Women's Basketball Release - 1.5.16 

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- After action-packed and drama-filled games on Saturday, three teams are 2-0 in Patriot League play: Bucknell, Holy Cross, and Loyola Maryland. All ten teams will play twice this week and one of the three teams without a loss will have its win streak snapped. On the flip side, one of the three teams searching for its first win will find it. Catch all the action on the Patriot League Network as the League schedule begins to ramp up.

Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PL_WBB
* This week features four games on Wednesday and one on Thursday, while all ten teams will play Saturday.
* All ten contests this week can be seen on the Patriot League Network.
* Knocking off preseason favorite Army, Bucknell had three players score at least 20 points in the 79-69 home victory.
* Colleen Marshall led Loyola to a 66-65 win over Lafayette with a last second layup; it was featured on Sports Center Top 10.
* Holy Cross moved to 2-0 in League play with a 57-49 win at home over Navy.
* A 6-0 run in the fourth quarter against Colgate helped American earn its first double-digit win of the season, 49-37.
* Lehigh held off a late rally by Boston University to claim its first League win, 73-66.
* Three teams have yet to earn a win in League play but that will certainly change this weekend as Boston University plays both Navy and Lafayette -- at least one of the three will earn a W.

Patriot League Notebook

It’s Only the Beginning
Just two games into the Patriot League schedule and a lot has already happened. After preseason favorite Army West Point opened its PL schedule with a convincing 63-39 win over Lehigh at Christl Arena, Bucknell gave the Black Knights a run for their money and come away with a thrilling 79-69 home victory at Sojka Pavilion on Saturday. At the same time, Loyola Maryland senior Colleen Marshall led the Greyhounds to a 66-65 win over Lafayette with a last second layup and was featured on Sports Center Top 10. Holy Cross also moved to 2-0 with a 57-49 win over Navy. Both American and Lehigh earned its first wins of the slate, while Navy, Lafayette, and Boston University all dropped to 0-2. There’s been plenty of drama and excitement, and it’s only just the beginning.

The Patriot League Slate Continues
This week’s action features four games on Wednesday and one on Thursday, before all ten teams continue Patriot League play on Saturday. Holy Cross will play at Colgate to commence the day’s action, beginning at noon, while American will play at home for the first time against a League rival. The Eagles tipoff with Bucknell at 7 p.m. Lafayette and Lehigh also host night contests at 7 p.m. The Leopards will look to earn its first win against Army West Point, as the Mountain Hawks hope to add another W to their record when they welcome Loyola Maryland. On Thursday, Navy welcomes Boston University. One will claim its first win of the slate, as both currently sport an 0-2 mark.

Follow the Action on the Patriot League Network
Once again, the Patriot League will partner with Campus Insiders on the Patriot League Network, a streaming platform that will enable fans to watch League regular season and postseason events for free. With the exception of the contests on CBS Sports Network, all home games both in non-League and Patriot League play will feature free live streaming on PLN.

Coaches Reaching Milestones
Four different coaches across the Patriot League are approaching significant milestones. Navy head coach Stefanie Pemper is one triumph away from her 375th overall win as a head coach, while Army West Point head coach Dave Margarity needs eight more to reach 500 career victories overall. The newest coach in the League, Lafayette’s Theresa Grentz, is approaching 675 wins as a head coach of 34 years and needs two more to reach the mark. Holy Cross head coach Bill Gibbons, the longest tenured coach in the League, is in his 31st year at the helm and is two wins away from 575 career victories and one shy of his 250th Patriot League win.

Eight Players Score 20 Points or More in Second League Game
Once all ten team played its League openers and the stats were calculated and combined, five different players finished with at least 20 points. Now that the second game’s stats have been entered and combined, a total of eight players collected 20 points or more and another 18 reached double-digits. Of those eight that netted 20, only two were repeats from the previous week -- Holy Cross sophomore Infiniti Thomas-Waheed and Bucknell freshman Kaitlyn Slagus. Thomas-Waheed led the Crusaders in scoring both games, opening the season with 20 points then tallied 21 in her second game. Slagus, named this week’s Lids Team Sports Player and Rookie of the Week for her performance, posted 21 points in back-to-back games. Army West Point senior Kelsey Minato led all scoring with 35 points. Other players that reached the threshold includes Bucknell junior Claire DeBoer (22), Loyola Maryland senior Colleen Marshall (22), Lafayette junior Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby (21), Bucknell sophomore Jacquie Klotz (20), and American junior Lauren Crisler (20).

