Feb. 9, 2015

Patriot League Women's Basketball Release - 2.9.15 

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Lehigh and American played an overtime thriller won by the Eagles when the two teams met last month at Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks will get another crack at the Patriot League leaders on Wednesday in one of five 7 p.m. contests.

Other matchups include Army at Holy Cross, Boston University at Colgate, Navy at Bucknell and Loyola Maryland at Lafayette. All five games will be available on the Patriot League Network.

Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PL_WBB

*Army and Lehigh kept pace with first place American with wins on Saturday; Boston U. and Holy Cross also won.
*American (15-8, 10-2) completed a season sweep of Colgate with a 75-46 win over the Raiders at Bender Arena.
*Army (17-5, 9-3) avenged a home loss to Navy with a 58-46 win Saturday at Alumni Hall in the annual Star Game.
*Lehigh (16-6, 8-4) led wire-to-wire in a 75-61 victory over Loyola Maryland to gain a season split with the Greyhounds.
*Navy (13-10, 7-5) fell into a fourth place tie with Holy Cross following a 58-46 loss to rival Army.
*Holy Cross (11-14, 7-5) completed the season sweep over Bucknell with a 69-61 victory over the Bison at the Hart Center.
*Bucknell (14-9, 6-6) lost 69-61 at Holy Cross despite a career game (20 points, 13 rebounds) from freshman Jacquie Klotz.
*Lafayette (11-12, 4-8) lost for the sixth time in seven outings following a 56-49 setback at Boston University.
*Loyola (6-17, 4-8) had to settle for a season split with Lehigh gollowing a 75-61 loss to the Mountain Hawks at Stabler Arena.
*Colgate (4-19, 3-9) shot a season-low 21.7 percent in a 75-46 loss Saturday at first-place American.
*Boston University (5-18, 2-10) rallied from a 13-point first half deficit to beat Lafayette 56-49 for its second PL win.

Patriot League Weekly Awards (2.2-2.8)

Holy Cross junior forward Raquel Scott and Bucknell freshman guard Jacquie Klotz, were named the Lids Team Sports Patriot League Women's Basketball weekly award winners for their performances in games from Feb. 2-Feb. 8.

Scott averaged 27.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in the Crusaders Patriot League wins over Colgate and Bucknell. The Ridgewood, N.J. native shot nearly 53-percent from the floor and made 3-of-5 attempts from behind the arc. This is the third weekly award for Scott this season and fourth all-time.

Klotz averaged 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists as Bucknell split contests with Holy Cross and Lafayette. This is the first Lids Team Sports Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor for the West Windsor, N.J. native.

Honorable mention status for the week ending Feb. 8 goes to Army senior Olivia Schretzman, American junior Michelle Holmes and Lehigh sophomore Lexi Martins.

Lids Team Sports Player of the Week
RAQUEL SCOTT, HOLY CROSS Jr., F, 6-0; Ridgewood, N.J.
Scott had another standout week for the Crusaders in wins over Bucknell and Colgate, averaging 27.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. The junior matched a career high with 31 points against the Raiders and set a personal mark with 17 rebounds in a 68-62 win. Scott followed that up with a 24-point, eight rebound effort in as Holy Cross completed a season sweep of the Bison with a 69-61 victory. Scott made 18-of-34 shots from the field (52.9%) and 16-of-21 free throws (76.2%).

Lids Team Sports Rookie of the Week
JACQUIE KLOTZ, BUCKNELL Fr., G, 6-0; West Windsor, N.J.
Klotz averaged 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and had a breakout game in the Bucknell's loss at Holy Cross with career highs in points (20) and rebounds (13) for her first career double-double. The West Windsor, N.J. native shot 55% from the field for the week, including 50% (5-of-10) from behind the arc, and also handed out four assists.

Honorable Mention

OLIVIA SCHRETZMAN, ARMY Sr., F, 6-1; Dayton, Ohio
Schretzman averaged 17.5 and 8.5 rebounds on 58.3% shooting from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line in the Black Knights 2-0 week.

MICHELLE HOLMES, AMERICAN Jr., F, 6-1; Toledo, Ohio
Holmes had back-to-back double-doubles as American defeated Loyola (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Colgate (13 points, 11 rebounds).

