Dec. 8, 2014

Patriot League Women's Basketball Release - 12.8.14 

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Lehigh is off to its best start in 30 years and takes a 7-0 record into exam break. The Mountain Hawks will next play when they take part of the Arizona State Classic in Tempe, Ariz. on Dec. 20-21.

Six Patriot League teams are in action in the early part of the week, with five of those contests available on the Patriot League Network. Army gets things under way when they tip-off against St. Francis-Brooklyn Monday night at Christl Arena. East Carolina at Loyola Maryland and UMBC at Bucknell will also be available Tuesday on PLN. Boston University is the lone team on the road as they travel to face Rhode Island. On Wednesday, Colgate hosts Binghamton and Holy Cross welcomes Boston College.

Patriot League Weekly Awards (12.1-12.7)

Lehigh junior forward Kerry Kinek and Navy freshman guard Taylor Dunham were named the Lids Sports Patriot League Women's Basketball weekly award winners for their performances in games from Dec. 1-7.

Kinek averaged 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game and shot nearly 48% from the field in the Mountain Hawks 2-0 week. This is the first weekly award of the season for Kinek and third all-time for the two-time All-Patriot League performer.

Dunham averaged 12 points per game and hit 50-percent (8-of-16) of her three-point field goal attempts during the Mids 1-2 week. This is the first rookie award for the Fort Belvoir, Va. native.

Honorable mention status for the week ending Dec. 7 goes to American senior Jen Dumiak, Boston University senior Meghan Green, Holy Cross junior Raquel Scott and Lafayette sophomore Ashley Lutz.

Lids Team Sports Player of the Week
KERRY KINEK, LEHIGH Jr., F, 6-3; Whitehall, Pa.
Kinek averaged a double-double with 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game to help Lehigh to a pair of wins and its best start since the 1984-85 season. The junior posted a season-best 22 points and 19 rebounds to propel Lehigh over five-time defending MEAC champ Hampton on Tuesday, shooting 12-for-17 from the charity stripe and also contributing three assists, a block and a steal against the Lady Pirates. Kinek followed that up Thursday with 11 points and six rebounds to help lift Lehigh to a 73-71 victory at Saint Joseph's.

Lids Team Sports Rookie of the Week
TAYLOR DUNHAM, NAVY Fr., G, 5-3; Fort Belvoir, Va.
Dunham scored in double-figures in each game of the Mids 1-2 week. The freshman netted 11 points and dished out a team-high three assists in a win Tuesday over Towson. In Navy's two-game swing through Oregon, Dunham led the team in scoring in both contests with 10 in a loss at Portland State on Friday followed by a season-high 15 in a loss at Oregon the following evening.

Honorable Mention

JEN DUMIAK, AMERICAN Sr., G, 5-10; Carlsbad, Calif.
Dumiak averaged 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game and was perfect from the free throw line, knocking down 14-of-14 in the Eagles 1-1 week.

MEGHAN GREEN, BOSTON UNIVERSITY Sr., F, 6-0; Bedford, N.H.
Green averaged 17.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 53.8% from the field and 85.7 from the free throw line.

RAQUEL SCOTT, HOLY CROSS Jr., F, 6-0; Ridgewood, N.J.
Scott had season-highs of 26 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in the Crusaders loss at Bryant.

ASHLEY LUTZ, LAFAYETTE So., F, 6-1; Sudbury, Mass.
Lutz averaged a double-double of 10 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 61.9% from the field during the Leopards 2-1 week.

