Postseason Preview: Pride Enter GNAC Tournament as No. 3 Seed, Set to Host Opening Round
WESTON, Mass. — The Pride enter the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Tournament as the No. 3 seed after posting a 12-13 overall record and an impressive 9-3 mark in conference play. Picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, the Pride exceeded expectations behind veteran leadership and a historic senior campaign from Madi Zancan.
Head Coach Samantha Crough will guide the Pride into their first home postseason matchup since the 2022–23 season, marking the highest tournament seed of her tenure.
The Pride will host No. 6 seed Albertus Magnus on Wednesday, February 25 at 6 p.m. In the teams' first meeting of the season in January - which also served as both programs' conference opener - the Pride secured a 63-55 victory.
For the Pride, Zancan has been the driving force all season, averaging a dominant double-double with 20.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 52.7 percent from the field. She leads the GNAC in scoring and ranks second in rebounding, earning conference, regional, and national recognition along the way. Her standout season includes a record breaking 50-point performance, three 30-point outings, and 16 double-doubles.
Classmate Jordyn Striggles has provided a major offensive spark, recently becoming the program's all-time leader in three-pointers made. Alongside Jillian Perry, the duo has elevated its play during conference action, consistently outperforming season averages in GNAC competition.
Perry has enjoyed a breakout campaign, improving across the board in points, three-pointers, blocks, steals, and assists. The 5-foot-5 junior has made a significant defensive impact, totaling 20 blocks on the year - the second-highest mark on the team - while bringing relentless energy and instinct on that end of the floor.
She is joined defensively by gritty guard Kailyn Smith, who has consistently taken on some of the conference's toughest assignments, embracing the challenge of guarding top scorers and setting the tone with her physical, hard-nosed play.
Depth has also been a key factor for the Pride, with underclassmen Zoey Swanson, Kristina Asmani, and Riley Whittier providing valuable minutes off the bench. Swanson enters postseason play fresh off one of her strongest performances in Crimson and Gold, recording a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double in the regular-season finale. Each has delivered timely contributions throughout the year - a trend the Pride hope continues in tournament play.
The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal will advance to face the victor of the Saint Joseph's (Maine) and University of Saint Joseph matchup.
2026 GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Feb. 25
(Hosted by higher seeds)
#1 Emmanuel vs. #8 New England College, 6 p.m.
#2 Saint Joseph's (Maine) vs. #7 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 5 pm
#3 Regis vs. #6 Albertus Magnus 6 p.m.
#4 Norwich vs. #5 Lasell, 7 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday, Feb. 27
(Hosted by higher seeds)
Winner of #1/#8 vs. #4/5 Winner, TBD
Winner of #2/#7 vs. #3/6 Winner, TBD
Championship – Sunday, Mar. 1
Semifinal winners, TBD