March 10, 2013

Patriot League Women's Basketball Semifinals Preview - 3.10.13

2013 Women's Basketball Tournament Central

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — The Patriot League women’s basketball season is down to its own final four, and Monday’s semifinal round will feature two bouts that might have been unexpected. That’s because Thursday’s quarterfinals saw two upsets, with eighth-seeded Colgate taking down No. 1 Army, and No. 6 Bucknell upending third-seeded American.

Monday’s semifinals, both set for 7 p.m. feature, No. 4 Holy Cross hosting the Raiders at the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass., while second seed Navy welcomes the Bison to Annapolis, Md. The Mids scratched out a 59-55 overtime victory over No. 7 seed Lafayette Thursday night, while the Crusaders built a big lead in the first half and hung on for a 64-59 win against fifth seed Lehigh.

Both semifinal battles will be streamed on Patriot League All-Access.

Bucknell’s rally in the second half erased a 10-point halftime deficit as the sixth-seeded Bison defeated No. 3 American 46-43 Thursday night at Bender Arena. Bucknell has played in all 23 Patriot League Tournaments, but is this year making its first appearance as the No. 6 seed. In addition, the Bison became the first sixth seed to win its quarterfinal game since Navy in 2009.

The Bison will take on two-time defending champion Navy, which won its seventh consecutive tournament game Thursday. The Mids are playing out of the second seed position for the third time and first since 1998.

Holy Cross is the tournament’s fourth seed for the third time, and Thursday’s victory was the Crusaders’ first from that position. They had lost their previous two quarterfinal games as that seed in 2004 and ‘09. Holy Cross will take on a Colgate team that is responsible for the only two quarterfinal upsets of the No. 1 seed.

Patriot League Women’s Basketball Quick Hits

• Both semifinal contests are rematches from the final day of the regular season on March 2. Bucknell won 55-48 over Navy on Senior Night in Lewisburg, Pa., while Holy Cross defeated Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y., 53-51.

• The No. 8 seed is now 2-14 all-time against the top seed in the quarterfinals. Colgate is responsible for both wins, having defeated No. 1 Bucknell 69-62 in 2007.

• The eighth seed has never advanced to the championship game. The Raiders fell to No. 4 American in the 2007 semifinals, 68-45.

• Navy is aiming to reach the League championship game three straight years for the first time in program history. Holy Cross was the last team to do it when it reached four consecutive finals from 2005-08.

• Bucknell’s Lindsay Horbatuck became the sixth player in League history with at least 300 rebounds in a season.

• All five of the League’s active 1,000-point scorers are still alive in the League Tournament.