WEST POINT, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Army women’s basketball team used a dominant defensive performance to secure a 61-42 victory over Lafayette in a Patriot League contest on Saturday at Christl Arena.

The Black Knights, improving to 22-6 overall, forced 17 Lafayette turnovers and converted them into 23 points, while also holding the Leopards to just 30.8% shooting from the field. Army’s defensive pressure was relentless, accumulating 16 steals and four blocked shots, which consistently disrupted Lafayette’s offensive flow and prevented any sustained comeback attempts.

Lafayette, which fell to 10-18, struggled offensively from the opening tip. The Leopards managed only six points in the first quarter and shot 4 for 14 from three-point range for the game. Despite a game-high 24 points from Teresa Kiewiet, who played 37 minutes, Lafayette could not find consistent scoring support. Talia Zurinskas added seven points and three assists for the Leopards.

Army, meanwhile, showcased a balanced offensive attack. Kya Smith, a 6-foot-1 guard from Lubbock, Texas, led the Black Knights with 18 points, adding three assists and repeatedly capitalizing on Lafayette’s mistakes. Camryn Tade, a 5-9 guard from Southlake, Texas, contributed 15 points, and Taylor Wilson of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, filled the stat sheet with nine points, two assists and four blocks.

The most pivotal stretch of the game came in the second quarter, when Army extended its lead from a narrow 14-12 margin after the first period to a commanding 34-23 advantage by halftime. The Black Knights outscored Lafayette 20-17 in the quarter, but more importantly, their defense tightened, forcing eight Leopards turnovers in the period. A sequence late in the half typified the struggle for Lafayette: after a Haylie Adamski three-pointer cut the Army lead to 22-20, the Black Knights responded with a 12-3 run to close the quarter. The run was fueled by defensive stops and transition opportunities, including a Taylor Wilson steal and layup and a Soleil Montrose three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer, which effectively drained Lafayette’s momentum.

Army maintained control throughout the second half, never allowing the Leopards to draw closer than nine points. The Black Knights’ ball movement and decision-making proved superior, as evidenced by their 16 assists on 22 made field goals, compared to just four assists for Lafayette. Army also won the battle on the glass, securing 14 offensive rebounds which led to 13 second-chance points.

Soleil Montrose provided a key spark off the bench for Army with seven points in 17 minutes, while Brooke Wilson directed the offense with five assists. Sauda Ntaconayigize of Quebec City, Canada, led Lafayette’s ancillary scoring with three points and two assists.

The game was a rematch of a Feb. 7 contest, also won by Army, 62-50. The Black Knights have now won seven of their last eight games. Lafayette has lost two of its last three.

An announced crowd of 780 at Christl Arena saw Army solidify its position near the top of the Patriot League standings with the wire-to-wire victory, which was projected by statistical models with a 94.1% probability. The Black Knights’ defensive intensity, particularly during the decisive second-quarter run, proved to be the defining factor, overwhelming a Lafayette team that could not match their execution or physicality on either end of the floor.