March 4, 2010
Center Valley, Pa.--All eight women's basketball teams will converge on Worcester, Mass. this weekend when the 2010 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament tips off. Lehigh will be attempting to become just the second school to repeat as Patriot League champions. The Mountain Hawks would join Holy Cross, which won back-to-back titles in 1995 and 1996 before a run of fourth straight championships starting in 1998.
2010 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament Preview 
2010 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Page
Patriot League Tournament Notebook
Holy Cross To Host 2010 Patriot League Tournament
Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal action will take place at Holy Cross’ Hart Center in Worcester, Mass. on Saturday and Sunday. Host Holy Cross, the No. 5 seed, will take on No. 4 Army in the opening game on Saturday at Noon. No. 1 Lehigh will take on No. 8 Bucknell at 2:30 p.m. The second half of the day will begin at 5 p.m., with No. 2 American battling No. 7 Lafayette. The final game of the day will pit No. 3 Navy and No. 6 Colgate at 7:30 p.m. Semifinal action will be held on Sunday, with games at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets to the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the 2010 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament can be purchased by calling the Holy Cross ticket office at (508) 793-3427. The 2010 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game will take place Saturday, March 13 at the site of the highest remaining seed at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS College Sports Network.
Tournament Seeding Set
It took until Monday to determine the seeding for the 2010 Patriot League Tournament. American and Lehigh both finished the weekend tied for the Patriot League lead at 13-1, with each team's only League loss coming against the other. As a result, Monday morning's RPI rankings from Collegiate Basketball News served as the tiebreaker. Lehigh was ranked 75th while American was 118th, giving Lehigh the No. 1 seed. The top-seeded Mountain Hawks will meet eighth-seeded Bucknell in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals. Second-seeded American will take on seventh-seeded Lafayette in a first-round rematch from last season. On the strength of its Sunday win over Bucknell, Army will be the No. 4 seed. The Black Knights will square off against host Holy Cross, the No. 5 seed. In the other quarterfinal game, third-seeded Navy will meet No. 6 Colgate.
Seeding History
Below is a table of how many times each current Patriot League school has played at each seed, including this season. Lehigh is in the top position for the second straight year. American and Lafayette are also in the same spots as last year. Holy Cross is seeded fifth for the first time in program history, marking the Crusaders’ lowest position since joining the Patriot League. See full release for complete seeding history.
Top Seed Holds The Advantage
The number one seed in the Patriot League women's basketball tournament has been crowned champion 14 times in the tourney's 19-year existence. The number two seed has won twice, as has the number three seed. In 2008, Bucknell became lowest-seeded team to win, doing so last season.
Patriot League Tournament Coaching Records
Below are the coaching records for all eight current Patriot League head coaches in the Patriot League Tournament, sorted by winning percentage.
Bill Gibbons, Holy Cross 37-8 (.822)
Kathy Fedorjaka, Bucknell 11-10 (.524)
Sue Troyan, Lehigh 13-12 (.520)
Stefanie Pemper, Navy 1-1 (.500)
Dave Magarity, Army 1-3 (.250)
Tammy Smith, Lafayette 2-8 (.200)
Matt Corkery, American 0-1 (.000)
Pam Bass, Colgate 0-2 (.000)
League Teams To Show Their Heart In The Hart Center
This year’s Patriot League Tournament will mark the final time that all eight teams will meet in the same arena. Before the tournament moves to host sites, one final full-field event will be played at Holy Cross’ Hart Center. The Hart Center hosted the first Patriot League Tournament in 1991. This will mark the fifth time that the arena has hosted the first two rounds of the Patriot League Tournament.
Patriot League All-Access And Coverage
Patriot League Tournament games will be shown on high-speed broadband through the Patriot League All-Access package. The cutting-edge technology takes viewers up close with multi-camera coverage. A monthly fee allows a subscriber to watch any Patriot League sporting events that are part of the package, including the Patriot League Tournament. Visit www.patriotleague.org for more information. The Patriot League has launched an enhanced and upgraded All-Access Multimedia Player in partnership with CBS College Sports. This marks the fourth season for Patriot League All-Access, which includes more than 100 men’s and women’s basketball games.
Repeat Performances
Four teams will undoubtedly recognize their first-round Patriot League Tournament foes. That is because those four teams will be playing the exact same opponent that they faced on the final weekend of Patriot League play. No. 2 American will meet No. 7 Lafayette while No. 3 Navy will take on No. 6 Colgate. Prior to this season, there had been seven occurrances in which first-round tournament foes had met in the reguarl-season finale. The winner of the regular-season finale has won the tournament contest four of those seven times. This will mark the third time that Navy and Colgate will be involved in such an occurrance.
Winning Ways
Lehigh is 52-10 since the start of last season. Connecticut (69), Stanford (60) and Ohio State (56) are the only programs with more wins in that span. Lehigh won a Patriot League-record 26 games last season and is 26-3 this season. Lehigh has won 89.7 percent of its games this season, which ranks sixth in the nation.