LEXI MARTINS, LEHIGH So., F, 6-0; Irvington, N.Y.
Martins shot 62.5% from the field and averaged 15.5 points, 8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in a 1-1 week for the Mountain Hawks.

Patriot League Notebook

Boston University Snaps Losing Skid with Home Victory
Boston University used a 15-0 run in the second half to erase a double-digit deficit and earn its second Patriot League win of the season with a 56-49 win over Lafayette at Case Gym. Three other home teams won on Saturday as Holy Cross posted its first Patriot League win of the season at the Hart Center by downing Bucknell 69-61, American maintained its one-game lead in the Patriot League standings with a 75-46 victory over Colgate and Lehigh led wire-to-wire in a 75-61 win against Loyola Maryland. Army was the only road team to emerge victorious over the weekend, winning its eighth in a row with a 58-46 victory at rival Army.

Lehigh-American, Part Deux
Lehigh and American played an overtime thriller at Stabler Arena in mid-January, in a game eventually won 75-73 by the Eagles. Round two will take place on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. as the Mountain Hawks try to make up ground on the Patriot League leaders. In other 7 p.m. contests, surging Holy Cross hosts red-hot Army, Bucknell returns home to host Navy, Boston U. travels to Colgate and Loyola plays its second straight game in Pennsylvania when they take on Lafayette.

Audrey Dotson, Jen Dumiak Named to Academic All-District Team
American University graduate student Jen Dumiak and Bucknell senior Audrey Dotson each earned a spot on the Capital One Women's Basketball Academic All-District Teams announced on Thursday. Dumiak and Dotson were each selected in District 2, which encompasses schools from the states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia in addition to the District of Columbia. The pair advances to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

Follow the Action on 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.

Lehigh's Lexi Martins a Double-Double Machine
After a 21-point, 10 rebound effort in Lehigh's 75-61 win over Loyola Maryland on Saturday, Lexi Martins is in the top 10 nationally with 15 double-doubles on the season. Holy Cross' Raquel Scott also can be found in the top 30 with 10 on the season, despite missing three games at the outset of the season. American's Jen Dumiak is currently third in free-throw percentage at 92.5% (111-for-120) and Army's Kelsey Minato is 13th at 89.3% (100-for-112). A list of Patriot League players and teams who appear in the top 100 can be found on page 8 of this release.

Raquel Scott is Latest Patriot League Player to Reach 1,000 Point Milestone
Holy Cross junior forward Raquel Scott accelerated her assault on the Holy Cross record book last week as she netted her second consecutive 31-point outing in a 68-62 win over Colgate. The 62 points over two games propeled her past the 1,000 point mark to become the 31st Crusader and 12th Holy Cross junior to reach the milestone. Scott did much more than score in the win over the Raiders as she also grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds and handed out five assists. She became the fourth Patriot League player to join the 1,000 point club this season after American senior Jen Dumiak, Bucknell senior Audrey Dotson and Lehigh junior Kerry Kinek accomplished the feat in December.

Bucknell's Dotson, Lafayette's Homan Named Candidates for Senior Class Award
Bucknell senior forward Audrey Dotson and Lafayette senior forward Emily Homan are among thirty NCAA women's basketball student-athletes named as candidates for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award, Premier Sports Management announced earlier this month. The award recognizes collegiate women's basketball players who excel both on and off the court and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. The 30 candidates will be reduced to 10 finalists later in the regular season and the Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2015 NCAA NCAA Women's Final Four.

Defending Champion Army Picked to Repeat in Patriot League
Army wasn't picked to win the 2014 Patriot League Tournament title, but when the dust settled it was the Black Knights who were advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Black Knights were tabbed to repeat as champion in the preseason poll of League coaches and SIDs who are not eligible to rank their own team. They totaled 159 points to come in front of second-place American, which totaled 132 points and one first-place vote. Bucknell and Holy Cross were tied for the third spot at 123 points, with the Bison receiving two first place votes. They are followed by Lehigh (88), Navy (85), Lafayette (70), Colgate (47), Boston University (39) and Loyola Maryland (34). The Mids, who finished as the regular season champion last season, received the remaining first place vote.

