Women's Basketball Release 2.23.16 

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- Just three games remain in the regular season and will determine the seeding for the Patriot League Tournament, as the top six teams have been established. Army West Point and Bucknell have already secured home games in the quarter finals, and Lehigh, Holy Cross, Navy, and Loyola Maryland will all vie for the remaining two home games. Lafayette, American, Boston University, and Colgate will begin the tournament in the first round on Saturday, March 5.

Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PL_WBB
* All ten teams will be in action on Wednesday and can be watched on the Patriot League network.
* Bucknell’s Jacquie Klotz earned her fifth Player of the Week award, tying Army’s Kelsey Minato for the most this season.
* Loyola’s 55-38 win over Colgate on Sunday marked the first victory on Women In Sports Day since the 2009-10 season.
* Army completed the season sweep over rival Navy on Saturday with a 49-34 win in Annapolis.
* Despite a 59-50 loss to Holy Cross, American’s Lauren Crisler posted her second straight double-double.
* Bucknell reached 20 wins for the first time since the 2006-07 season with a 72-59 win at Boston U.
* Lehigh earned its first season sweep of crosstown rival Lafayette, since the 2011-12 season, in Easton on Saturday, 80-65.
* Bucknell sophomore Jacquie Klotz and Army senior Kelsey Minato ranked in the NCAA DI top four in 3FG percentage.
* Lafayette, American, Boston U., and Colgate will all play in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament.
* Army senior Kelsey Minato was named one of ten finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.

Patriot League Notebook

Top Six Quarterfinal Teams Determined Over Weekend
When the dust settled after this past weekend’s games, the top six teams that will receive a first round bye into the quarterfinal games of the Patriot League Tournament were determined: Army West Point, Bucknell, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Navy, and Loyola Maryland. While the seedings will be decided over the course of the final three games for all ten teams, Lafayette, American, Boston U. and Colgate will be the four teams playing in the first round of the tournament on Saturday, March 5. The Black Knights and Bison remain tied atop of the standings with a 14-1 record and have clinched home games in the quarterfinal round. The Mountain Hawks and Crusaders sit tied at 9-6, while the Mids and Greyhounds are right behind and tied at 8-7.

Just Three More Games Left in the Patriot League Regular Season
With a unique anomaly coming up in the Patriot League regular season schedule, all ten teams will face the same opponent twice during the final three games, beginning Wednesday. The pairs yet to see each other include Army West Point (14-1) & Boston University (3-12); Bucknell (14-1) & Lafayette (4-11); Lehigh (9-6) & Colgate (2-13); Holy Cross (9-6) & Loyola Maryland (8-7); Navy (8-7) & American (4-11). The contests between the Crusaders and Greyhounds are shaping up to be the main attractions in the coming final week. Though, each of the remaining games for all the teams mean equally a much as the seeding has yet to be determined for any of the squads. All ten teams will compete on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and then will see each other for the final game of the regular season.

Minato and Klotz in NCAA DI Top Four Three-Point Percentage
For the first time in the statistical category this season, two Patriot League players rank among the NCAA Division I top four in three-point field-goal percentage. Army West Point senior Kelsey Minato boasts the nation’s second best average from beyond the arc at 48.1% (76-of-158), while Bucknell sophomore Jacquie Klotz isn’t far behind in fourth at 46.5% (60-of129). Minato set a League best eight treys made, back on Dec. 8, when the Black Knights played at St. Francis Brooklyn; it was her first game of the season reaching 30 points. Klotz posted one of the best games of her career against Colgate on Feb. 13 when she went a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor, including a 5-for-5 mark from long range. Klotz has made five three-pointers in five different games this season, while Minato netted at least five treys in six contests this year. The senior and the sophomore also lead their respective teams in scoring.

Looking to Join 1,000 Point Club
The Patriot League welcomed Bucknell junior Claire DeBoer to the 1,000 point club when she reached 1,001 career points with her first basket against Colgate at Sojka Pavilion on Feb. 13. She entered the game with 999 career points, after scoring 15 in the Bison’s win over Lehigh on Feb. 10, and reached the accomplishment with a layup with 1:54 left in the first quarter to give Bucknell a 20-8 lead over the Raiders. DeBoer is the 22nd player in program history to achieve the scoring milestone and third player in the Patriot League to accomplish the feat this season. Before DeBoer, Holy Cross senior Lisa Mifsud tallied exactly 1,000 career points with a trey at the 4:07 mark in the fourth quarter against Bucknell on Feb. 6. She was the second senior in the League to reach the milestone, as Lafayette senior Jamie O’Hare joined the club on January 9, when the Leopards defeated Boston University 71-56 at the Kirby Sports Center. With three more games left in the Patriot League regular season, two other players are inching closer towards the mark and will look to attain it over the course of the remaining games. Colgate senior Josie Stockill looks to be the next player, as she is just four points away with 996 career points. Lehigh junior Lexi Martins, who hit exactly 800 career rebounds with 15 against Holy Cross on Feb. 13, is also approaching the 1,000 career-point mark with 968 points. Stockill, and Martins will become the 97th and 98th Patriot League women’s basketball players, respectively, to join the 1,000 point club if they reach the mark this season.

