Women's Basketball Release 1.8.16 

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- Action continues to heat up in Patriot League play, as Saturday will see one of the two remaining undefeated teams (in League play) fall when Bucknell (9-5, 3-0 PL) and Holy Cross (6-8, 3-0 PL) battle at the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass. On the flip side, Saturday will also provide the first win for either Boston University (0-14, 0-3 PL) or Lafayette (2-22, 0-3 PL) as the two take the court in the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa. All ten teams will play on Saturday with all five games airing live on the Patriot League Network for free.

Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PL_WBB
* All ten teams will be in action on Saturday and can be seen on the Patriot League Network.
* Army senior Kelsey Minato was NCAA Women’s Basketball Wednesday’s top performance for her 30 pts., 7 reb., 7 ast. in the Black Knight’s 78-45 win over Lafayette.
* Lehigh defeated Loyola 66-48 on Wednesday to leave Bucknell & Holy Cross as the last undefeated teams at 3-0. However, that will change as the two teams play each other on Saturday at 1 p.m.
* Navy defeated Boston U. 67-56 on Thursday, earning its first League win of the season.
* Both Boston U. and Lafayette have yet to capture a win in League play, but one will earn its first as the pair face off on Saturday in Easton at 2 p.m.
* Navy sophomore Taylor Dunham scored 12 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter against Boston U.
* Both Army and Navy sunk nine three-pointers during its respective third game of the Patriot League slate.

Patriot League Notebook
Holy Cross Hosts Bucknell in Clash of 3-0 Teams
What better way to celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day than to play a League opponent for first place. The battle for the top spot between Bucknell and Holy Cross begins on Saturday at 1 p.m. and marks the 60th meeting between the two teams. The Crusaders own a 43-16 advantage in the all-time series and boasts a 26-5 record against the Bison at the Hart Center, winning six of the last seven played there. After the victor emerges, Holy Cross will celebrate NGWSD by signing autographs for fans in attendance.

More Patriot League Action on Saturday
All ten teams will be in action this weekend, as the race to the top continues. It will be an exciting weekend as the two remaining teams with unblemished 3-0 records play, as do the two teams with 0-3 marks. In the match up of the two undefeated teams, Bucknell heads to Worcester, Mass. to play Holy Cross and kick off the day’s schedule at 1 p.m. Army West Point will also host a 1 p.m. tipoff, welcoming Loyola Maryland to Christl Arena. Lehigh will look to even out its record as American comes to town at 2 p.m. At the same time just across town in Easton, Lafayette and Boston University will battle at the Kirby Sports Center, knowing one will walk away with its first win of the PL slate. The day’s action wraps up in Annapolis, Md., as the Mids remain at home for their second-straight contest in Alumni Hall to welcome Colgate at 4 p.m. If you can’t catch any of the games in person, you can watch the action for free on the Patriot League Network, as all five games will be streamed live.

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
Holy Cross’ 80-71 win over Colgate on Thursday not only moved the team to 3-0 but meant that head coach Bill Gibbons, the longest tenured coach in the League, tallied his 250th Patriot League victory during his 31 years at the helm of the program. Gibbons is also now just one win shy of 575 career victories. A day later, Navy head Coach Stefanie Pemper led her team to a 67-56 victory over Boston University and captured her 375th career win, in 18 years as a head coach, and 140th as the Mids’ head coach of eight years. Army West Point head coach Dave Magarity is on his way to 500 overall career wins and needs seven more to reach the milestone, while 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.

27 Players Net Double-Digit Points in Third Game of Patriot League Slate
Of the three Patriot League games each team has played so far this season, 27 is the most amount of players that have reached double figures in points across the League. Of those 27, four reached at least 20. Army’s Kelsey Minato totaled the most for a second-straight game, collecting 30 points for her second consecutive 30 pt. contest -- she netted 35 in Army’s second game against Bucknell. Navy’s Taylor Dunham finished with the second most across the League, scoring 26. The pair also sunk the most treys, with Minato downing five and Dunham hitting four. Bucknell’s Claire DeBoer and Boston University’s Kara Sheftic tallied the next most, notching 22 and 20 points respectively. Three players -- Army’s Aimee Oertner, Colgate’s Josie Stockill, Holy Cross’ Infiniti Thomas-Waheed -- were each one point away, netting 19, while Boston University’s Meghan Green and Holy Cross’ Lisa Mifsud were two away with 18 points each.

Patriot League Among NCAA Statistics
There a handful of players and teams that rank among the nation’s top in NCAA Division I. Colgate senior Josie Stockill set an NCAA individual game-high of 13 blocks and also set a new Patriot League record during the opening game of the Patriot League season at Lafayette. Currently, she leads the nation with 4.38 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 6.8 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. 2 in rebounds (205), and No. 2 in rebounds per game (14.6). 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 this document.

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 (3-11, 1-2) The Eagles came back from a 13-point deficit in the second period and went into the break with a 33-32 lead over the Bison ... They then extended it to 47-44 after the third … However, Bucknell rallied in the fourth, and defeated AU 66-60 at Bender Arena on Wednesday … Sophomore Emily Kenneston posted 15 points for the Eagles, while freshman Cecily Carly chipped in 12, and sophomore Maria Liddane contributed 11 of her own … Liddane also had five assists and five steals.

