Women's Basketball

Patriot League Women’s Basketball Saturday Recap presented by PenFed Credit Union (2.21.26)

Mids down Black Knights to clinch regular-season title; Leopards and Mountain Hawks earn road wins while Crusaders dominate in Worcester

NAVY (19-7, 14-2 PL) 54, AT ARMY WEST POINT (21-6, 12-4 PL) 51
Christl Arena/ West Point, N.Y.                                           11 a.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WEST POINT, N.Y
. – Navy used a strong second half to edge Army West Point, 54-51, clinching the regular-season title for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
*Army West Point led 16-9 after the first quarter, using strong interior defense to force four Navy turnovers in the first five possessions.
*The Mids found their rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring the Black Knights 14-10 to trim the deficit to 26-23 at halftime.
*The third quarter turned into an offensive battle, with both teams shooting above 50 percent from the field as Army West Point carried a slim 42-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
*Freshman guard Zoe Mesuch and sophomore guard Julianna Almeida combined for 11 of Navy’s 13 fourth-quarter points, giving the Midshipmen a 54-48 lead with 30 seconds remaining.
*Senior guard Reese Ericson hit a contested 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull Army West Point within three points, and the Black Knights forced a jump ball and had a shot at the buzzer, but it fell short.
*With the win, Navy completed the season sweep of Army West Point and secured the No. 1 seed in the 2025-26 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Tournament.
*Mesuch paced Navy with 14 points, while Almeida added 12 points and junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay had eight points, eight rebounds and six steals.
*Ericson paced Army West Point with 13 points on four 3-pointers, and sophomore guard Camryn Tade contributed 11 points and six assists.
RECAPS: NAVY | ARMY WEST POINT

LAFAYETTE (10-17, 6-10 PL) 56, AT AMERICAN (6-21, 4-12 PL) 41
Bender Arena/ Washington, D.C.                                        Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C
. – Lafayette used a dominant first quarter to earn a 56-41 wire-to-wire victory over American at Bender Arena.
*Lafayette surged to a 23-9 lead after the first quarter, shooting 56.3 percent from the field and connecting on three 3-pointers in the opening period.
*American steadied in the second quarter, outscoring Lafayette 12-8, but trailed 31-21 at halftime.
*The Eagles continued to chip away in the third quarter, knocking down three 3-pointers to trim the deficit to 42-37 entering the fourth quarter.
*Lafayette limited American to five points in the fourth quarter to pull away and secure the 15-point victory.
*Junior guard Teresa Kiewiet led the Leopards with 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
*Sophomore guards Molly Driscoll and Madisyn Moore-Nicholson paced the Eagles with nine points apiece.
RECAPS: LAFAYETTE  | AMERICAN

LEHIGH (15-11, 11-5 PL) 76, AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY (9-18, 5-11 PL) 61
Case Gymnasium/ Boston, Mass.                                        2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BOSTON, Mass
. –Lehigh used an explosive third quarter to pull away from Boston University, 76-61, splitting the season series.
*The Mountain Hawks jumped out early, opening on an 11-4 run with three consecutive 3-pointers to build a 17-10 lead after the first quarter.
*Lehigh stayed hot in the second quarter, outscoring the Terriers 20-15 while shooting 64 percent from the field to take a 37-25 halftime advantage.
*The Mountain Hawks broke the game open in the third quarter, scoring 26 points and knocking down six 3-pointers to extend the lead to 63-42 entering the fourth quarter.
*Lehigh finished 13-for-28 from 3-point range, shot 51.8 percent from the field and had four players in double figures.
*Senior forward Lily Fandre led Lehigh with 22 points and four 3-pointers, while first-year guard Alana Reddy added 17 points on five 3-pointers.
*Sophomore forward Belle Bramer recorded 15 points and five assists, junior forward Whitney Lind added 14 points and junior guard Gracyn Lovette dished out eight assists.
*Senior forward Anete Adler paced Boston University with 24 points on 12-for-16 shooting.
RECAPS: LEHIGH | BOSTON UNIVERSITY

AT HOLY CROSS (18-9, 12-4 PL) 63, BUCKNELL (10-17, 6-10 PL) 41
Hart Center Arena/ Worcester, Mass.                                 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass.
– Holy Cross used a dominant third quarter and stifling defense to defeat Bucknell, 63-41.
*The Crusaders were efficient from the opening tip, shooting 64 percent in the first quarter to build a 15-8 lead entering the second quarter.
*The teams traded baskets in the second quarter, but Holy Cross maintained control and carried a 29-22 advantage into halftime.
*The Crusaders broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Bucknell 21-6 to extend the margin to 50-28 entering the fourth quarter.
*Holy Cross forced 16 Bucknell turnovers and converted them into 19 points, while holding the Bison to 38 percent shooting from the field and 24 percent from three-point range.
*Senior guard Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly scored 14 points on four 3-pointers, while seniors Meg Cahalan added 13 points and Simone Foreman and Kaitlyn Flanagan contributed 12 points apiece.
*Sophomore guard Reese Zemitis led Bucknell with nine points, and freshman guard Mariah Hardy added seven points.
RECAPS: BUCKNELL | HOLY CROSS

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.