Army’s Kelsey Minato on Pace to Set Patriot League Scoring Record
Army West Point’s senior All-America candidate Kelsey Minato became the Academy’s all-time scoring leader on Wednesday, Feb. 10 against Colgate when she buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 27 seconds on the clock in the third quarter. She surpassed Kevin Houston’s (USMA’87) record of 2,325 and finished with 29 points to bring her career total to 2,336. Earlier in the season, Minato also became the first women’s basketball player at West Point to reach 2,000 career points. The senior guard now has 2,392 career points and is just 71 points away from breaking the women’s basketball Patriot League scoring record of 2,462 points -- held by Bucknell’s Molly Creamer (1999-03). Minato is currently averaging 23.2 points per game and is mathematically projected to accumulate 69.6 points over the course of the final three games of the regular season to bring her point total to 2,461.6.

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.

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 (6-20, 4-11) Down by just one point going into the half, the Eagles were outscored 33-25 in the second half and dropped a 59-50 decision to the Crusaders on Saturday at Bender Arena ... American came within one once again, 47-46, after opening the fourth period on a 6-0 run ... However, Holy Cross responded with 10 points of its own, while taking approximately five minutes off of the clock, and held the home team from scoring across that time frame … AU was within seven with 25 seconds remaining in the game, 57-50, but two good free throws helped put the game away for the visitors … Junior Lauren Crisler recorded her second straight double-double, after notching her first on Wednesday, with 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds … sophomore Maria Liddane pitched in nine points, four assists, and three rebounds, while senior Ari Booth totaled eight points and three rebounds.

ARMY WEST POINT (23-2, 14-1) The Black Knight’s set a new program record of 13-straight wins after capturing a 49-34 victory over the Mids on Saturday in Annapolis … The two rivals were tied 12-12 through the first quarter before Army began to pull away, scoring 17 points in the second frame to hold a 29-18 advantage at the break … Navy came within six halfway through the final period but the Black Knights scored the final nine points of the contest to secure the win … Senior Kelsey Minato led the team with 13 points and five assists, while classmate Aimee Oertner posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with a career-high seven blocks ... Fellow senior Jean Parker also added 10 rebounds, matching her career-high, and sophomore Destinee Morris added 11 points.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY (3-23, 3-12) The Terriers kept up with the Bison through the first half of the contest, but the visitors began to pull away in the send half and earned a 72-59 victory at Case Gym on Saturday … Just over 10 seconds into the game, senior Clodagh hit a three-pointer to give the home team an early lead … It was a tight first half the rest of the way and Bucknell held only a five-point lead over Boston University going into the break, 30-25 … The Bison stepped on the gas in the third quarter, outscoring the Terriers 26-13 to take a 56-38 lead going into the final frame … BU tried to make a comeback scoring 21 points to Bucknell’s 16, but the deficit was too much for the home team to overcome … Graduate student Troi Melton posted a career day for the Terriers, tallying a career-best 24 points backed by a 7-of-14 shooting clip from the field and 10-for-10 mark from the charity stripe … She also hauled in eight rebounds and forced two steals … Sophomore Corinne Williams also had a standout day, finishing with a career-high six assists and three blocked shots.

BUCKNELL (20-6, 14-1) The Bison reached the 20-win mark and for the first time since the 2006-07 season with a 72-59 victory at Case Gym over the Terriers on Saturday … It was a tight first half the rest, as Bucknell held only a five-point lead over Boston University going into the break, 30-25 … The Bison stepped on the gas in the third quarter, outscoring the Terriers 26-13 to take a 56-38 lead going into the final frame … BU tried to make a comeback scoring 21 points to Bucknell’s 16, but the deficit was too much for the home team to overcome … Sophomore Jacquie Klotz led the Bison with a game-high 25 points, which included 18 first half points, and five rebounds … She converted four of her first five three-pointers and finished the game with five to move into fourth on the program’s single-season list with 60 … Junior Claire DeBoer followed with 21 points, 17 of which were netted in the second half, and eight rebounds, while freshman Kaitlyn Slagus pitched in 14 points.