Patriot League Twitter Notebook - @PL_WBB

*Patriot League teams struggled through a 2-8 weekend with six of the eight losses coming by 10 points or less.
*Lehigh (7-0) is off to its best start since the 1984-85 season and is idle until taking part in the ASU Classic on 12/20-21.
*Army (5-2) had its five-game winning streak snapped in Saturday's 56-48 loss at Fairleigh Dickinson.
*Bucknell (4-3) was shut out in the final three minutes of a 58-56 loss at Delaware on Sunday.
*Boston University (3-5) lost its second straight despite shooting a season-best 48% from the field in a 66-59 loss at Yale.
*American (3-4) moved up to ninth nationally in free throw percentage (77.4%) by going 13-for-13 in a loss at UMass.
*Holy Cross (1-7) plays two of its next three at home after seven straight away from the Hart Center between 11/18-12/3.
*Lafayette (5-3) split a pair of games over the weekend, defeating SFU-Brooklyn Friday before falling at Seton Hall on Sunday.
*Navy (5-5) lost 72-64 at Oregon on Sunday despite making a season-high 14 three-point field goals against the Ducks.
*Colgate (0-7) has played seven opponents with a combined record of 36-14 (.720) on the season.
*Loyola (1-6) outrebounded Mount St. Mary's 31-25 in earning their first win of the season with a 56-49 victory.

Patriot League Notebook

Loyola Maryland Picks up First Win of the Season
Freshman guard Bri Betz-White tied a career-high with 14 points and Loyola Maryland used a 14-1 run in the first half Saturday to gain control of the lead for a majority of the game in a 56-49 victory over Mount St. Mary's. The victory was one of only two for Patriot League teams over the weekend. Lafayette earned the other one with a 73-51 win at St. Francis-Brooklyn on Friday night. The Leopards also had Seton Hall in their crosshairs on Sunday with a 32-all tie at halftime, but the host Pirates pulled away for a 80-64 win. Navy went 0-2 on its trek through Oregon, losing at Portland State on Friday before watching a halftime lead over Oregon evaporate in a loss to the Ducks the following day. Also on Saturday, American lost 71-61 at UMass, Army had its five-game win streak snapped by FDU, Boston U. dropped a 66-59 contest at Yale and Albany knocked off Colgate on Cotterell Court. In the final game of the weekend, Bucknell took a 56-50 lead into the final three minutes at Delaware on Sunday, but the Blue Hens scored the final eight points to grasp the victory.

Five Home Games on the Horizon for Patriot League Teams
Patriot League teams have won two-thirds of their games (18 of 27) at home this season which gives reason for optimism with five of the next six non-League contests being played on home courts. Army, 2-0 at Christl Arena this season, welcomes St. Francis-Brooklyn on Monday and Bucknell looks to protect Sojka Pavilion for the third time this season when UMBC visits the following day. Also on Tuesday, Loyola Maryland looks for its second straight win when East Carolina comes to Reitz Arena while Boston University plays at Rhode Island. Colgate and Holy Cross are both home on Wednesday, against Binghamton and Boston College, respectively.

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.

Four Teams in Top 100 in Latest RPI Rankings
Bucknell and Lehigh both rank in the top 50 in the daily RPI rankings as of Sunday. The Bison come in at No. 46, just three spots ahead of No. 49 Lehigh. Lafayette sits at No. 65 and American at No. 88. The rest of the Patriot League shakes out at follows: Army (200), Colgate (255), Holy Cross (262), Navy (266), Boston University (290) and Loyola Maryland (327).

Colgate's Harris, Holy Cross' Scott Named `Good Works Team' Nominees
Allstate Insurance Company and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association have announced the candidates for the 2015 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team, which includes Colgate senior Carole Harris and Holy Cross junior Raquel Scott among 56 Division I Women's Basketball nominees. This prestigious community service award recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who choose to dedicate their limited free time to improving the lives of those around them. The final roster of award recipients will be unveiled in February and members of the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team will be recognized during the 2015 WBCA Convention and at the 2015 NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa Bay.

Patriot League Coaches Reaching Milestones
After Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan reached the 300-win milestone in the Mountain Hawks season-opening win at Monmouth on Nov. 15, Dave Magarity earned his 150th at Army when the Black Knights defeated UC-Santa Barbara on Nov. 28. Stefanie Pemper coached the 200th game at Navy in the Mids loss at Portland State on Friday. Bucknell coach Aaron Roussell is closing in on 200 wins in his 11-year coaching career at University of Chicago and Bucknell. Roussell has 196 victories after the Bison win over Morgan State.

