Women’s basketball forfeits game due to lack of healthy players

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comments from the university’s staff and the team’s roster changes.

The Lehigh women’s basketball game scheduled for Saturday afternoon against Navy was called off Friday, when the roster was reduced to just six healthy players.

According to the Patriot League, the cancellation is due to the lack of players able to safely compete on the 12-player team, resulting in a forfeit for the Mountain Hawks. 

This is Lehigh’s first ever forfeit in women’s basketball program history.

The NCAA rules forfeits as no contests, leaving both teams’ overall records unchanged. Within the Patriot League standings exclusively, Lehigh will take a league loss.

Dean of athletics Jeremy Gibson said the team has especially been hit hard by injuries over the past several weeks. 

“I was especially proud of how these women competed on Wednesday against Boston University with limited roster availability,” he said. 

Last Wednesday, when it became clear these additional injuries would further reduce availability, Gibson said Lehigh notified the league that the team would be unable to compete against Navy. 

He also said the team will have additional players available this week. 

As of Monday morning, first-year track and field athlete Melani Dowling and junior women’s soccer player Cyndea Labissiere were added to the 2025-26 roster. 

Despite the no-contest, the team currently sits in third place in the Patriot League standings, with an 8-8 overall record.

Coach Addie Micir said the team looks forward to getting back on the court soon. 

The Mountain Hawks are scheduled to return to league play on Wednesday, traveling to Baltimore to face Loyola Maryland University.