Patriot League WBB Notebook (2.13.26)
THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (AND HOW TO WATCH)
Patriot League women’s basketball continues Saturday, February 14, with a five-game slate beginning at 1 p.m. as American travels to Army West Point. Three games tip at 2 p.m., with Loyola Maryland visiting Holy Cross, Boston University heading to Bucknell and Lehigh facing Lafayette, before the day concludes at 3 p.m. as Colgate travels to Navy. 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 FEB. 13
Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay leads the Patriot League in scoring, averaging 17.0 points per game (PPG), while Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks second at 16.1 ppg and Lafayette junior guard Teresa Kiewiet rounds out the top three at 15.8 ppg. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy leads the League in rebounds, averaging 10.9 rebounds per game, followed by Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith at 9.6 rpg. Therien ranks third at 8.8 rpg. Barnett-Gay leads the League in assists with 4.2 apg, while Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan, Lehigh junior guard Gracyn Lovette and Lafayette sophomore guard Talia Zurinskas are all tied for second at 3.8 apg.
2025-26 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Standings (as of 2.13)
|
PL |
Pct. |
Overall |
Pct. |
| Navy |
12-1 |
.923 |
17-6 |
.739 |
| Army West Point |
10-3 |
.769 |
19-5 |
.792 |
| Lehigh |
9-4 |
.692 |
13-10 |
.565 |
| Holy Cross |
9-4 |
.692 |
15-9 |
.625 |
| Loyola Maryland |
7-6 |
.538 |
11-13 |
.458 |
| Bucknell |
5-8 |
.385 |
9-15 |
.375 |
| American |
4-9 |
.308 |
6-18 |
.250 |
| Lafayette |
4-9 |
.308 |
8-16 |
.333 |
| Boston University |
3-10 |
.231 |
7-17 |
.292 |
| Colgate |
2-11 |
.154 |
6-18 |
.250 |
STATS | SCHEDULE
MIDS WIN 10TH STRAIGHT, BLACK KNIGHTS, CRUSADERS, MOUNTAIN HAWKS EARN ROAD WINS WHILE LOYOLA MARYLAND DEFENDS HOME COURT
Army West Point 69, at Boston University 62 - Army West Point built a 38–24 halftime lead behind a high-scoring first half and held off a late fourth quarter push from Boston University to secure the road win and series sweep. Senior guard Reese Ericson led the Black Knights with 19 points, while Inés Monteagudo paced the Terriers with 15 points.
Holy Cross 75, at Colgate 64 - Holy Cross controlled the game from the first quarter and converted 15-of-18 free throws in the fourth quarter to complete the season sweep of Colgate. Kaitlyn Flanagan led four Crusaders in double figures with 15 points, while Madison Schiller scored 18 points for the Raiders.
Lehigh 79, at American 51 - Lehigh shot 60 percent in the first quarter and used hot perimeter shooting to cruise past American after building a 44–24 halftime advantage. Whitney Lind led all scorers with 23 points, while Madisyn Moore-Nicholson finished with 15 points for the Eagles.
Loyola Maryland 65, Lafayette 58 - Loyola Maryland used a decisive third quarter and strong interior scoring to defeat Lafayette after taking a 49–44 lead into the fourth quarter. Lex Therien led the Greyhounds with 16 points, while Talia Zurinskas paced the Leopards with 15 points.
Navy 66, Bucknell 43 - Navy opened on a 20–0 run in the first quarter and never looked back in a wire-to-wire victory over Bucknell at Alumni Hall. Zoe Mesuch led the Midshipmen with 17 points, while Mariah Hardy scored 14 points for the Bison.
THERIEN REWRITES HISTORY
With her first rebound against Boston University, Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien became the Patriot League’s career rebounding leader with 1,198 rebounds, surpassing Lafayette’s Natalie Kucowski. Therien also moved into the League’s top 10 in career scoring with 1,742 points, becoming the fifth player in Patriot League women’s basketball history to rank in the top 10 in both career points and rebounds.