Patriot League Championship, Army-Bucknell on CBS Sports Network
The Patriot League Men's Womens Basketball Championship will be televised on CBS Sports Network again this season on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. Also, the Feb. 15 regular season contest pitting defending Patriot League Champion Army against Bucknell will also be carried live by CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. The Patriot League enters into its 12th straight year in partnership with CBS Sports Network. CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) is the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports. It is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers on Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DIRECTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158.

American Sports Network Carries Pair of Regular Season Games
The American Sports Network (ASN) broadcast a pair Patriot League regular season women's basketball games in January. The Lafayette at Lehigh meeting at 1 p.m. on Sun., Jan. 25 and the Navy at American matchup at 8 p.m. on Tue., Jan. 27 were carried on Sinclair Broadcast Group's affiliates in select regions of the country. ASN launched in July and has entered into comprehensive sports rights agreements with a number of NCAA Division I conferences, including the Patriot League. In addition to women's basketball, ASN has produced content for Patriot League men's basketball, football and men and women's soccer during the 2014-15 season.

2015 Patriot League Tournament
The 2015 Patriot League Tournament, featuring all 10 schools, begins with the first round on Wednesday, March 4 followed by the quarterfinals two days later. The semifinals will be played on Monday, March 9, with the Patriot League Championship held on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. The first round, quarterfinal and semifinal games will be shown on Patriot League Network, with the championship on CBS Sports Network. All Patriot League Tournament games will be played at the site of the higher seed.

Team Notebooks

AMERICAN Junior forward Michelle Holmes and senior guard Jen Dumiak led a balanced Eagles attack with 13 points apiece as all 11 players found their way into the scoring column in a 75-46 win over Colgate. The Eagles started the game on an 11-0 run and cruised to their second-largest margin of victory on the season ... American held the Raiders to just 21.7 percent shooting, the lowest by an AU opponent this season ... Freshman guard Emily Kinneston made her second consecutive start for the Eagles and responded with eight points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and recording a career-high-tying six rebounds and a career-high two assists ... Freshman guard Kate Bond scored eight points off the bench for the Eagles, more than doubling her offensive output for the season.

ARMY Only five players found the scoring column for the Black Knights in a mid-January loss to rival Navy, but eight players made the books the second time around as Army defeated the Mids 58-46 for their third consecutive Star Trophy. Junior guard Kelsey Minato led the visitors with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while senior Olivia Schretzman continued her strong play of late with 16 points and six rebounds ... The Black Knights have won eight in a row since the setback to Navy on Jan. 10, the longest winning streak since they won 12 in a row during the 2006-07 season ... The all-time series between Army and Navy is know knotted at 32-all with the Black Knights holding a 20-14 advantage in Star games ... Schretzman averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in Army's wins over Lehigh and Navy last week.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY The Terriers shot 58.3 from the field in the second half and rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat Lafayette 56-49. The win snapped Boston University's six-game losing streak and gave them their second Patriot League win of the season. Freshman guard Corrine Williams posted career highs in points (12), rebounds (8) and steals (3) against the Leopards while McKendrick led the team with 16 points, 13 of which came in the second half, and 11 rebounds ... Junior guard Troi Melton had a pair of baskets during a 15-0 Terriers run in the second half that turned a 27-17 deficit into a 32-27 lead. All 10 of Melton's points came in the second half ... Freshman forward Erin Bayram saw her first minutes in nine contests and finished with a career-high four points and five rebounds.

BUCKNELL Despite a career-high 20 points and 13 rebounds from freshman guard Jacquie Klotz, the Bison suffered a 69-61 setback at Holy Cross. Bucknell led by seven with 4-1/2 minutes remaining in the first half, but allowed the host to finish on an 11-0 run to take a halftime lead. The Bison cut the deficit to two points on several occasions, but never tied the score or regained the lead. Senior forward Audrey Dotson scored 15 points for the visitors ... Klotz was 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. She registered 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half alone ... Sophomore guard Megan McGurk tallied five assists and has 17 over the past four games ... The Bison play two straight at Sojka Pavilion after playing three of four on the road.

