay was named to the midseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, advancing from the preseason pool to one of 15 finalists nationally. The Navy junior is averaging 17.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game while leading the Midshipmen to the top of the Patriot League standings. Barnett-Gay ranks inside the national top 100 in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and minutes played, is the only Patriot League player to sit top-six in all five categories, and has posted double figures in 15 of 16 games with six double-doubles this season.

LEHIGH’S FANDRE, BOSTON U’S ADLER AND AMERICAN’S TUHY POST BIG STATLINES
Several players put up big stat lines in Wednesday’s action, highlighted by Lehigh senior forward Lily Fandre erupting for a career-high 32 points to lift Lehigh to a 67-61 overtime road win. Fandre went 9-for-14 from the field, connecting on four 3-pointers. Fandre went 10-for-14 from the free throw line as she accounted for nearly half of Lehigh’s offense. Boston University senior forward Anete Adler recorded a dominant double-double of 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Terriers controlled the paint in a wire-to-wire victory and earn the series split with Lafayette. Adler shot 12-for-21 from the field and added four blocks and a steal. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy posted 22 points and 17 rebounds and added five blocks to anchor American in a defensive road win. Tuhy sealed the win with a heavily contested layup with 13 seconds remaining to help the Eagles sweep Colgate. In two games against the Raiders this season, Tuhy is averaging 19.5 points, 19.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.5 steals per game.

PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAY STATS LEADERS
Lehigh senior forward Lily Fandre leads the League in scoring at 20.8 points per game while Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay ranks second at 18.7 ppg. Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks third at 18.6 ppg. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy leads the League in rebounding at 11.6 rebounds per game, followed by Lafayette freshman forward Maddison Krug at 10.1 rpg and Barnett-Gay at 9.7 rpg. Barnett-Gay leads the League in assists at 5.2 assists per game while Lehigh junior guard Gracyn Lovette ranks second at 4.2 apg and Lafayette sophomore guard Talia Zurinskas ranks third at 4.0 apg. Boston University senior forward Anete Adler leads the League in blocks (13) and blocks per game (1.9), while Holy Cross junior guard Kendall Eddy ranks first in steals (18), and steals per game at 2.6 spg.

PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG NCAA LEADERS
Multiple Patriot League players rank among the NCAA Division I top 50 through January 23.
Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith ranks tied for 27th nationally in rebounds per game (9.9) and 17th in field-goal percentage (58.4) through 18 games. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy is 14th in rebounds per game at 10.5. Smith’s teammate, senior guard Reese Ericson, ranks 20th nationally in three-pointers made per game (2.89) and 25th in total three-pointers made (52). Lafayette senior forward Sauda Ntaconayigize ranks 26th in three-point percentage at 42.3 percent, while teammate freshman guard Haylie Adamski ranks 48th at 40.4 percent. Navy sophomore guard Julianna Almeida ranks 31st in assist to turnover ratio at 2.36.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE PICKS UP POWER 4 WINS IN NON-LEAGUE PLAY
Patriot League women’s basketball secured four Power Four victories in nonleague action, earning wins against two ACC opponents, one Big 12 opponent and one SEC foe.
Holy Cross edged Boston College, 72–71, on a last-second inbound basket from Kaitlyn Flanagan to Simone Foreman. Lehigh opened its season with an 88–85 road win at Cincinnati behind 25 points apiece from Whitney Lind and Jessie Ozzauto. Navy topped Florida, 69–54, as Zanai Barnett-Gay posted 22 points and eight rebounds while the Midshipmen held the Gators to 29 percent shooting. Lafayette closed the stretch with a 76–59 road win at Pittsburgh, led by Teresa Kiewiet’s 19 points as the Leopards limited the Panthers to five points in the fourth quarter.
 
THERIEN RISING ON PL CAREER 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 1,161 rebounds and 34 rebounds away from becoming the Patriot League’s leading rebounder. Therien ranks third in the League in rebounding at 8.7 rpg and averages 10.5 rpg in her career.
 
FLANAGAN ENTERS PL CAREER TOP 10 ASSISTS
With five assists against Army West Point on Jan. 20, Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan entered the Patriot League top-10 in career assists with 471 career assists. Flanagan is the fifth Crusader to crack the top 10, as she is averaging 4.2 assists per game this season and 4.1 assists per game in her career. Flanagan now sits in ninth place with 480 career assists.
 
PL ROOKIES SHINING EARLY
The Patriot League freshman class has made an immediate impact, with multiple first-year players ranking among the League leaders early in the season. Charlotte Tuhy is averaging a double-double to lead American at 11.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Haylie Adamski continues her fantastic freshman season, ranking 15th in scoring in the first six games of Patriot League play (12.0 ppg) while tying for the League lead in three-pointers made (18) in League play. Zoe Mesuch has found her stride at Navy ranking eighth in scoring during League play (15.3 ppg), is tied for the League lead in three-pointers made (18) as well as ranking seventh in steals per game in League play (1.8 spg).
 
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 in 7th place with 234 and has already made 52 three-pointers this season while shooting 41% from beyond the arc.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE NET
The Patriot League features four teams in the top 200 of the latest NCAA NET rankings. Army West Point leads the League at No. 114 following wins over UMass and Howard in their non-conference play. Navy ranks second in the League at No. 135, followed by Holy Cross at 182 and Lehigh at 195. 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.

ARMY WEST POINT OFF TO HOT START UNDER KUESTER
The Army West Point Black Knights are off to a 15–3 start under first-year head coach Katie Kuester, posting a Patriot League-best +11.4 scoring margin. Army West Point 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 nine double-digit victories through 18 games and are powered by a balanced lineup with four double-figure scorers. Junior forward Kya Smith leads the team with 14.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, while junior guard Camryn Tade averages 12.4 points per game. Junior guard Taylor Wilson chips in 10.2 ppg and senior guard Reese Ericson nets 11.4 ppg and leads the League, ranking 20th nationally at 2.89 three-pointers made per game.
 
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 tied for most rebounds in a game since Loyola Maryland graduate forward grabbed 23 boards in 2024.
 
TUHY POSTS MONSTER DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN OT WIN
Charlotte Tuhy powered American with 17 points and a career-high 22 rebounds in the Eagles’ overtime win over Colgate, controlling the paint on both ends. The freshman added seven offensive boards and came up with timely plays late in regulation and overtime while logging 42 minutes. She is tied with Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith for most rebounds in a game this season at 22.
 
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.