Dec. 31, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.—The 2009 portion of the schedule has come to a close for all eight Patriot League women’s basketball teams. Among the highlights of the last two days was Lehigh’s victory in the Christmas City Classic. The Mountain Hawks games against Wagner and St. Bonaventure, giving Lehigh 24 straight home victories. Also victorious on Wednesday were Army and Bucknell.

Junior guard Erica Prosser was named MVP of the Christmas City Classic for the second straight season. She led Lehigh to a 68-66 overtime win in the championship over St. Bonaventure, just the second loss of the season for the Bonnies. Prosser scored 20 points while making 9-of-10 free throws in the title tilt. In Tuesday’s first round action, Lehigh notched a 69-43 win over Wagner as Prosser produced a team-high 16 points. Lehigh is now 11-2 on the season.

Army improved to 6-6 with a 58-42 win in its first-ever meeting with Ramapo. Junior Nalini Hawkins led all players with 16 points while Laura Baranek added 15. A 17-5 run midway through the second half turned a 39-34 advantage into a decisive 17-point lead in the closing minutes.

Every Bucknell player scored in the Bison’s 93-50 win over Lycoming, but it was sophomore Trisha Krewson’s 30 points that led the way for Bucknell. Krewson made a school-record eight three-pointers on her way to becoming the first Bison to score 30 points since 2004. Bucknell’s 93 points were their most at home since opening Sojka Pavilion in 2003. The Bison snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 3-8.

American wrapped up its time in DeLand, Fla. with a 60-57 loss to St. Francis (Pa.) in the Hatter Classic. The Eagles finished 1-1 at the tournament. Junior Ashley Yencho scored a career-high 15 points to lead three American players in double-figures in the loss.

Competing in tournaments were Holy Cross and Lafayette, with each dropping a pair of games. Holy Cross fell to La Salle and Howard at the Monmouth Holiday Tournament in West Long Brach, N.J. Lafayette dropped contests against No. 25 James Madison and UNC Asheville at the JMU Holiday Classic in Harrisonburg, Va.

Colgate was dealt its seventh straight defeat on Wednesday. The Raiders were handed a 67-44 loss at Detroit.

Tuesday, December 29
at James Madison 86, Lafayette 54
La Salle 65, Holy Cross 51 (at West Long Branch, N.J.)
at Lehigh 69, Wagner 43
St. Francis 60, American 57 OT (at DeLand, Fla.)

Wednesday, December 30
at Army 58, Ramapo 42
at Bucknell 93, Lycoming 50
at Detroit 67, Colgate 44
Howard 87, Holy Cross 80 OT (at West Long Branch, N.J.)
at Lehigh 68, St. Bonaventure 66 OT
UNC Asheville 50, Lafayette 43 (at Harrisonburg, Va.)