The 2025–26 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Championship tips off Saturday, Feb. 21, with all games played at the higher seed through the semifinals and final. The winner earns an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship starting March 6–7.
The Houghton University Highlanders, who earned the No. 3 seed (20-5, 11-5 Empire 8), will host No. 6 St. John Fisher University in the opening round at 2 p.m. at The Nielsen Center in Houghton.
As the higher seed, the Highlanders will look to capitalize on home-court advantage and extend their season with a win that would send them into the semifinal round of the conference tournament.
Houghton and St. John Fisher met earlier in the Empire 8 slate, where the Highlanders fell in a tight contest by a 63-62 margin at home. Houghton led in the closing moments and even took a late lead on a Teghan Trocki three and a free throw by Crysta LaCrosse, but St. John Fisher's Hannah Ferguson hit a game-winning trey with 1.8 seconds left to seal the Cardinals' victory.
8 teams qualified for the postseason:
- Nazareth University
- SUNY Brockport
- Houghton University
- SUNY Geneseo
- Russell Sage College
- St. John Fisher University
- Elmira College
- Alfred University
Houghton University Highlanders (No. 3 seed)
- Regular-season record: 20-5 overall, 11-5 in Empire 8 play — tied for the conference's third-best mark.
- Tournament seed: No. 3 — Houghton's fourth straight Empire 8 Tournament appearance.
- Scoring profile: The Highlanders are the highest-scoring team in the Empire 8, averaging 78.2 points per game this season.
Key Contributors
- Tabitha DeVries: Team leader with ~13.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game — a focal point of Houghton's offense.
- Crysta Lacrosse: Near-double-digit scorer at ~12.2 points per contest, adding playmaking and rebounding.
- Perimeter threats: Olivia Simser and Teghan Trockl both shoot near 37% from 3-point range — a major factor in spacing and big-game scoring.
St. John Fisher Cardinals (No. 6 seed)
- Regular-season record: 12-13 overall, 8-8 in Empire 8 play — good enough for the sixth seed in the postseason bracket.
- Tournament seed: No. 6 — St. John Fisher returns to the Empire 8 Tournament looking to make some noise after a competitive regular season.
- Scoring profile: The Cardinals feature a balanced offense with multiple contributors and have shown they can pile up points in conference play.
Key Contributors
- Presleigh Brunner: Leading the team in scoring at ~14.7 points per game, Brunner also chips in ~5.7 rebounds and nearly 2 steals per contest — a catalyst on both ends of the floor.
- Hannah Ferguson: Right behind Brunner offensively with ~11.8 points per game, Ferguson anchors the interior and leads the Cardinals in rebounds and blocks — bringing physicality in the paint.
- Julia Perales: A steady floor general, Perales averages ~3.2 assists per game, ranking among the conference's better distributors and helping St. John Fisher maintain offensive flow
2025-26 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Championship Schedule
Saturday, February 21 – First Round (All games at Higher Seed)
No. 8 Alfred at No. 1 Nazareth – 2 p.m.
No. 7 Elmira at No. 2 SUNY Brockport – 2 p.m.
No. 6 St. John Fisher at No. 3 Houghton – 2 p.m.
No. 5 Russell Sage at No. 4 SUNY Geneseo – 2 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25 – Semifinals (All games at Higher Seed)
Winner of Nazareth/Alfred vs. Winner of SUNY Geneseo/Russell Sage – TBA
Winner of Brockport/Elmira vs. Houghton/St. John Fisher – TBA
Saturday, February 28 - Championship Final (at Highest Remaining Seed)
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 - TBA
Admission
$10.00 - Adults
$2.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12
