BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Patriot League women’s basketball title and the League’s automatic berth to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will be on the line Sunday when No. 2 Holy Cross hosts No. 4 Lehigh in the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship Game at the Hart Center.
Live coverage begins at noon on CBS Sports Network, with Jason Knapp on play-by-play, Julianne Viani Braen providing analysis and Patriot League multimedia journalist Paige Messier reporting from the sideline.
The Crusaders return to the championship game for a Patriot League-record 21st time, back after a one-year hiatus following their 13th League title in 2024, and advanced with a semifinal win over No. 3 Army West Point and a quarterfinal victory against No. 10 Colgate behind balanced scoring from seniors Meg Cahalan, Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly and Kaitlyn Flanagan.
No. 4 Lehigh earned its second straight championship appearance after upsetting top-seeded Navy, 81–76, in overtime in the semifinals, as first-year forward Leia Edwards posted career highs with 26 points and 15 rebounds, including five three-pointers, after a quarterfinal win over No. 5 Loyola Maryland.
The Mountain Hawks are seeking to be the second consecutive team to win back-to-back Patriot League titles after Holy Cross accomplished the feat in 2023 and 2024. The Crusaders and Mountain Hawks meet for the 15th time in the postseason with Holy Cross holding a 9–5 edge.
At least one of the programs has appeared in 27 of the League’s 35 championship games, and this marks just the second championship meeting between the teams, with Holy Cross winning the first in 2001.
For more information on Patriot League women’s basketball dates, times and coverage, visit the women’s basketball composite schedule on the League’s official website at
www.PatriotLeague.org.
CLICK HERE for more information on the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship. To view the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Championship Digital Program,
CLICK HERE.
2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship
| First-Round |
Saturday, March 7 – Hosted by Higher Seed |
Time |
Coverage |
| Game 1 |
No. 9 American at No. 8 Boston University |
2 p.m. |
Boston U, 69-58 |
| Game 2 |
No. 10 Colgate at No. 7 Bucknell |
4 p.m. |
Colgate, 57-47 |
| Quarterfinals |
Monday, March 9 – Hosted by Higher Seed |
Time |
Coverage |
| Game 3 |
No. 8 Boston University at No. 1 Navy |
7 p.m. |
Navy, 76-66 |
| Game 4 |
No. 5 Loyola Maryland at No. 4 Lehigh |
6 p.m. |
Lehigh, 68-54 |
| Game 5 |
No. 6 Lafayette at No. 3 Army West Point |
6 p.m. |
Army, 65-57 |
| Game 6 |
No. 10 Colgate at No. 2 Holy Cross |
6 p.m. |
Holy Cross 72-36 |
| Semifinals |
Thursday, March 12 – Hosted by Higher Seed |
Time |
Coverage |
| Game 7 |
No. 4 Lehigh at No. 1 Navy |
7 p.m. |
Lehigh, 81-76 (OT) |
| Game 8 |
No. 3 Army West Point at No. 2 Holy Cross |
6 p.m. |
Holy Cross, 61-55 |
| Championship |
Sunday, March 15 – Hosted by Higher Seed |
Time |
Coverage |
| Game 9 |
No. 4 Lehigh at No. 2 Holy Cross |
Noon |
CBS Sports Network |
NO. 4 LEHIGH (17-13, 11-7 PL) AT NO. 2 HOLY CROSS (22-9, 14-4 PL)
Hart Center/Worcester, Mass. Noon (CBSSN)
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS | CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
SEASON SERIES: Lehigh swept the regular-season series from Holy Cross, earning a 60–57 road victory at Hart Center Arena before securing a 73–61 win at Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks led wire-to-wire in Worcester and followed with a strong first-half performance in Bethlehem to complete the sweep. Lily Fandre paced Lehigh across the two meetings, highlighted by a 23-point outing in the first matchup, while Belle Bramer led the charge with 21 points in the second.
GAME ONE (Jan. 7, 2026 – BOX SCORE) - Lehigh held off Holy Cross, 60–57, at Hart Center, leading wire-to-wire. The Mountain Hawks set the tone early with a 10–2 run capped by a three-pointer from senior guard Lily Fandre, building a nine-point lead by the end of the first quarter. Holy Cross cut into the deficit by outscoring Lehigh 17–13 in the second quarter to trail 35–30 at halftime. Lehigh responded with a 7–0 run midway through the third quarter, highlighted by baskets from junior guard Jessie Ozzauto and Fandre, before holding off multiple fourth-quarter pushes by the Crusaders. Fandre led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Ozzauto added 17 points and first-year forward Leia Edwards grabbed 13 rebounds. Junior guard Kendall Eddy paced Holy Cross with 17 points and seniors Simone Foreman and Meg Cahalan added 12 points apiece.
GAME TWO (Feb. 7, 2026 – BOX SCORE) - Lehigh used a strong first half and efficient perimeter shooting to defeat Holy Cross, 73–61, at Stabler Arena to earn the season sweep. The Mountain Hawks built an 18–12 lead after the first quarter behind balanced scoring and 50 percent shooting from the field, then extended the margin in the second quarter with five three-pointers to take a 35–20 advantage into halftime. Holy Cross responded in the third quarter with 21 points to trim the deficit to 56–41 entering the fourth quarter. Lehigh maintained control in the fourth quarter, shooting 60 percent and converting free throws late to secure the double-digit victory. Sophomore forward Belle Bramer led the Mountain Hawks with 21 points, junior forward Whitney Lind added 17 points and junior guard Gracyn Lovette scored 13 points. Senior forward Meg Cahalan paced Holy Cross with 18 points and senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan added 14 points and four assists.
