In an eagerly anticipated matchup, the Lehigh women's basketball team prepares to host Navy at Stabler Arena this Wednesday evening. The event, dubbed "Swifties and Swishes Night," promises a thrilling contest that could mark significant milestones for the Mountain Hawks. Fans attending the game will enjoy special giveaways, including commemorative posters for the first 250 attendees and friendship bracelets for the first 50 children. This encounter holds particular importance as Lehigh seeks to extend its impressive winning streak and achieve a historic victory.
The Mountain Hawks have been on a remarkable run, currently boasting an overall record of 19-4 and a conference record of 10-1. An eighth consecutive win against Navy would tie their longest winning streak since the 2009-2010 season and push them to a 20-win mark for the first time since 2018-19. Achieving this milestone would place them among the elite teams in program history, having reached the 20-win mark only seven times before. Senior guard Ella Stemmer has been instrumental in this success, standing just 10 points away from becoming the 24th player to score 1,000 career points. Additionally, she is three three-pointers shy of hitting 200 career three-pointers, which would rank her third all-time in program history.
The upcoming match also highlights the stellar performance of fifth-year senior wing Maddie Albrecht, who leads the team with an average of 15.8 points per game. Her consistency has been pivotal, as she has scored in double figures in six consecutive games and 20 times this season. Meanwhile, Navy arrives after a narrow loss to Lafayette, with Zanai Barnett-Gay leading the charge with 29 points. Barnett-Gay is Navy's top scorer, averaging 19.0 points per game. The two teams previously met earlier this season, where Lehigh secured a decisive 87-66 victory by outscoring Navy 40-21 in the second half. Albrecht's career-high 31 points were crucial in that win, along with contributions from Stemmer and Lily Fandre.
With a strong historical advantage over Navy, holding a 38-34 record, a win on Wednesday would not only solidify Lehigh's dominance but also capture the season series for the first time since 2022-23. After this critical game, Lehigh will set its sights on Holy Cross, traveling to Worcester, Massachusetts, for a February 15 showdown. Fans can look forward to another exciting chapter in the Mountain Hawks' storied season as they aim to maintain their momentum and chase new records.