NAVY RIDING 10-GAME WIN STREAK
Navy continues to dominate the Patriot League, riding a 10-game win streak dating back to January 3. The Midshipmen are powered by a dynamic trio of guards, led by junior Zanai Barnett-Gay, who tops the League in points per game (17.0) and assists per game (4.2) while ranking fourth in rebounds per game (8.7). She is joined in the backcourt by freshman standout Zoe Mesuch, who ranks 11th in the Patriot League and first among first-year players in scoring at 13.1 points per game while shooting 35 percent from three-point range. Sophomore guard and 2025 Patriot League Rookie of the Year Julianna Almeida, who ranks 20th in the League in scoring at 10.3 points per game. As a team, Navy boasts the League’s highest scoring offense at 70.6 points per game while holding opponents to a League-low 38 percent shooting from the field. The Midshipmen have also controlled the glass all season, leading the League with 40.3 rebounds per game and 13.0 offensive rebounds per game. With five games remaining, Navy is in position to capture its first Patriot League regular season title since 2014.
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 fifth place with 253 and has already made 71 three-pointers this season while shooting 41% from beyond the arc. The senior has been nearly automatic in the past two games knocking down six threes at Lafayette (Feb. 7) and at Boston University (Feb. 11) to lead the Black Knights to their 10
th road victory of the season.
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 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.7 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 22 of 23 games with nine double-doubles this season.
PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAY STATS LEADERS
Lehigh senior forward Lily Fandre leads the League in scoring at 17.7 points per game while Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay ranks second with 16.8 ppg and Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks third at 16.0 ppg. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy leads the League in rebounding at 11.4 rebounds per game, followed by Lafayette freshman forward Maddison Krug at 9.6 rpg and Barnett-Gay at 9.5 rpg. Barnett-Gay leads the League in assists at 4.6 assists per game while Lafayette sophomore guard Talia Zurinskas sits in second at 4.4 apg and Lehigh junior guard Gracyn Lovette ranks third at 4.2 apg. Krug leads the League in blocks (23), while Holy Cross junior guard Kendall Eddy ranks first in steals (38), and steals per game at 2.9 spg.
PATRIOT LEAGUE PLAYERS AMONG NCAA LEADERS
Several Patriot League players rank among the NCAA Division I top 50 through February 13. American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy ranks 19
th with 11 double-doubles, while Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay ranks 24
th with 10 and Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien ranks 34th with nine. Tuhy also ranks 12th nationally in rebounds per game at 10.9, while Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith sits 30th at 9.6 rebounds per game. Barnett-Gay ranks 44th in steals per game at 2.65, Lafayette senior forward Sauda Ntaconayigize ranks 22nd in three-point percentage at 43.14 percent, while Army West Point senior guard Reese Ericson ranks 37th at 41.28 percent. Ericson also ranks 18
th nationally with 71 three-pointers made.
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.
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 4.0 assists per game this season and 4.1 assists per game in her career. Flanagan now sits in ninth place with 500 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 10.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Haylie Adamski continues her fantastic freshman season, ranking 19th in scoring in the first 13 games of Patriot League play (10.4 ppg) while ranking second in three-pointers made (32) in League play. Zoe Mesuch has found her stride at Navy ranking eighth in scoring during League play (14.7 ppg), and ranking third in three-pointers made (31).
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. 120 followed by Holy Cross at 173 and Lehigh at 189. 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 CONTINUES SUCCESS UNDER KUESTER
The Army West Point Black Knights are off to a 19–5 start under first-year head coach Katie Kuester, posting a +9.4-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 11 double-digit victories through 24 games and are powered by a balanced lineup with three double-figure scorers. Junior forward Kya Smith leads the team with 13.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while junior guard Camryn Tade averages 13.1 points per game. Senior guard Reese Ericson nets 11.1 ppg and leads the League, ranking 15th nationally at 2.96 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.