SHOOTERS SHOOT
    Leopard guards Rosie Scognamiglio, Haylie Adamski, Teresa Kiewiet and Sauda Ntaconayigize are all shooting 36 percent or better from downtown this season. Ntaconayigize leads the pack, shooting at a conference-leading 46.2 percent clip and Adamski is right behind her with 38.7 percent. Kiewiet and Scognamiglio are shooting the deep ball at 36.4 and 36.0 percent clips.

SCOUTING COLGATE
    The Raiders finished their non-conference schedule with a 4-7 record and collected their seventh-straight loss (82-54) last time out at Binghamton (Dec. 20). Colgate posted a 13-5 record in PL play last season and a 10-5 mark out of the conference. 
    Wednesday marks the 84th meeting between the Leopards and Raiders in their respective histories. Lafayette holds a 5-9 record against Colgate since head coach Kia Damon-Olson has been at the helm. In last year's matchups, the Leopards dropped both meetings.
    Looking at the hosts' 11-game sample size, Taye Matthews and Madison Schiller were the leaders on offense in their meeting with Binghamton. Matthews finished the outing with 15 points, two steals and a rebound on 6-11 shooting from the floor in 23 minutes. Schiller logged 21 minutes for the Raiders, scoring 10 points on 3-9 shooting and grabbing four boards. Christina Midgette and Ella Meabon contributed valuable minutes against the Bearcats as well. Midgette dropped in eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Meabon tallied seven points, three rebounds and assists. 
    As a team, Colgate shot 32.3 percent from the floor, 19.2 percent from beyond the arc and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe in the loss. The Raiders rank eighth in the conference in scoring offense (56.4 ppg) and ninth in defensive rating, allowing their opponents to score 68.8 points per outing.

LAST TIME OUT
    Lafayette women's basketball took on Rutgers on Dec. 20 at Jersey Mike's Arena, battling the hosts to a 54-45 final score despite the loss. The outing concluded the Leopards' non-conference schedule and Faith Blackstone led all scorers with 22 points. Guards Sauda Ntaconayigize (14) and Teresa Kiewiet (18) shouldered the offensive load against the Scarlet Knights, combining for 32 points.

UP NEXT
    The Maroon and White retake the court at 2 p.m. on Saturday as they invite Loyola Md. to Easton for the team's PL home opener and first game in 2026.
    
PATRIOT LEAGUE OPENERS
    Over the past decade, Lafayette holds a 4-6 record in Patriot League openers. The Leopards have won three of their last four conference openers, including their latest two over Boston U. and Army.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
    Junior guard Teresa Kiewiet was named the Patriot League Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks (Dec. 1 & Dec. 8) for her performances at Pitt (11/25), NJIT (11/30), FDU (12/4) and Marist (12/7). The Engineering major averaged 22.8 ppg across four games and dropped in a season-high of 25 points and five triples for 55.6 percent shooting from deep. 

STARTING FIVE
    Lafayette used the same starting lineup for 17 of its 31 contests last season: guards Abby Antognoli, Teresa Kiewiet and Sauda Ntaconayigize, forwards Halee Smith and Tasha Chudy. This season, Talia Zurinskas, Kiewiet, Ntaconayigize, Haylie Adamski and Chudy have earned the largest amount of starts. 

CONFERENCE RANKINGS
    The Leopards currently sit fourth in scoring offense (63.1 ppg) and sixth in team defense, allowing their opponents to average 65.0 ppg. Head coach Kia Damon-Olson's group is leading the league in three-point percentage (37.6) and ranks second in free-throw shooting (76.5 percent). 

ONE TO WATCH
    Kiewiet is a Leopard opposing team's scouting reports will hone in on to begin the season. The North Mankato, Minn. native quietly averaged 9.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc last campaign. With the graduation of Abby Antognoli '25, Kiewiet will be relied on greatly to generate offense for the Maroon and White. 

PLAY4KAY CAMPAIGN
    Lafayette women's basketball recently partnered with the Kay Yow Foundation for a season-long three-point challenge. This season, Leopard fans can pledge how much they'd like to donate for every three-pointer made by the team or their favorite player and all proceeds will directly benefit the Kay Yow Fund. To learn more visit tinyurl.com/25sqlzmv. 

EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS
    Lafayette's athletic programs stood out among the nation's best this fall in the NCAA's Division I annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) release. College Hill claimed a 97 percent GSR overall for the third straight year based on the 19 sports measured while 16 Leopard teams, including women's basketball, achieved a graduation success rate of 100 percent.

PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS
    Guard Talia Zurinskas received all-league recognition in 2024-25.  The Allentown, Pa. native claimed a spot on the conference's all-rookie team, posting averages of 4.4 ppg and 1.0 apg in 30 games played for the Leopards. The Psychology major shot 38.6 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from deep and 77.3 percent at the line in her first season on College Hill. 

2024-25 RECAP
    The 2024-25 season highlighted various notable achievements. Lafayette posted its best season to date in three-point field goals made, draining 190 attempts in 31 games. It also marked the second-highest season threes attempted (559) and the fifth best team three-point field-goal percentage (34.0 percent).