Saturday, March 14
Washington, D.C
6 p.m.
Lehigh University
at
No. 1 American
Photo by: Army Athletics
Lehigh takes on American in Patriot League Championship Saturday on CBS Sports Network
3/12/2015 10:27:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes | Listen Live | Live Stats | Championship Central
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The sixth-seeded Lehigh women's basketball team heads to top-seeded American Saturday at 6 p.m. for the Patriot League Championship game in Bender Arena. The winner earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Lehigh looks for its fourth league championship and first since 2010, while American will be seeking its first-ever league title. The game will be broadcast nationwide on CBS Sports Network with audio coverage available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley 1230 and 1320 AM.
The Mountain Hawks became the lowest seed to advance to the Patriot League Championship game since the 2008-09 season as Lehigh used a balanced offensive attack to secure a 76-57 road victory at defending champion Army Monday night in the semifinals. The trip to Saturday's championship is Lehigh's first since the 2009-10 season when Lehigh earned its third league crown with a 58-42 win over American.
Senior Sarah Williams led Lehigh offensively with a career-high 17 points against the Black Knights, while freshman Quinci Mann followed with a career high-tying 16 points. Sophomore Lexi Martins and junior Kerry Kinek both registered double-doubles as Martins finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Kinek recorded 13 points and 11 boards. It marked the first time two Mountain Hawks registered double-doubles in the same game since Dec. 21, 2014.
Lehigh wrapped up the contest shooting 51.9 percent (28-for-54) from the field, 44.4 percent (4-for-9) from three-point range and 88.9 percent (16-for-18) from the charity stripe. The Mountain Hawks held Army to a 29.7 percent (19-for-64) mark from the field, 47.4 percent (9-for-19) clip from downtown and 76.9 percent (10-for-13) from the free throw line. Lehigh held a commanding 51-24 rebound advantage, including a 40-17 edge on the defensive glass.
American rides a ten-game win streak into Saturday's championship game and earned the regular-season title after finishing 16-2 in Patriot League play. The Eagles earned a 79-56 win over Lafayette in the Patriot League quarterfinals before capturing a 60-53 victory against Navy in the semifinals Monday night.
The Eagles got out of the gate against Navy looking intent to put the game out of reach early with a 16-4 run over the first five minutes. American (23-8) still led 20-9 with 11 minutes left in the first half before the Mids began to chip away and eventually closed to within 26-25 on a Ashanti Kennedy jump shot with 2:30 left. A Jen Dumiak drive gave the hosts a 30-25 lead at halftime but Sarita Condie hit back-to-back three-point field goals to start the second half to give the Mids a 31-30 lead. That would prove to be Navy's only lead of the game, however, as American answered with a 12-2 run highlighted by consecutive three-point field goals by Dumiak and fellow senior Arron Zimmerman before American finished off the 60-53 victory.
The Eagles earned three of the four major Patriot League awards at the end of the regular season. Megan Gebbia grabbed Coach of the Year honors, while Dumiak was named Player of the Year and Shaquilla Curtis earned Defensive Player of the Year. Dumiak leads the squad with 16.6 points and 6.2 assists per game to go along with a mark of 5.5 rebounds per contest.
The Eagles swept the regular-season series and have claimed the last four meetings between American and Lehigh. The Eagles edged Lehigh in overtime, 75-73, in the season's first meeting on Jan. 14 in Bethlehem before capturing a 74-64 win on Feb. 11 in D.C.
The Mountain Hawks led by as much as 11 early on in the first half of the most recent meeting, but American quickly chipped away at the Lehigh lead and shot 53.1 percent from the field in the second half en route to the 74-64 victory.
Senior Katie O'Reilly led Lehigh with 16 points, followed by Williams with 12 points and Kinek with ten points and eight rebounds. Dumiak led American with 21 points, followed by Zimmerman with 19.
