Featured image courtesy of the USMA athletic department.
The Patriot League regular season is down to its final 1.5 weeks, and the hierarchy is starting to settle. Bucknell continues to hold onto its first-place ranking in the conference. Colgate is only two games behind and has the best chance to knock off Bucknell. The Bison and Raiders face off in a matchup that could prove critical on Wednesday in Hamilton.
BU is the only other team with a chance to knock off Bucknell, although they would have to go 3-0 in their next three games. For BU to finish in first, Bucknell would have to lose out and Colgate would need to lose two of their three remaining games.
Ethan Fuller and Hannah Yoshinaga chose each team’s freshman of the week for this edition of the Power Rankings.
1. Bucknell University (20-6, 13-2 PL)
Previous ranking: 1
Freshman of the Week: Tai Johnson (G)
Throughout the course of the season, Johnson has turned into a reliable reserve option for the Bison. Johnson finished with seven points, two rebounds, and two assists against Lehigh and contributed two points and a rebound against Holy Cross. — Hannah Yoshinaga
This week: February 26 at Colgate, February 29 vs. BU
2. Boston University (15-11, 10-5 PL)
Previous ranking: 2
Freshman of the Week: Maren Durant (F)
The Terriers saw their season-altering win streak come to an end in the final seconds against American on Saturday. But while Durant fouled out late in the contest, she also was a key cog in the close game and the entire week. Durant averaged nine points and nine rebounds across the two matchups while amassing seven blocks, playing with physicality against some tough interior opponents. — Ethan Fuller
This week: February 26 vs. Lehigh, February 29 at Bucknell
3. Colgate University (19-7, 11-4 PL)
Previous ranking: 3
Freshman of the Week: Alexa Brodie (G)
Brodie had stumbled over her last couple of games entering the week, but the freshman recovered well, scoring 10 points and shooting the ball well in two Raider wins. A mainstay in the starting lineup, Brodie knocked down four of her six three-point attempts, shooting 7-12 from the field overall. — Ethan Fuller
This week: February 26 vs. Bucknell, February 29 at Army
4. College of the Holy Cross (15-11, 8-7 PL)
Previous ranking: 4
Freshman of the Week: Addisyn Cross (G)
Cross did not get a lot of playing time this week, but coach Ann McInerney trusted her to come in during important games against Bucknell and Colgate. Cross ended the week with three points, one assist, and one rebound. The Crusaders graduate three senior guards this year, potentially opening the door for Cross next year. — Hannah Yoshinaga
This week: February 26 vs. Army, February 29 at American
5. Lafayette College (13-12, 9-6 PL)
Previous ranking: 5
Freshman of the Week: Reilly Campbell (F)
The Leopards rolled out just three minutes of action from their freshmen class across the entire week. All three minutes came from the 6-foot-2 Campbell, who has popped in and out of the rotation this season. In those spot minutes against Loyola Maryland, Campbell pulled down one rebound and did not score. — Ethan Fuller
This week: February 26 vs. American, February 29 at Navy
6. Lehigh University (16-10, 8-7 PL)
Previous ranking: 6
Freshman of the Week: Frannie Hottinger (F)
Hottinger was the only freshman who got the call this week as Lehigh matched up with Bucknell and Colgate. Hottinger scored two points and secured three rebounds while turning the ball over only once in the two games. — Hannah Yoshinaga.
This week: February 26 at BU, March 1 vs. Loyola MD
7. American University (11-14, 7-8 PL)
Previous ranking: 8
Freshman of the Week: Lauren Stack (F)
Frankly, neither of American’s two active freshmen posted meaningful production in the Eagles’ sweep of the week. Stack missed both shot attempts in her three minutes against Navy, while Karla Vres did not take a shot while racking up two fouls in two minutes versus BU. Stack, with one more minute of playing time, gets the edge here. — Ethan Fuller
This week: February 26 at Lafayette, February 29 vs. Holy Cross
8. Loyola University Maryland (7-19, 4-11 PL)
Previous ranking: 7
Freshman of the Week: Emily McAteer (F)
McAteer contributed at least 20 productive minutes in both of Loyola’s games this week. Against Army, McAteer scored seven points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. She scored six points, three rebounds, and two assists versus Lafayette. McAteer is one of many talented freshmen on the Loyola squad, so the future looks bright for the Greyhounds. — Hannah Yoshinaga
This week: February 26 vs. Navy, March 1 at Lehigh
9. Army West Point (7-19, 3-12 PL)
Previous ranking: 10
Freshman of the Week: Hope Brown (G)
Brown is one of Army’s starters, unlike most of the other freshmen in the conference. Brown is not a big volume scorer, but she can give the Black Knights a solid 20 minutes or more per game. Brown scored 11 points this week and grabbed seven rebounds. She also picked up two steals against Loyola, helping her earn Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors. — Hannah Yoshinaga
This week: February 26 at Holy Cross, February 29 vs. Colgate
10. Naval Academy (7-19, 2-13 PL)
Previous ranking: 9
Freshman of the Week: Nyah Garrison (G)
Navy boasts a fairly deep freshman class, but the group struggled on the whole over the past week and collectively lost its touch. Garrison scored three points in each game and shot a paltry 2-11 from the floor, but did pull down five rebounds in the loss to American. At this point in the year, it’s hard to find many positives for the Mids. — Ethan Fuller
This week: February 26 at Loyola MD, February 29 vs. Lafayette
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