Cream Of The Crop
For the first time in history, two teams finished with 13 Patriot League wins in the same season. American and Lehigh both went 13-1 in the regular season, marking the first time in Patriot League history that two teams finished with one League loss or fewer. Prior to this season, the 2002-03 Holy Cross squad was the only team to finish with 13 Patriot League victories.
Join The Club
Entering this season, there were three active players with at least 1,000 career points. That number has doubled since the season began. The latest to reach the milestone is Navy center Cassie Consedine. The junior scored her 1,000th point on Feb. 17 at Holy Cross and now has 1,036 career points. Holy Cross senior Briana McFadden’s 1,550 points leads all active Patriot League players. She is ranked 12th on the League’s all-time scoring charts. She is 20 points away from cracking the top 10. McFadden’s teammate, fellow senior Bethany O’Dell, ranks second among active players with 1,440, followed by Lehigh senior Alex Ross (1,319), Lehigh junior Erica Prosser (1,181) and American junior Michelle Kirk (1,120). Like Consedine, Prosser and Kirk both reached the 1,000-point benchmark this season. Two other juniors are waiting to join them. Army forward Erin Anthony needs just two points to reach the 1,000-point mark. American forward Liz Leer is 78 points away from reaching the milestone.
Kirk Flying High
American junior Michelle Kirk became the first Patriot League player to score at least 500 points in a single season since Army’s Cara Enright tallied 511 points during the 2005-06 season. With 10 points against Lafayette on Saturday, Kirk now has a League-leading 507 points this season. She is 25 points away from catching Bucknell’s Molly Creamer for the 10th highest single-season scoring mark in Patriot League history. As a result of her prowess on the court, Kirk became the first player from American to be named Patriot League Player of the Year.
On A Roll
Since dropping its Patriot League opener at American, Lehigh has rattled off 13 straight victories. The Mountain Hawks’ winning streak is just one short of a Patriot League record. Lehigh has already matched the Patriot League record for single-season victories with 26.
Keep Track Of The Patriot League Through Social Media
In addition to visiting www.patriotleague.org, League fans and followers have plenty of new ways to stay updated and involved during the 2010 Patriot League Tournament. The Patriot League has accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and has now started a blog to give more information on the action on the field. All three accounts are accessible through the multimedia link at the right-hand sidebar on the front page of www.patriotleague.org.
Growing Our Community
The Patriot League launched its "Growing Our Community" women's basketball campaign in 2010 as a result of being one of the few selected conferences in the nation to receive grant funding from the NCAA. The grant is designed to support the growth of women's basketball in the Patriot League community. The goal is to increase the home attendance for the entire 2010 Patriot League women's basketball campaign through a variety of promotions and engaging local organizations to attend and learn more about the Patriot league women's basketball programs, as well as expose individuals to the academic institutions. The target audiences for the program include youth organizations, senior groups, community and civic organizations and students and alumni of each of the eight Patriot League institutions. For more details on the promotions at each game during the 2010 Patriot League campaign, visit www.patriotleague.com/wbbcommunity.
Patriot League Tournament Tickets Now Available
Tickets are now available for the first two rounds of the 2010 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament, which will be played March 6-7 at the Hart Center on the campus of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Holy Cross box office at 508.793.2573. This will mark the fourth time Holy Cross has hosted the full-field tournament. Saturday's quarterfinal games will be played at noon, 2:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, semifinal contests will be played a 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Single-day tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students. A tournament package is available for $20 for adults and $10 for students. All tickets are general admission.
Tournament Matchups
No. 4 Army (11-17, 5-9) at No. 5 Holy Cross (9-20, 5-9)
Saturday, Noon, Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
PL Series: Holy Cross, 28-17 Streak: Army, Four Wins Last Meeting: Army, 60-54 (2.10.10)
No. 4 Army The Black Knights enter Saturday’s game as the No. 4 seed after closing the regular season with a 49-37 win at Bucknell. Army is 13-18 in Patriot League Tournament games after reaching the semifinals a year ago. Junior forward Erin Anthony enters the game as the Patriot League’s active career rebounding leader with 710 boards. She is the only Patriot League player averaging a double-double, doing so with 16.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per outing.
No. 5 Holy Cross The host Crusaders enter the Patriot League Tournament with their lowest seed in school history. Holy Cross holds a record 11 Patriot League crowns. The Crusaders were eliminated in the quarterfinals of last year’s Patriot League Tournament, marking just the second time Holy Cross had not reached the semifinals. Despite ranking sixth on the team in minutes since January, senior Bethany O’Dell leads the squad with 61 three-pointers.
Head-To-Head In one of two rematches from last year’s quarterfinals, Army will aim for its third straight Patriot League Tournament win over Holy Cross. Prior to winning its past two Tournament pairings against Holy Cross, Army had lost its first three Tournament games against the Crusaders. The Black Knights have won four straight overall meetings against Holy Cross, including a pair of victories this season.
Army Possible Second Round Matchups The Black Knights could face either top-seeded Lehigh or eighth-seeded Bucknell. Army split with Bucknell and was swept by Lehigh. The Black Knights are aiming to become just the second No. 4 seed to reach the Patriot League Championship and the first since American in 2007. No fourth-seed has ever won the Tournament.