COLGATE (4-21, 2-13) The Raiders couldn’t overcome a slow start and 9-0 run by the Greyhounds, who sealed the 55-38 victory at Reitz Arena on Sunday … Loyola Maryland took a commanding 18-4 lead over Colgate after the first quarter and extended it to 41-19 going into the break … The Raiders outscored the home team 19-14 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to make the comeback … Senior Paige Kriftcher netted 12 points, which included a trey that moved her into the program’s top ten on the all-time list with 93 three-pointers … Junior Katie Curtis chipped in eight points, while freshman Summer King posted a career-high seven … Freshman Mylah Chandler also tallied a career-best with 10 rebounds.

HOLY CROSS (12-14, 9-6) After taking just a one-point lead into the half, the Crusaders closed out the third quarter on a 19-9 run that helped lift them past the Eagles at Bender Arena on Saturday, 59-50 … An early 6-0 run to open the fourth period brought American within one, 47-46, but Holy Cross responded with 10 points of its own, while taking about five minutes off of the clock ... The Crusaders also held the home team from any scoring across that time frame … AU came within seven with 25 seconds remaining in the game, 57-50, but two good free throws helped put the game away … Senior Lisa Mifsud and sophomore Infiniti Thomas-Waheed each scored 17 points, helping the Crusaders to a crucial victory … Along with her 17 points, Mifsud totaled a game-high seven assists and also tallied three steals and a pair of rebounds … Thomas-Waheed added four rebounds and a trio of steals … Senior Molly Hourigan also reached double figures in scoring with 12 points … She also had seven rebounds and three blocks.

LAFAYETTE (6-19, 4-11) The Leopards fell behind from the very beginning and were unable to catch their crosstown rival and fell to the Mountain Hawks on Saturday’s 80-65 at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton … Lafayette was held to just a 37.7 percent (20-of-53) mark from the field … Senior Jamie O’Hare led four players in double-digits for the Maroon and White with 14 … She reached double figures for the 21st time out of 25 games this season and also dished out a game-high six helpers … Sophomore Anna Ptasinski contributed 12 points and was followed by classmate Sammy Stipa with 11 … Junior Maia Hood also reach double figures in scoring with 10 and also hauled in a team-high seven rebounds.

LEHIGH (16-10, 9-6) From the get go, the Mountain Hawks took control of Saturday’s contest against their crosstown rival and secured an 80-65 win over the Leopards at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton … Lehigh finished the contest with an impressive 51.6 percent shooting clip (32-of-62) from the field and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the free throw line and held Lafayette to a 37.7 percent (20-of-53) mark from the field to help seal the victory … Junior Lexi Martins, sophomore Quinci Mann, and senior Kerry Kinek combined for 55 of the Mountain Hawks’ 80 points … Martins led the way with her 20th double-double of the season, posting a team-best 23 points and 10 rebounds … Mann followed with 19 points, while Kinek pitched in 13 and seven rebounds.

LOYOLA MARYLAND (11-15, 8-7) The Greyhounds opened the game with a 9-0 run that the Raiders couldn’t come back from, sealing the 55-38 victory at Reitz Arena on Sunday in front of more than 1,000 fans for National Girls & Women in Sports Day … Loyola Maryland took a commanding 18-4 lead over Colgate after the first quarter and extended it to 41-19 going into the break -- the largest lead of the day at 22 points -- and the Greyhounds hit cruise control from there … The win also marked the first victory on Women in Sports Day since the 2009-10 season when Loyola defeated Niagara 71-63 … Senior Jeneh Perry led the team’s efforts with 11 points and 14 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season … Graduate student Steph Smith followed with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

NAVY (14-12, 8-7) The Midshipmen held the Black Knights to a season low 49 points but struggled in the scoring department themselves and dropped Saturday’s contest to their rival 49-34 at Alumni Hall ... It was a heavy-defensive contest, as the two were tied 12-12 through the first quarter ... However, the visitors began to pull away and took a 29-18 advantage into the break … Navy came within six halfway through the final period but Army scored the final nine points of the contest to secure the win … Freshman Christin Potts led Navy’s scoring efforts with 10, while also grabbing six rebounds … Senior Peri Curtis pitched in seven points and seven rebounds and junior Danielle Poblarp finished with six points and two assists.