COLGATE The Raiders shot a season-low 21.7 percent and suffered its second worst loss of the season in a 75-46 setback at American. Only a 66-35 loss at nationally-ranked Georgia in late November resulted in a larger deficit. Senior forward Carole Harris led Colgate with 11 points and also had six rebounds while senior guard Mariah Jones netted 10 points ... Jones, who hails from nearby Silver Spring, Md., had a nice local contingent on hand in one of her final opportunities to play in front of hometown friends and family ... Senior guard Missy Repoli had connected on 20 straight free throws before missing an attempt in the second half at American ... Junior guard Randyll Butler led Colgate with eight rebounds. It was the seventh time she has led the Raiders this season.

HOLY CROSS The Crusaders won for a Patriot League game at the Hart Center for the first time this season, completing a season-sweep of Bucknell with a 69-61 victory. Juniors Raquel Scott and Lisa Mifsud scored 24 and 17 points, respectively, as Holy Cross won for the fifth time in their last six games and moved into a tie with Navy for fourth place in the Patriot League standings ... The Crusaders erased an early deficit with an 11-0 run to finish the first half and never relinquished the lead ... Freshman guards Katie Doherty and Infiniti Thomas-Waheed played the role of facilitators in the win over the Bison as Dougherty handed out a career-high five assists and Thomas-Waheed added four helpers ... Holy Cross connected on 50-percent (7-of-14) from behind the arc.

LAFAYETTE The Leopards were down to eight healthy players for a road game at Boston University and the lack of depth was evident as the visitors let a double-digit second half lead slip away in a 56-47 setback to the Terriers. Senior guard Linnel Macklin led Lafayette with 12 points and sophomore forward Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby tallied nine points and eight rebounds ... Lafayette played without its two leading scorers in senior forward Emily Homan and junior guard Jamie O'Hare ... Freshman guard Sammy Stipa made her first career start for the Leopards ... After starting the season with a 3-2 mark in League play, Lafayette has lost six of seven to fall into a tie for seventh place in the standings with Loyola Maryland. The Leopards have two straight home games before finishing with three of four on the road.

LEHIGH The Mountain Hawks avenged a January loss to Loyola Maryland by leading wire-to-wire in a 75-61 home victory over the Greyhounds. Sophomore Lexi Martins recorded her 15th double-double of the season with a game-high 21 points and ten rebounds for Lehigh and senior Katie O'Reilly had a strong all-around game with 16 points, a career-high eight steals, six rebounds and three assists ... Lehigh dominated the small Greyhounds in the post, scoring 44 of 75 points in the paint and outrebounding the visitors 42-33 ... The Mountain Hawks have won four of five heading into Wednesday's contest at first place American. The Eagles outlasted Lehigh 75-73 in overtime in mid-January.

LOYOLA MARYLAND The Greyhounds outscored Lehigh by two over the final 20 minutes but couldn't dig out of a first half hole in a 75-61 setback at Stabler Arena. Junior forward Jeneh Perry led Loyola with 12 points and seven rebounds, while classmate Colleen Marshall recorded five steals ... The Greyhounds made 12-of-14 free throws (85.7%) including 4-for-4 from guard Kara Marshall who finished with nine points ... Loyola Maryland trimmed a 16-point halftime deficit to nine on back-to-back three-point field goals by freshman Carly Monzo and senior Nai Brown with 14:25 remaining but could draw no closer. Lehigh responded with a 12-0 run to extend the lead to 21 ... After a trip to Easton, Pa. to face Lafayette, the Greyounds play three of their next four games at Reitz Arena.

NAVY Despite going 8-for-11 on three-point field goals, the Mids couldn't contain the inside-outside attack of Army's Kelsey Minato and Olivia Schretzman in a 58-46 loss on Saturday at Alumni Hall. Sophomore Justice Swett was 3-for-3 from behind the arc and led Navy with 13 points, while classmate Sarita Condie and freshman Marina Muenster each netted 10 points ... The Mids took a 16-11 lead midway through the first half but then endured a nine minute stretch without a field goal that allowed the visitors to grab the lead. The Black Knights pulled away from a back-and-forth game over the final 10 minutes of the contest to win their third consecutive Star Game.