Patriot League Among NCAA Statistics
There a handful of players and teams that rank among the nation’s top in NCAA Division I. With her stellar performance against Lafayette to open to Patriot League season, Colgate senior Josie Stockill set an NCAA individual game-high of 13 blocks and also set a new Patriot League record. Currently, she leads the nation with 4.75 blocked shots per game and with 57 blocks this season. Stockill’s 13 blocks also helped the Raiders to an NCAA team game-high of 18 blocks, and as a team, Colgate is third with 7.0 blocked shots per game. Also ranked among the nation’s best from the Patriot League is Lehigh’s Lexi Martins, who is No. 1 in defensive rebounds per game (10), No. 3 in rebounds (187), and No. 2 in rebounds per game (14.4). There are several other players in the League as well as teams that are among the Nation’s Top 25 statistically, which can be found on the fifth page of the pdf document above.

Patriot League Championship, Army-Navy on CBS Sports Network
Both matchups between Army West Point and Navy this season are scheduled to air on CBS Sports Network, with the first of the two being played at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, January 23 at 11:30 a.m. as part of a double-header feature with the men’s teams. A second double-header featuring the Army West Point and Navy squads is on tap for Saturday, February 20, this time from Annapolis with the women tipping off at 11 a.m. CBS Sports Network will also televise the 2016 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championships, for the seventh year in a row, on Saturday, March 12 at 6 p.m.
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

American Sports Network to Carry Pair of Regular Season Games
American Sports Network will broadcast two women’s basketball contests, beginning with action between Holy Cross and Lehigh in Bethlehem , Pa. on Sunday, January 17 at 3 p.m. The ASN schedule concludes with the regular season as Bucknell visits Lafayette on Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m.
American Sports Network is a sports programming initiative of Sinclair Networks Group, a division of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. Sinclair’s television group reaches approximately 37.5% of US television households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, Univision and Azteca affiliates.

2016 Patriot League Tournament
The 2016 Patriot League Tournament, featuring all 10 teams playing at campus sites, begins with the first round on Saturday, March 5 (#10 seed plays at the #7 seed and the #9 seed visits the #8 seed) followed by the quarterfinals two days later (#1 overall seed hosting the 9/8 winner and the #5 seed playing at the #4 seed on one half of the bracket and the #2 seed at home against the 10/7 winner with the #6 seed at the #3 seed on the other side). The four remaining squads then move to on the semifinals and championship, which will be hosted by the highest-seeded semifinal team on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12. The first round and quarterfinal games will be shown on Patriot League Network as will the semifinals, while the championship game will be aired on CBS Sports Network. All Patriot League Tournament games will be played at the site of the higher seed.
More information can be found on the women’s basketball championship page, here.

Team Notebook

AMERICAN (3-10, 2-1) The Eagles claimed their first win of the Patriot League season and in 2016, defeating Colgate on the road Saturday at Cotterell Court, 49-37 … After only scoring seven points in the first quarter, American turned it up and tallied 13, 14, and 15 points, in order, to push ahead and earn the victory ... Junior Lauren Crisler notched a career-high 20 points to lead AU, finishing just shy of a double-double as she matched a career-high nine rebounds … Freshman Cecily Carl added nine points and a personal-best nine rebounds, while freshman Elina Koskimies also hauled in nine boards … Koskimies also had six points, while classmate Kaitlyn Lewis dished out a team-high six assists.

ARMY WEST POINT (10-2, 1-1) A single-digit second quarter was ultimately the determining factor as the Black Knight’s dropped just its second game of the season ... Army snapped a seven-game winning streak on Saturday when the team fell at Bucknell, 79-69 ... Both teams scored 18 points in the third quarter and 25 in the fourth ... Despite the loss, senior Kelsey Minato put on one of her best performances of the season, scoring 35 points for the Black Knights in addition to tallying five assists … Senior Aimee Oertner and sophomore Janae McNeal each chipped in 10 points and five rebounds, while senior Jean Parker led Army with 10 boards.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY (0-13, 0-2) The Terriers trailed the Mountain Hawks 59-41 going in to the fourth quarter and rallied to come within two points (68-66) with just 45 seconds left in regulation ... However, five straight points at the free throw line sealed the win for Lehigh, 73-66, at Case Gym ... Boston University scored 25 points in the fourth quarter ... Junior Sarah Hope was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, notching a team-best 18 points ... Sophomore Kara Sheftic was right behind with 15 points.

