KEENE, N.H. – The 2026 ECAC DIII Women’s Basketball Championship opened on Saturday afternoon, with #3 Keene State defeating #6 Lehman 75-69 in the first game of the tournament. The Owls will now advance to face two-seed Brooklyn College in the semifinals next weekend, with the winner securing a berth in the title game the following day.
 
Keene State improves to 19-9 on the season, while Lehman is now eliminated and wraps up the campaign with a record of 16-13.
 
Lehman controlled the opening tip and came away with the first bucket of the game, but Keene State answered with a 30-9 run that lasted the duration of the first quarter. The Lightning followed with a 20-9 run of their own in the second quarter, heading to the locker room at the intermission with a manageable 39-31 deficit.
 
The two teams went back and forth the bulk of the third quarter, but Lehman came away with one extra bucket to head to the fourth down just six points. Keene State struggled from the floor in the final quarter, paving the way for Lehman to take a 58-57 lead with 0:51 left on the game clock.
 
A pair of free throws put the Lightning up three with 12 seconds left, and after an initial Lehman miss on their final possession, Bella Schultz-Mitchell came away with an offensive board and the game-tying three-pointer. Lehman got one last shot off, but it was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.
 
Free throws proved to be the difference down the stretch, as the Owls knocked down 8-of-10 from the stripe in the extra period to outscore Lehman 15-9 and advance to the semifinal round.
 
Keene State guard Brynn Rautiola led all scorers with 27 points, while Lehman teammates Emily Kennedy and Sage Fanelli matched one another with a team-high 21 apiece. Kennedy was a force to be reckoned with on the glass, hauling in 24 rebounds to round out a double-double performance.
 
The Owls outrebounded the Lightning by a margin of 55-45 for the game, but Lehman winning the turnover battle 17-15. Keene State held a lead for more than 37 of the 45 game minutes, but the game still featured five lead changes and six ties.
 
Stay tuned to ECACSports.com for further updates throughout the tournament.