BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Holy Cross Crusaders claimed their 14th Patriot League Women’s Basketball title, marking their third in four years after defeating the Mountain Hawks, 77-70, on Sunday afternoon.

Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan paced the Crusaders with 16 points and nine assists to earn Patriot League Championship MVP honors. All five Holy Cross starters scored in double figures, with senior forward Meg Cahalan also scoring 16 points to join Flanagan on the All-Tournament Team.

Lehigh sophomore forward Belle Bramer led the Mountain Hawks with 24 points, connecting on three 3-pointers. First-year forward Leia Edwards recorded her second consecutive double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, as Bramer and Edwards earned All-Tournament Team selections.

Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team after averaging 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game in two games for the top-seeded Mids.

The Crusaders will learn their postseason seed and destination on Sunday, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET when the Field of 68 is revealed during the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship selection show on ESPN.

2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship MVP – Kaitlyn Flanagan, Holy Cross, Sr., G

2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball All-Tournament Team
Kaitlyn Flanagan, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Meg Cahalan, Holy Cross, Sr., F
Belle Bramer, Lehigh, So., F
Leia Edwards, Lehigh, Fy., F
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Jr., G
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	Holy Cross, 77-70

 
AT NO. 2 HOLY CROSS (23-9, 14-4 PL) 77, NO. 4 LEHIGH (17-14, 11-7 PL) 70
Hart Center/Worcester, Mass.                                   Noon (CBSSN)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross Crusaders defeated Lehigh, 77-70, to earn the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship title.
*The teams traded baskets early in the first quarter, as a midrange jumper from senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan gave the Crusaders an 8-6 lead with five minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
*Holy Cross extended its advantage to 17-11 after closing the first quarter on an 8-2 run, fueled by 10 offensive rebounds in the period.
*The Crusaders remained efficient in the second quarter, opening on a 6-0 run to build a 23-11 lead with seven minutes remaining in the half.
*After trailing 32-20, the Mountain Hawks closed the first half on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 32-27 at halftime.
*Lehigh carried the momentum into the third quarter, taking its first lead since the opening minutes at 35-34 with seven minutes remaining.
*Holy Cross immediately responded, regaining a 40-35 lead after senior forward Meg Cahalan converted an and-one opportunity and Flanagan finished a contested fast-break layup.
*The Crusaders continued to control the tempo, but Lehigh first-year forward Leia Edwards hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to trim the deficit to 54-48 at the end of the third quarter.
*Holy Cross pushed its lead to 65-56 with five minutes remaining, following back-to-back baskets and key defensive stops.
*After a two-minute scoring drought, senior forward Simone Foreman ended the run with a contested driving layup to give the Crusaders a 67-56 lead with 2:11 remaining.
*The Crusaders converted their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory and secure their third Patriot League title in four years.
*Flanagan led the Crusader offense with 16 points and nine assists, while Foreman added 16 points. Cahalan scored 16 points, senior forward Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly netted 12 points and junior guard Kendall Eddy contributed 10 points.
*Sophomore forward Belle Bramer led the Mountain Hawks with 24 points, while first-year forward Leia Edwards notched another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
RECAPS: LEHIGH | 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.