BUCKNELL (8-5, 2-0) An overall team effort by the Bison helped them earn their second win of the Patriot League season over preseason favorite, Army West Point, at home on Saturday, 79-69 … It’s the first time Bucknell is 2-0 to begin Patriot League play since the 2007-08 season … Three different players for scored 20 points or more, marking the first time three players reached 20 in a single game since 2000 … Junior Claire DeBoer led the Bison with 22 points, while freshman Kaitlyn Slagus and sophomore Jacquie Klotz tallied 21 and 20 points respectively … It was also the second-straight game that Slagus notched 21 points.

COLGATE (3-9, 1-1) After firing on all cylinders against Lafayette in the League opener, the Raiders were held to an overall field goal percentage of .180 at home versus American on Saturday and dropped their second League contest of the season, 49-37 ... Despite scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter, the rally wasn’t quite enough to earn a second win ... Senior Paige Kriftcher led Colgate with 13 points, while junior Katie Curtis was right behind with 12 … Senior Josie Stockill added 11 rebounds and seven blocks, while classmate Randyll Butler posted nine rebounds and four assists.

HOLY CROSS (5-8, 2-0) In front of a home crowd in the Hart Center on Saturday, the Crusaders came away with their second Patriot League victory of the season and first in 2016, after defeating the Mids 57-49 … Navy cut Holy Cross’ lead to one with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter, but sophomore Tricia Byrne sunk a trey at 3:08 and sparked a 12-5 run by the home team, leading them to victory … Byrne netted 10 of her career-high 13 points in the final 3:08 of the game … Classmate Infiniti Thomas-Waheed scored a game and career-high 21 points while senior Molly Hourigan posted her third career double-double with 10 points and a personal-best 17 rebounds.

LAFAYETTE (2-10, 0-2) After trailing 41-33 at the half, the Leopards made a ferocious fourth-quarter comeback, which featured four ties and two lead changes ... senior Jamie O’Hare sunk a free throw at the line with two seconds left for a 65-64 lead ... To the visitor’s dismay, the a last second layup gave the home team a 66-65 victory in Reitz Arena on Saturday ... Junior Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby had a stellar performance and led Lafayette with 21 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and made 7-of-8 free throws … O’Hare netted 17 of her own, while junior Ashley Lutz contributed a career-high 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds.

LEHIGH (8-5, 1-1) The Mountain Hawks held off the home team’s four-quarter rally and edged out Boston University on Saturday at Case Gym, 73-66 … Senior Elizabeth Jordan scored a career-high 17 points, hitting five three-pointers to help Lehigh to a 40-26 lead going into the break … Sophomore Quinci Mann followed with 16 points, while junior Lexi Martins recorded her tenth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

LOYOLA MARYLAND (5-8, 2-0) The Greyhounds held a 41-33 lead going into the break, only to have the Leopards chip away at the score and take a 65-64 lead with two seconds remaining in regulation ... Unfortunately for Lafayette, it was two seconds too many as graduate student Steph Smith inbounded a pass to senior Colleen Marshall who converted a layup with just one second on the clock to give Loyola Maryland a thrilling 66-65 victory over the Leopards at home in Reitz Arena on Saturday … The winning play was featured on Sports Center Top 10 ... Marshall finished with a game-high 22 points, while sophomore Bri Betz-White pitched in 13 … Junior Lisa Mirarchi tied a career-high eight assists and senior Jeneh Perry led Loyola with seven rebounds ... With the win, the Greyhounds start Patriot League play 2-0 for the first time since joining in 2013.

NAVY (6-7, 0-2) The Mids were held by Holy Cross to a .290 shooting clip in the first half but chipped their way to come within one, 45-44, with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter ... However, a converted basket from downtown sparked a 12-5 run by the Crusaders, who went on to win 57-49 at home in the Hart Center ... Junior Ashanti Kennedy led the team with 18 points while fellow junior Sarita Condie followed with 13 of her own ... Senior Peri Curtis grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds and also contributed three assists.