PREVIEWS: LEHIGH | HOLY CROSS
Patriot League Championship History: Lehigh vs. Holy Cross
Lehigh and Holy Cross will meet for the 15th time in the Patriot League Championship and for just the second time in the title game. The Crusaders hold a 9–5 edge in the postseason series after winning the first seven matchups, but Lehigh has flipped the script in recent years by winning five of the last seven meetings since 2009.
1992–93 – Quarterfinals – No. 1 Holy Cross 84, No. 8 Lehigh 58
1993–94 – Quarterfinals – No. 2 Holy Cross 88, No. 7 Lehigh 61
1994–95 – Quarterfinals – No. 1 Holy Cross 83, No. 8 Lehigh 75
1997–98 – Semifinals – No. 1 Holy Cross 83, No. 5 Lehigh 69
2001 – Championship – No. 1 Holy Cross 94, No. 3 Lehigh 68
2006–07 – Semifinals – No. 3 Holy Cross 65, No. 7 Lehigh 62 (OT)
2007–08 – Semifinals – No. 2 Holy Cross 46, No. 3 Lehigh 44 (game moved to Ramapo College – Mahwah, N.J.)
2009–10 – Semifinals – No. 1 Lehigh 73, No. 5 Holy Cross 57
2012–13 – Quarterfinals – No. 4 Holy Cross 64, No. 5 Lehigh 59
2014–15 – Quarterfinals – No. 6 Lehigh 75, No. 3 Holy Cross 62
2015–16 – Quarterfinals – No. 4 Lehigh 64, No. 5 Holy Cross 48
2020–21 – Quarterfinals – No. 4 Lehigh 75, No. 5 Holy Cross 57
2022–23 – Semifinals – No. 2 Holy Cross 71, No. 3 Lehigh 54
2024–25 – Semifinals – No. 1 Lehigh 65, No. 5 Holy Cross 44
No. 2 seed vs. No. 4 seed Matchup History
The No. 2 and No. 4 seeds have met in the Patriot League title game three times, with the No. 2 seed holding a 2–1 advantage. No. 4 Holy Cross fell to No. 2 Navy in the 2013 championship game, while No. 4 Lehigh became the first No. 4 seed to capture the Patriot League women’s basketball title with its victory in 2021.
2012–13 – Championship – No. 2 Navy 72, No. 4 Holy Cross 53
2020–21 – Championship – No. 4 Lehigh 64, No. 2 Boston University 54
2021–22 – Championship – No. 2 American 65, No. 4 Bucknell 54
Holy Cross Looks to Continue Dominance at the Hart Center
The Crusaders have posted a 13–3 record at the Hart Center this season, tying Navy for the most home victories. Holy Cross went 9–2 at home in League play, with its last home loss coming on Jan. 21 against Navy, and has since won seven straight at the Hart Center while entering the championship game on an eight-game winning streak dating back to a Feb. 7 road loss at Lehigh. The Crusaders are averaging 61.6 points per game at home in League play with a +12.2 scoring margin while shooting 42 percent from the field. Defensively, Holy Cross has been dominant at home, holding opponents to 49.5 points per game on 34 percent shooting while forcing 16.3 turnovers per game.
The Mountain Hawks Battle Through Injuries
After forfeiting to Navy on Jan. 17 due to an insufficient number of healthy players to safely compete, Lehigh battled through multiple games with limited roster availability to finish 11–7 in League play and earn the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament. The Mountain Hawks have had just one player, first-year guard Alana Reddy, appear in every game this season and feature four players averaging more than 30 minutes per game, led by junior guard Gracyn Lovette at 35.7 minutes per game, ranking 32
nd nationally. Despite frequent lineup changes, Lehigh owns the League’s second-best offense at 66.3 points per game and leads the League with 255 three-pointers made. The Mountain Hawks also place three scorers among the League’s top 15, with senior forward Lily Fandre ranking third (15.7 points per game), junior forward Whitney Lind ninth (13.7 ppg) and sophomore forward Belle Bramer 14th (12.0 ppg).
Holy Cross All-Patriot League Honorees
The Crusaders earned two Patriot League All-League selections, with senior forward Meg Cahalan named to the first team and senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan earning second-team honors.
Cahalan averaged 15.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the regular season while helping lead Holy Cross to the No. 2 seed, while Flanagan added 8.9 points per game and tied for third in the League with 4.0 assists per game, becoming the eighth player in Patriot League history to reach 500 career assists.
Junior guard Kendall Eddy was named to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team after ranking second in the League with 2.2 steals per game.
Lehigh All-Patriot League Honorees
The Mountain Hawks earned two Patriot League All-League selections, with senior forward Lily Fandre named to the first team and junior forward Whitney Lind earning third-team honors.
Fandre led the League in scoring at 16.6 points per game to pace Lehigh offensively, while Lind averaged 14.0 points per game to complement her in the frontcourt.
First-year forward Leia Edwards was named to the All-Rookie Team after averaging 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 15 appearances.
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