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. If Coach Dave Magarity's squad is going to make a return engagement, they will have to do so as the frontrunner because Army was tabbed as the favorite in the preseason poll of League coaches and SIDs who are not eligible to rank their own team. The Black Knights 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 and Women's 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. For more information on how to get CBS Sports Network, visit CBSSportsNetwork.com.

American Sports Network to Carry Pair of Regular Season Games
The American Sports Network (ASN) will televise a pair Patriot League regular season women's basketball games in January. The Lafayette at Lehigh meeting at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25 and the Navy at American matchup at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27 will be 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.

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 A week after playing all 40 minutes and scoring a career-high 22 points in a win over Oregon, senior guard Jen Dumiak topped that with 24 points in a loss at Massachusetts. Dumiak averages 37.4 minutes per game, tops in the Patriot League ... American was perfect from the free throw line, converting on 13-of-13 attempts against UMass to raise its season percentage to 77.4 which is ninth nationally. The Eagles have converted 56 of their last 59 shots from the charity stripe (94.9%). Dumiak ranks 8th among Division I players having converted 40-of-42 (95.2%) on the season ... The Eagles play the remainder of the calendar year away from Bender Arena and are next in action on Friday, Dec. 12, when they visit 15th-ranked Maryland in a 7 p.m. contest.

ARMY The Black Knights saw its five-game winning streak snapped in a 56-48 loss at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. Army shot an uncharacteristic season-low 16-for-52 (30.8%) from the field in the loss to the Knights ... Army hosts St. Francis Brooklyn in its first game at Christl Arena since Nov. 25. The Black Knights are 10-2 all-time against St. Francis, but the Terriers won the most recent meeting between the teams, 56-53 in the 2013 season opener. ... Junior guard Kelsey Minato registered a game-high 18 points against Fairleigh Dickinson to mark her 56th straight double-digit scoring game. A native of Huntington Beach, Calif., Minato ranks 19th in the nation with 21.7 points per game.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY Despite shooting a season-best 48-percent from the field, the Terriers suffered their first-ever loss at Yale 66-59 on Tuesday. Clodagh Scannell scored a season-high 16 points for Boston University and Meghan Green also netted 16 on 8-for-13 shooting ... The two biggest deficiencies in the loss at Yale were the Bulldogs 40-33 advantage on the boards and the Terriers turned the ball over 21 times compared to only nine times for the hosts ... Boston University has road games against Rhode Island (Tuesday) and Marist (Saturday) before beginning a two-week exam break. The Terriers will close out the calendar year with home games against Massachusetts followed by the Patriot League opener with Holy Cross on New Year's Eve.

BUCKNELL The Bison have one more chance before exams to erase the sting of Sunday's loss at Delaware when they host UMBC on Tuesday night. Bucknell led the Blue Hens 56-50 only to watch the hosts score the final eight points of the game -- including a putback with three seconds left in a 58-56 loss ... Career nights by freshman Jacquie Klotz and junior Sheaira Jones were the highlights at Delaware. Playing in only her third college contest, Klotz scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting in 20 minutes of floor time. Jones, whose previous career-high was seven points, scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting ... Led by 10 rebounds from sophomore Claire DeBoer, Bucknell won the battle on the boards 36-35, but turned the ball over 19 times.

COLGATE The Raiders seven opponents thus far this season have a combined record of 36-14 (.720) through Saturday's games (Harvard 4-3, Cornell 4-4, Drexel 3-2, Georgia 9-0, Rutgers 6-1, St. Bonaventure 6-2 and Albany 4-2). Colgate will try to earn its first win of the season when they welcome Binghamton (1-6) on Wednesday ... A bright spot in a 67-48 loss to Albany on Saturday was the play of freshman Ariel Etheridge off the Raiders bench. The Smithfield, R.I. native scored nine second half points in her first significant action for coach Nicci Hays Fort ... Albany converted 28 Colgate turnovers into 30 points and pocketed 16 steals.