The Mountain Hawks finished the game shooting 39.3 percent (24-for-61) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from downtown and 78.6 percent (11-for-14) from the free throw line. American wrapped up the contest with a 50.8 (30-for-59) field goal percentage, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) clip from downtown and 63.6 percent (7-for-11) mark from the charity stripe. American won the battle of the boards, 37-33.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The sixth-seeded Lehigh women's basketball team heads to top-seeded American Saturday at 6 p.m. for the Patriot League Championship game in Bender Arena. The winner earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Lehigh looks for its fourth league championship and first since 2010, while American will be seeking its first-ever league title. The game will be broadcast nationwide on CBS Sports Network with audio coverage available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley 1230 and 1320 AM.
The Mountain Hawks became the lowest seed to advance to the Patriot League Championship game since the 2008-09 season as Lehigh used a balanced offensive attack to secure a 76-57 road victory at defending champion Army Monday night in the semifinals. The trip to Saturday's championship is Lehigh's first since the 2009-10 season when Lehigh earned its third league crown with a 58-42 win over American.
Senior Sarah Williams led Lehigh offensively with a career-high 17 points against the Black Knights, while freshman Quinci Mann followed with a career high-tying 16 points. Sophomore Lexi Martins and junior Kerry Kinek both registered double-doubles as Martins finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Kinek recorded 13 points and 11 boards. It marked the first time two Mountain Hawks registered double-doubles in the same game since Dec. 21, 2014.
Lehigh wrapped up the contest shooting 51.9 percent (28-for-54) from the field, 44.4 percent (4-for-9) from three-point range and 88.9 percent (16-for-18) from the charity stripe. The Mountain Hawks held Army to a 29.7 percent (19-for-64) mark from the field, 47.4 percent (9-for-19) clip from downtown and 76.9 percent (10-for-13) from the free throw line. Lehigh held a commanding 51-24 rebound advantage, including a 40-17 edge on the defensive glass.
American rides a ten-game win streak into Saturday's championship game and earned the regular-season title after finishing 16-2 in Patriot League play. The Eagles earned a 79-56 win over Lafayette in the Patriot League quarterfinals before capturing a 60-53 victory against Navy in the semifinals Monday night.
The Eagles got out of the gate against Navy looking intent to put the game out of reach early with a 16-4 run over the first five minutes. American (23-8) still led 20-9 with 11 minutes left in the first half before the Mids began to chip away and eventually closed to within 26-25 on a Ashanti Kennedy jump shot with 2:30 left. A Jen Dumiak drive gave the hosts a 30-25 lead at halftime but Sarita Condie hit back-to-back three-point field goals to start the second half to give the Mids a 31-30 lead. That would prove to be Navy's only lead of the game, however, as American answered with a 12-2 run highlighted by consecutive three-point field goals by Dumiak and fellow senior Arron Zimmerman before American finished off the 60-53 victory.
The Eagles earned three of the four major Patriot League awards at the end of the regular season. Megan Gebbia grabbed Coach of the Year honors, while Dumiak was named Player of the Year and Shaquilla Curtis earned Defensive Player of the Year. Dumiak leads the squad with 16.6 points and 6.2 assists per game to go along with a mark of 5.5 rebounds per contest.
The Eagles swept the regular-season series and have claimed the last four meetings between American and Lehigh. The Eagles edged Lehigh in overtime, 75-73, in the season's first meeting on Jan. 14 in Bethlehem before capturing a 74-64 win on Feb. 11 in D.C.
The Mountain Hawks led by as much as 11 early on in the first half of the most recent meeting, but American quickly chipped away at the Lehigh lead and shot 53.1 percent from the field in the second half en route to the 74-64 victory.
Senior Katie O'Reilly led Lehigh with 16 points, followed by Williams with 12 points and Kinek with ten points and eight rebounds. Dumiak led American with 21 points, followed by Zimmerman with 19.
The Mountain Hawks finished the game shooting 39.3 percent (24-for-61) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-for-17) from downtown and 78.6 percent (11-for-14) from the free throw line. American wrapped up the contest with a 50.8 (30-for-59) field goal percentage, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) clip from downtown and 63.6 percent (7-for-11) mark from the charity stripe. American won the battle of the boards, 37-33.
Like Lehigh women's basketball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive content and team updates throughout the season.
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