The women’s basketball Patriot League tournament began the second week of March. Going into the week, the Bison were seeded sixth overall and beat Colgate in the quarterfinals before losing to Army in the semis. 

In their first matchup of the tournament, the Orange and Blue traveled to Hamilton, N.Y. This win marked not only the team’s third victory against Colgate this season but also Head Coach Trevor Woodruff’s 100th win. 

Both teams saw scoring surges of their own throughout the first quarter. Isabella King ʼ25 hit the first three-pointer of the game to open up the team’s scoring. Colgate’s response was a 6-0 run. The Bison managed to grab the lead and go up 9-8 before trailing by four. King added two free throws to the team’s five points in the remainder of the quarter.

The Bison came out strong in the second quarter and pushed their lead even further after scoring 16 points. Scoring came from Ashley Sofilkanich ʼ27, Reese Zemitis ʼ28 and King. Colgate managed to close the gap to four points before the half, but a three from King would end the half with the Bison up by seven. 

Colgate managed to take back the lead in the third quarter after outsourcing their opponents 14-2. Sofilkanich put up four points to bring the Bison closer as both teams entered the final quarter.

Zemitis took control in the fourth quarter to help lead the team to victory. She scored 10 points in the final quarter alone after struggling with shooting earlier in the game. The Bison went on a 7-0 run, including a clutch three-pointer from Zemitis. Sofilkanich established herself in the paint and converted on a tough layup. Elana Weisman ʼ28 added a free throw to put the Bison up by two points. Colgate tied the game at 55-55. 

Colgate placed a tough defense on Sofilkanich. This opened up Zemitis for a critical three-point shot as time was running out. Anna Kunzwiler ʼ27 and Zemitis sunk a combined three free throws when it mattered most. The game concluded with a score of 63-58, a Bison victory.

Sofilkanich ended with an outstanding 28 points amidst Colgate’s tough defense. Zemitis and King finished with 13 each. 

The Orange and Blue’s next game, which would be their final of the season, was against Army on March 13. They started the game strong by establishing the first lead. Before the first quarter ended, however, Army scored six points to go up 14-13. 

Zemitis scored a quick jumper to start the second quarter and put the team up by one. Less than a minute went by before Army snatched the lead back off of an offensive rebound that led to a three-pointer. Army managed to score off of 11 second-chance opportunities. The Bison’s offense struggled, proving costly in the second quarter. Army held their opponents to only four points and managed to score 10 themselves. The Orange and Blue went on to trail the rest of the game. 

In the final minutes of the second quarter, neither team could score. Kunzwiler drove to the basket for a layup to break the scoring drought. Army followed with five points and led 24-17 at the half.

Army continued to push their lead throughout the second half. The Bison did what they could to inch closer. In the fourth quarter, a combined effort from Sophia Sabino ʼ25 and Sofilkanich brought the Bison within four. However, they would not score again and ultimately lost 43-39. 

Sofilkanich ended the day with 13 points, Tuana Coskun ʼ27 and Sabino with nine each and King with four.

Overall, the team finished 17-14 and with four more wins this season than last and look forward to preparing for next year with their young group.