Patriot League WBB Notebook (1.30.26)
 
THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (AND HOW TO WATCH)
Patriot League women’s basketball returns Saturday, January 31, with a five-game slate beginning at 2 p.m. as Lehigh visits Colgate. Three additional games tip at 2 p.m., with Army West Point traveling to Holy Cross, Bucknell heading to Boston University, and American visiting Lafayette, before the day concludes at 4 p.m. as Navy faces Loyola Maryland in Baltimore. 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. 30
Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay leads the Patriot League in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game (PPG), while Lafayette junior guard Teresa Kiewiet ranks second at 16.9 ppg and Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien rounds out the top three at 16.6 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 10.1 rpg with Therien ranking third at 8.9 rpg. Barnett-Gay leads the League in assists with 4.4 apg, while Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan ranks seconds with 4.0 apg and Lafayette sophomore guard Talia Zurinskas ranks third with 3.8 apg.

2025-26 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Standings (as of 1.30) 

	PL	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
Navy	8-1	.889	13-6	.684
Army West Point	7-2	.778	16-4	.800
Lehigh	6-3	.667	10-9	.526
Holy Cross	6-3	.667	12-8	.600
Loyola Maryland	5-4	.556	9-11	.450
Lafayette	4-5	.444	8-12	.400
American	3-6	.333	5-15	.250
Boston University	3-6	.333	7-13	.350
Bucknell	2-7	.222	6-14	.300
Colgate	1-8	.111	5-15	.250

STATS | SCHEDULE

LEOPARDS, MIDS COMPLETE SEASON SWEEPS, GREYHOUNDS, BLACK KNIGHTS EARN ROAD VICTORIES WHILE THE CRUSADERS OUTLAST THE RAIDERS IN OT
Lafayette 65, Bucknell 56 – Lafayette used a strong fourth quarter to pull away and complete the season sweep at Kirby Sports Center. Talia Zurinskas scored 19 points and Teresa Kiewiet added 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Leopards outscored the Bison 15–8 in the final period.
Loyola Maryland 63, American 53 – Loyola Maryland dominated the fourth quarter, opening the frame on a 17–2 run to erase a six-point deficit and secure the road victory. Lex Therien posted 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Greyhounds outscored American 24–8 in the final 10 minutes.
Army West Point 64, Lehigh 55 – Army West Point used a decisive second quarter to build separation and held off a late Lehigh push to earn its first win in the series since 2022. Camryn Tade scored 21 points and Kya Smith added a 17-point, 16-rebound double-double for the Black Knights.
Holy Cross 60, Colgate 50 (OT) – Holy Cross pulled away in overtime after Ella Meabon forced the extra period with a late jumper in regulation. Kaitlyn Flanagan led the Crusaders with 17 points as Holy Cross outscored Colgate 15–5 in overtime.
Navy 57, Boston University 47 – Navy used a balanced second half and defensive pressure to pull away and complete the season sweep at Alumni Hall. Zanai Barnett-Gay finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven steals as the Midshipmen limited Boston University to one field goal over a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter.
 
NAVY TAKES DOWN THE BLACK KNIGHTS TO CLAIM FIRST PLACE
Navy delivered a statement performance in Saturday’s battle for first place, defeating Army West Point, 60–44, at Alumni Hall to move into sole possession of the Patriot League lead. The Midshipmen set the tone early by shooting 69.2 percent in the opening quarter and never relinquished control, carrying a 30–23 advantage into halftime. Navy created decisive separation out of the break, opening the third quarter on a 10–2 run behind freshman Zoe Mesuch and junior Zanai Barnett-Gay to push the margin into double digits. Army briefly trimmed the deficit to five early in the fourth, but Navy answered with a 13–2 response fueled by transition baskets and trips to the free-throw line. The Midshipmen closed the game by holding the Black Knights to just seven points in the final period while dominating the glass, 49–28. Mesuch led Navy with 17 points, while Barnett-Gay posted a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double to anchor the Mids on both ends.
 
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 on Jan. 21, 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 18.5 points per game while Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay ranks second at 17.3 ppg. Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks third at 17.1 ppg. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy leads the League in rebounding at 11.3 rebounds per game, followed by Barnett-Gay and Lafayette freshman forward Maddison Krug at 9.9 rpg. Barnett-Gay leads the League in assists at 5.1 assists per game while sophomore guard Lafayette sophomore guard Talia Zurinskas at 4.6 apg and Lehigh junior guard Gracyn Lovette at 4.3 apg. Krug and Boston University senior forward Anete Adler leads the League in blocks (14), while Holy Cross junior guard Kendall Eddy ranks first in steals (26), and Barnett-Gay ranks first steals per game at 3.1 spg.

PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG NCAA LEADERS
Multiple Patriot League players rank among the NCAA Division I top 50 through January 30. Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith ranks 22^nd in field goal percentage at 57.5 percent.
American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy is 14th in rebounds per game at 10.8, while Smith ranks 25th at 10.1 rpg. Smith’s teammate, senior guard Reese Ericson, ranks 29th nationally in three-pointers made per game (2.8) and 29th in total three-pointers made (56). Lafayette senior forward Sauda Ntaconayigize ranks 15th in three-point percentage at 43.1 percent.
 
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 1,178 rebounds and 19 rebounds away from becoming the Patriot League’s leading rebounder. Therien ranks third in the League in rebounding at 8.9 rpg and averages 10.4 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 487 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 11.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Haylie Adamski continues her fantastic freshman season, ranking 17th in scoring in the first nine games of Patriot League play (11.1 ppg) while ranking second in the League in three-pointers made (22) in League play. Zoe Mesuch has found her stride at Navy ranking eighth in scoring during League play (15.3 ppg), and leads the League in three-pointers made (23).
 
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 tied for 6th place with 238 and has already made 56 three-pointers this season while shooting 39% 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. 119 following wins over UMass and Howard in their non-conference play. Navy ranks second in the League at No. 133, followed by Holy Cross at 175 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 16–4 start under first-year head coach Katie Kuester, posting a Patriot League-best +9.9 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 20 games and are powered by a balanced lineup with four double-figure scorers. Junior forward Kya Smith leads the team with 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while junior guard Camryn Tade averages 13.1 points per game. Junior guard Taylor Wilson chips in 10.0 ppg and senior guard Reese Ericson nets 11.0 ppg and leads the League, ranking 29th nationally at 2.8 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 four 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 one in-state rivalry matchup with 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.