PURCHASE, N.Y. (March 1, 2026) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team is back on top of the Skyline Conference! The #2-seed Mariners captured the 2026 Skyline Championship with a thrilling 63-59 victory at top-seeded Manhattanville on Sunday afternoon. The Mariners improve to 23-4 with the win, while the Valiants' season ends with a 21-6 record.
It was the fourth conference championship in program history and has guaranteed USMMA a trip to its fifth NCAA National Championship.
Game Links
Sophomore
Carolae Barton (Waldorf, Md.) won the Skyline Championship's Most Outstanding Player award after she finished the two games with an average of 20.5 points, 20.5 rebounds, 6.0 blocks and 4.5 assists. That included another double-double in the title game with 17 points and a career-high 26 boards to go along with six blocks and four assists.
Sophomore
Breanna Sommers (Casa Grande, Ariz.) made timely plays throughout the championship game and finished with 13 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists, including a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Junior
Emily Grasseler (Millbrook, N.Y.) added 12 points and eight rebounds, scoring crucial baskets down the stretch and converting at the free-throw line in the final seconds to help seal the title.
Senior
Hannah Ramsden (Port Aransas, Texas) contributed 11 points, highlighted by two three-pointers and a pivotal jumper in the fourth quarter, while also grabbing five rebounds. Freshman
Jaden Lodice (Littleton, Colo.) chipped in with six points and four boards.
The Mariners came out on top despite committing 32 turnovers. USMMA shot 25-for-51 from the field (49.0 percent) and 4-for-14 from three (28.6 percent), while going 9-for-19 at the line (47.4 percent). Manhattanville posted identical shooting numbers at 49.0 percent overall and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, but the Mariners created separation on the glass with a dominant 48-23 rebounding advantage, including a 12-6 edge in offensive boards. That work on the interior translated into a 34-32 advantage in points in the paint and an 11-10 edge in second-chance points, while the championship battle featured nine ties and 12 lead changes before KP secured the title.
Merchant Marine struck first on a Sommers three-pointer less than 10 seconds in, but the Ville answered with a quick 7-0 push to grab the early edge. Barton and Grasseler steadied things inside, combining for four paint scores as the opening quarter featured six lead changes and ended knotted at 12-12. The tone was set early – tight, physical, and back-and-forth – with neither side able to create separation through the first 10 minutes.
The second quarter followed a similar script, as Barton converted twice on the block and Ramsden drilled a three to help KP build a 21-14 lead midway through the period. Manhattanville responded with a 6-0 stretch to even it at 21-21, and the teams traded baskets the rest of the half before a late three nudged the Valiants in front 30-29 at the break. Grasseler's transition finish and Barton's interior presence kept the Mariners within a possession despite five ties in the first half alone.
Kings Point delivered its most efficient stretch in the third, shooting 7-for-9 in the period and turning a one-point halftime deficit into a 48-47 advantage heading to the fourth. After Manhattanville tied the score it at 35-35, Ramsden buried a three and Grasseler attacked the rim during an 8-2 burst that pushed the Mariners ahead 43-37. Even when the Valiants closed the quarter with a fast-break three to cut it to one, Barton answered in the final seconds with a layup to preserve the edge.
The final quarter was a championship-level exchange, featuring multiple lead changes before KP made the decisive plays late. After Manhattanville briefly went in front 49-48, Sommers answered with a put-back and later a clutch three at 5:52 to regain control, and Ramsden's jumper at 3:22 broke a 57-57 tie. Grasseler then scored with 27 seconds left to extend the lead to three and sealed it at the line in the closing seconds as the Mariners closed out a 63-59 Skyline Championship victory on the Valiants' floor.
Manhattanville was paced by Senior Amanda Orlando, who finished with 18 points and added four rebounds and three assists. Classmate Julie DeBrocky contributed 15 points, including three three-pointers, while fellow senior Gabby Tucker added 12 points and a team-high six rebounds as the Valiants placed three players in double figures in the championship game.
On Monday, the Mariners will find out where they are headed next weekend for the opening rounds of the 2026 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The DIII Women's Basketball selection show is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and can be viewed on the NCAA website
at this link.
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