PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS
    Senior guard Abby Antognoli and freshman guard Talia Zurinskas received recognition from the Patriot League on Friday, as the 2024-25 women's basketball post-season conference awards were announced.  Antognoli was named to the All-Patriot League Third Team for the third year running and Zurinskas claimed a spot on the All-Rookie Team.

SCOUTING AMERICAN
    The Eagles finished their non-conference slate at 0-11 and lost their last league game 77-46 vs. Bucknell (3/5) on Wednesday.  American sits in 10th place in the conference (1-17) with head coach Tiffany Coll in her third season at the helm.
    Saturday marks the 60th meeting, between the Leopards and Eagles after Lafayette captured a dominant 72-55 victory in the second meeting of the season in Easton on Feb. 12.
    All-Rookie Team selection Cecilia Kay paced the Eagles in points (12) in the loss to Bucknell. Kay leads American in scoring (11.6 ppg) and Laura Nogues is second on the team in points (7.3). Kay ranks 12th in the conference in scoring and second in rebounding (8.7 rpg). The Melrose, Mass. native is also a threat on the defensive end, ranking second in the conference in blocks per game (1.4).
    American shot 28.3 percent from the floor, 20.8 percent from beyond the arc and 46.7 percent from the charity stripe in its loss to the Bison.  The Eagles rank 10th in the conference in scoring (56.7 ppg) and in defensive rating, allowing their opponents to score 72.0 points per outing.  As a team on the season,  American is shooting 35.6 percent from the field (last in the conference).

LAST TIME OUT
    Lafayette traveled to Loyola on Wednesday and completed the season sweep in a 57-54 decision at Reitz Arena. The Leopards' guard tandem of Abby Antognoli (16) and Teresa Kiewiet (17) combined for 33 points in the win. Senior guard Halee Smith also finished in double figures, netting 10 points. Laura Salmeron paced Loyola in scoring with 13 points.

KEEP 'EM COMING
    The Leopards are shooting 76.0 percent from the foul line this season, which ranks third amongst their Patriot League competitors. Sophomore guard Teresa Kiewiet leads the Maroon and White through 28 games, shooting 82.5 percent (among active players).

MINUTES INCREASE
    Freshman guard Talia Zurinskas is averaging 22.3 minutes per game over her last nine games, as she's emerged as a key player off the bench for the Leopards. On Feb. 8 vs. Colgate, the Allentown, Pa. native tallied a career-high 13 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor.
    
MAKING HISTORY
    The Leopards' home contest vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (Nov. 17) was the first time Lafayette women's basketball hosted a nationally-ranked opponent within the Patriot League era.

CLUTCH AT THE WIRE
    Lafayette is 4-1 in games that have been decided by three points or fewer this season.

PINK OUT/NGWSD
    Lafayette kicked off February with its annual Pink Out/National Girls and Women in Sports Day Game on Feb.1. Members of the Kay Yow Foundation were in attendance as the Leopards showed their annual support for cancer research.

 SCHOOL DAY GAME
    On Jan. 15 Lafayette women's basketball hosted its fifth-annual School Day Game. More than 1,100 fifth and sixth grade students from the Easton Area School District came to Kirby Sports Center for a day of fun and to support the Leopards take on Army.
      
SHOOTING DUO
    Guards Teresa Kiewiet and Sauda Ntaconayigize have been constant threats from deep this season, shooting 45.6 and 40.4 percent respectively. Kiewiet ranks second in the entire conference in three-point percentage on 50 or more attempts and Ntaconayigize paces her competitors on 80 or more attempts. Both Leopards are averaging 26 minutes or better per contest.

1,000-POINT SCORER
    Program history was made on Dec. 1 in the team's game at Monmouth, as 
senior guard Abby Antognoli became the Leopards' 21st 1,000 career points scorer with her fifth field goal (in the fourth quarter).

STARTING FIVE
    Lafayette used the same starting lineup for 10-straight games before sophomore guard Teresa Kiewiet broke into the lineup at home versus Army (1/15).
Guards Abby Antognoli, Halee Smith, Kay Donahue, Sauda Ntaconayigize and forward Tasha Chudy have been the mainstays in the lineup for the majority of the season. Chudy got her first career starting nod versus St. Francis and has started every game since. Donahue broke into Damon-Olson's lineup against Notre Dame (11/17) and finished the day with a career-high 18 points versus the nationally-ranked foe. The Leopards have used the same lineup in their last 14 games.

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