HOLY CROSS The Crusaders were idle last weekend and will next host Boston College on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The game will serve as collection point for the Toys for Tots program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy appropriate for children aged 1-16. Three Marines will be honored for their service and dedication to the country at halftime and there will be a "Teddy Bear Toss" with all teddy bears donated to Toys for Tots. ... Junior forward Raquel Scott scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a loss at Bryant. Scott was one point and two rebounds shy of career highs in those categories. It was the 22nd double-double of her career, which ties her with Jean Marie Buckley for fourth in school history.

LAFAYETTE The Leopards turned the tables on St. Francis-Brooklyn with a 73-51 win over the Terriers on Friday night. Lafayette lost the 2013 meeting between the teams by 22 points. In this encounter, Lafayette turned the ball over only eight times and recorded 19 assists on its 30 field goals. Senior guard Maggie Peabody had eight rebounds and eight assists for the Leopards ... The Leopards were tied with Big East foe Seton Hall at 32-all on Sunday, but the Pirates pulled away for a 80-63 victory. Junior guard Jamie O'Hare led Lafayette in scoring in both games last week with 18 and 14, respectively ... One of the keys to the Leopards 5-3 start this season has been the emergence of sophomore forward Ashley Lutz to compliment Emily Homan in the post. After averaging 3.4 minutes a game as a freshman, Lutz has recorded double-doubles in two of her last three games.

LEHIGH The Mountain Hawks started a 16-day exam break on a high note with a 73-71 win at Saint Joseph's on Thursday. Lehigh built a 13-point lead in the second half but need a layup from freshman guard Quinci Mann with 4.4 seconds remaining to secure the win. The team is now 7-0 on the season and will next play at Arizona State on Dec. 20 as part of the ASU Classic ... A big factor for the Mountain Hawks this season has been dominance on the glass, outrebounding opponents by an average of 11.6 per contest which is 20th in the nation. Leading the way for Lehigh is sophomore forward Lexi Martins who leads the Patriot League with 10.6 rebounds per game, followed closely by junior forward Kerry Kinek at 9.1 per game. Kinek exploded for 22 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Hampton on Tuesday.

LOYOLA MARYLAND The Greyhounds used a 14-1 run in the first half and held off Mount St. Mary's 56-49 Saturday for their first win of the season. It was the first win for Loyola Maryland over the Mountaineers since 2010. Freshman guard Bri Betz-White led Loyola with a game-high 14 points and four assists ... A tough opponent awaits Loyola in its final contest prior to exams when East Carolina visits Reitz Arena on Tuesday. The Pirates are 7-2 on the season with their only losses coming against 22nd-ranked Syracuse and a two-point loss at Cleveland State. ECU rallied from an early 11-0 deficit on Saturday to knock off previously unbeaten Ohio 76-68 ... Following Tuesday's contest, the Greyhounds are off until Dec. 20 when they host St. Peter's. Former Loyola Maryland head coach and current Peacocks' head coach Pat Coyle will be recognized prior to the game.

NAVY After traveling nearly 2400 miles and playing two games in 24 hours, the Mids return from their first ever trip to the state of Oregon for a well-deserved 15-day break for exams. After losing 56-50 at Portland State on Friday, Navy couldn't sustain a 21-point halftime lead Saturday over Oregon as the Ducks rallied for a 72-64 victory ... Navy made 11-of-22 three-point field goals in the first half against Oregon, including three apiece from freshman Taylor Dunham and senior Chloe Stapleton. Dunham and Stapleton finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively, to lead the Mids ... The losses halted Navy's four-game win streak and leveled the season record at .500 (5-5). Head coach Stefanie Pemper coached her 200th game at Navy in Friday's loss at Portland State.