ARMY WEST POINT (11-2, 2-1) After a slow start in the scoring department for both teams, the Black Knights really put the pedal to the metal in the second half, opening up the scoring and eventually defeating the Leopards at Kirby Sports Center on Wednesday, 78-45 … Army scored 18 and 15 points in the first two periods, then went on to score 25 and 20 in the next two ... A Kelsey Minato basket at 5:24 sparked a 12-3 run to the end of the first quarter and the Black Knights never trailed again … Minato finished with her second 30-point game in a row, netting exactly 30 points … Senior Pennsylvania-native Aimee Oertner finished with a career-high-tying 19 points and posted a career-best seven blocks.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY (0-14, 0-3) The Terriers trailed 42-32 at the end of the third quarter against the Mids but cut the deficit to five early in the fourth period ... A good layup by sophomore Kara Sheftic and three-straight baskets from long range -- one from junior Meghan Green and then two from junior Sarah Hope -- made the score 45-40 ... However, Navy’s Taylor Dunham hit a trey of her own and helped the Mids stay out in front the remainder of the way ... BU dropped its first road League contest 67-56 on Thursday at Alumni Hall ... Sheftic led the Terriers, posting her first double-double with a personal best 20 points and career-high 12 boards ... She was 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line ... Green also reached double figures, scoring 18.

BUCKNELL (9-5, 3-0) After giving up a second-quarter 13-point lead, the Bison rallied in the fourth period, thanks in large part to junior Claire DeBoer ... The junior scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the final period alone and Bucknell went on to defeat AU 66-60 at Bender Arena on Wednesday ... The Bison are 3-0 in League play for the first time since 2006-07 … Two other players saw double figures behind DeBoer – sophomore Jacquie Klotz pitched in 15 while freshman Kaitlyn Slagus netted 12 … The trio also led the team in rebounds, as Klotz hauled in eight while Slagus grabbed six and DeBoer nabbed five.

COLGATE (3-10, 1-2) With 3:41 left in the fourth quarter, the Raiders held a slight lead at 67-66 on Wednesday night ... However, the Crusaders took over on the next possession and eventually defeated Colgate at Cotterell Court, 80-71 … The Raiders were led by senior Josie Stockill (19 pts.), classmate Paige Kriftcher (17 pts.), and sophomore Kateri Stone (17 pts.) … Kriftcher also recorded seven assists as did senior Randyll Butler, who also posted a career-high 15 rebounds.

HOLY CROSS (6-8, 3-0) With 3:41 left in the fourth quarter, the Raiders held a slight lead at 67-66 on Wednesday night at Cotterell Court ... The lead was short lived, though, as the Crusaders took over on the next possession, after senior Lisa Misfud knocked down a three-pointer … Shortly after, Misfud converted a layup that put Holy Cross ahead 73-69 – a four-point lead they wouldn’t give up the rest of the way – which led to an eventual 80-71 win over Colgate and a 3-0 mark in League play for the third time in the last 11 seasons … The victory also marked the 250th career-League win for head coach Bill Gibbons ... Four Crusaders reached double-digit points and were led by sophomore Infiniti Thomas-Waheed, who netted 19 and also grabbed eight rebounds … Mifsud (18), senior Molly Hourigan (16), and sophomore Tricia Byrne (12) also reached double figures … Hourigan also tied a career-best eight blocks.

LAFAYETTE (2-11, 0-3) After a slow start, freshman Alex Cantwell put the Leopards on the board first with a jumper at 7:56 and then knotted the score at 4-4 with 5:39 on the clock … However, a Kelsey Minato basket at 5:24 sparked a 12-3 run by the Black Knights and a lead they would not give up the rest of the way ... Army defeat Lafayette at Kirby Sports Center on Wednesday, 78-45 ... Cantwell led the Leopards with 11 points, while senior Jamie O’Hare and junior Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby each pitched in 10.

LEHIGH (9-5, 2-1) After the Greyhounds got on the board first, senior Kerry Kinek tied the score shortly after while a layup from junior Lexi Martins put the Mountain Hawks ahead, 4-2 … It was an early lead that Lehigh never looked back from, as the home team went on to defeat Loyola Maryland 66-48 on Wednesday inside Stabler Arena … Martins posted her 11th double-double of the season with 17 points and 18 rebounds, while Kinek recorded her fourth with 16 points and 10 boards, shooting an impressive 8-for-10 from the field … Sophomore Quinci Mann also saw double figures, pitching in 10 points.

LOYOLA MARYLAND (5-9, 2-1) The Greyhounds were on the board first from a Lisa Mirarchi basket just under 30 seconds into the game ... However, the Mountain Hawks took an early lead they would never give up and handed Loyola Maryland its first loss in League play inside Stabler Arena on Wednesday night, 66-48 … Senior Colleen Marshall led the Greyhounds with 16 points and four rebounds, while three players scored seven points: Steph Smith, Jeneh Perry, and Diana Logan.

NAVY (7-7, 1-2) The Mids were off and running, after a bit of a back-and-forth battle with Boston University to start Thursday night’s game, going on a 14-2 scoring run to end the first quarter with a 20-8 advantage over the Terriers ... Despite a bit of a lull in the third period, Navy’s hot shooting paved the way for a 67-56 win over BU Thursday night in Alumni Hall, it’s first win against a League opponent this season ... The Mids scored 37 of their 67 total points in the first half alone, which was the most in any first half so far this season ... Sophomore Taylor Dunham posted a game-high 26 points, with 12 of them coming in the final 7:09 minutes of the game ... Dunham also posted four assists and four rebounds ... Junior Sarita Condie also reached double figures in scoring with 11 points and she led the team with five rebounds ... As a team, Navy posted a .577 shooting clip (15-of-26) and finished the game at .500 (24-of-48).