Holy Cross Possible Second Round Matchups The Crusaders swept No. 8 Bucknell but were swept by No. 1 Lehigh. Holy Cross is seeking to become the third No. 5 seed to reach the title game. The Crusaders would become the first No. 5 seed to reach the Patriot League Championship since Bucknell won the Tournament in 2008.
No. 1 Lehigh (26-3, 13-1) vs. No. 8 Bucknell (7-20, 3-11)
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
PL Series: Bucknell, 22-21 Streak: Lehigh, Six Wins Last Meeting: Lehigh, 56-41 (2.24.10)
No. 1 Lehigh The Mountain Hawks come into the Patriot League Tournament riding a 13-game winning streak, one short of the Patriot League record. Lehigh has won each of its past three opening-round games in the Patriot League Tournament. Lehigh will be chasing its third League crown. The balanced Mountain Hawks lead the League in scoring offense and field goal percentage defense.
No. 8 Bucknell The Bison will be the No. 8 seed in the Patriot League Tournament for just the second time in school history. Bucknell will attempt to become the second No. 8 seed to win a first round game. In 2007, No. 8 Colgate upset the top-seeded Bison in the opening round. Juniors Cosima Higham and Joyce Novacek rank third and fifth in the Patriot League in rebounding respectively, helping the Bison outrebound their foes by an average of 6.1 per game.
Head-To-Head Lehigh swept the teams’ two regular season match-ups, winning by an average of 18.5 points per game. The Mountain Hawks’ last loss to Bucknell was a 63-53 defeat on Feb. 20, 2007. The teams last met in the Patriot League Tournament in 2006, when Bucknell recorded a 64-54 win in West Point, N.Y.
Lehigh Possible Second Round Matchups The Mountain Hawks swept both Army and Holy Cross. Lehigh defeated Army in last year’s semifinals.
Bucknell Possible Second Round Matchups The Bison split with Army during the regular season while getting swept by Holy Cross. Bucknell is attempting to become the first No. 8 seed to reach the title game.
No. 2 American (20-8, 13-1) vs. No. 7 Lafayette (6-22, 4-10)
Saturday, 5 p.m., Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
PL Series: American, 15-4 Streak: American, Two Wins Last Meeting: American, 68-47 (2.27.10)
No. 2 American The Eagles closed the regular season with their fourth 20-win season in school history. American’s 13-1 Patriot League record is the program’s best mark since the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001-02. American has reached the Patriot League semifinals in four the eight years that the Eagles have been in the League. Junior Michelle Kirk enters the tournament leading all League scorers with 18.1 points per contest.
No. 7 Lafayette The Leopards snapped an eight-game Patriot League Tournament losing streak with their run to the title game last season. Lafayette’s run started with an upset victory over No. 2 American. Half of the Leopards’ wins this season have come away from their home court. LaKeisha Wright has shot a team-best 46 percent from the floor this season, averaging 11.4 points per game.
Head-To-Head Saturday’s game will be a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal pairing, which resulted in an upset win for No. 7 Lafayette. It will be the second straight weekend that the two squads play, as the Eagles and Leopards squared off on the final weekend of regular season play. American swept the regular season series this season.
American Possible Second Round Matchups The Eagles swept both Navy and Colgate during the regular season. American will be seeking its third title game appearance since joining the Patriot League.
Lafayette Possible Second Round Matchups The Leopards will be aiming for their fourth Patriot League Championship appearance. Lafayette split its regular season contests against Navy while getting swept by Colgate.
No. 3 Navy (16-13, 8-6) vs. No. 6 Colgate (10-18, 5-9)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
PL Series: Navy, 25-16 Streak: Navy, One Win Last Meeting: Navy 69, Colgate 50 (2.27.10)
No. 3 Navy The Mids had lost three straight Patriot League Tournament games before tallying a win against Bucknell last season. Navy will be seeking a return trip to the semifinals when they take on Colgate on Saturday. Navy enters the Patriot League Tournament having won four of its last five games. The Mids’ only losses during the second half of the Patriot League regular season were to Lehigh and American. Junior guard Angela Myers leads Navy in eight different statistical categories.
No. 6 Colgate The sixth-seeded Raiders recorded their best Patriot League regular season since finishing fifth in 2006. Colgate will be chasing its first Patriot League Tournament win since the eighth-seeded Raiders knocked off top-seeded Bucknell in 2007. Patriot League Rookie of the Year Jhazmine Lynch has paced the Raiders offensively in Patriot League play, scoring a team-high 9.3 points per contest.
Head-To-Head Colgate and Navy split their regular season matchups, with Colgate recording an overtime win in Hamilton, before falling to the Mids in the regular-season finale. The Navy/Colgate pairing is one of two first-round games featuring a rematch from last weekend.
Navy Possible Second Round Matchups The Mids will be aiming to reach their first Patriot League title tilt since 1999. It would be just the second Patriot League Championship appearance in program history. Navy split its regular season series against Lafayette and was swept by American.
Colgate Possible Second Round Matchups The Raiders swept Lafayette but were swept by American during the regular season. Colgate is seeking to become the third No. 6 seed to reach the Patriot League Championship.
