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 ARMY
    The Black Knights finished their non-conference slate at 8-2 and won their last league game 64-46 at Holy Cross (3/5).  Army sits in second place in the conference (14-4) with head coach Missy Traversi in her fourth season at the helm.
    Monday marks the 75th meeting, between the Leopards and Black Knights after Army captured a 75-48 victory in the second meeting of the season in West Point on Feb. 16.
    All-PL First Team and all-defensive selection Trinity Hardy paced the Black Knights in points (21) in the win over Holy Cross.  All-PL Third Team member Fiona Hastick dropped in an additional 17 points vs. the Crusaders. Hardy leads Army in scoring (13.6 ppg) and All-PL Second Team selection Reese Ericson is second on the team in points (10.8). Hardy ranks seventh in the conference in scoring and 10th in assists (3.0 apg). The Lakeland, Fla. native is also a threat on the defensive end, ranking second in the conference in steals per game (2.1). Sophomore Kya Smith paces Army in rebounding and ranks fifth in the conference, hauling in 7.5 per game.
    Army shot 38.3 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent from the charity stripe in its win at Holy Cross. The Black Knights rank fourth in the conference in scoring (64.0 ppg) and first in defensive rating, holding their opponents to 56.6 points per outing.  As a team on the season,  Army is shooting 40.3 percent from the field (seventh in the conference).

LAST TIME OUT
    Lafayette women's basketball claimed a dominant 87-53 victory over American in the Patriot League Tournament opening round on Saturday at Kirby Sports 
Center.
    The Leopards were led in scoring by senior Abby Antognoli and sophomore Teresa Kiewiet, each netting 16 points. Juniors Emma Shields and Sauda Ntaconayigize also had strong outings for Lafayette, posting 15 points apiece. Shields' points, 13 rebounds and four blocks were all career highs for the Troy, N.Y. native and it was her second double double of the season. Saturday's victory also marked the largest point total for the program since a 90-85 win over Colgate in Feb. 2017.

KEEP 'EM COMING
    The Leopards are shooting 75.7 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 30 games, shooting 81.3 percent (among active players).
MINUTES INCREASE
    Freshman guard Talia Zurinskas is averaging 22.6 minutes per game over her last 10 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.
    
SHOOTING DUO
    Guards Teresa Kiewiet and Sauda Ntaconayigize have been constant threats from deep this season, shooting 44.1 and 42.2 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.

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.
    
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).

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.