Jan. 19, 2011

Final Stats

WORCESTER, Mass. - The Navy women's basketball team remained unbeaten in the Patriot League as it used a solid defensive effort en route to a 53-39 win over Holy Cross on Wednesday night at the Hart Center. The Mids are now 4-0 in the Patriot League and 11-7 overall, while Holy Cross dropped to 6-13 and 2-2 in the conference.

The Crusaders' 39 points were the fewest scored by a Navy opponent this season. Holy Cross' 15 field goals also tied a season low for a Navy foe this season.

"We were able to see how other teams defended them and then make our own decisions on how to defend them," said Navy head coach Stefanie Pemper. "I don't think Holy Cross shot the ball as well as they can, so the game certainly could have been different."

Angela Myers led the Navy offensive effort with a game-high 14 points and six assists. She also collected eight rebounds for the Mids, who have now won five consecutive games.

Both teams began the game cold from the floor as the two combined to go scoreless for a 5:19 stretch early in the first half. With the Crusaders leading, 9-6, Chey Arvin had a layup in the paint to help the Mids pull within one and break out of their early slump.

Arvin's basket sparked a 15-2 run that gave Navy a 21-11 lead with just over 7:00 remaining in the first half.

The big run by the Midshipmen and their steady defensive pressure put them in control of the half. Navy held the Crusaders to just one field goal and three points in the final six-plus minutes of the frame to take a 25-19 lead into the locker room.

Cassie Consedine scored five of Navy's first six points of the second half and her three-pointer at the 17:02 mark pushed the Navy lead to 10 points at 31-21.

After the teams traded baskets, the Crusaders cut into the Navy lead with a pair of free throws by Whitney Fremeau and a three-pointer by Amy Lepley that made the score 35-30. But just as the Crusaders flirted with regaining the momentum, Myers responded on the next possession as she knocked down a triple to push the Navy lead back to eight points with just under 10:00 to play.

Holy Cross' Alex Smith then matched Myers on the other end of the floor to again make it a five-point game.

Refusing to let their lead shrink any further, the Mids clamped down on defense and allowed just two more Crusader field goals the rest of the way. Navy played stout defense the entire game, especially down the stretch as it forced the Crusaders into seven turnovers in the final 4:46.

"I just really liked our effort tonight, I thought Alix Membreno made a lot nice hustle plays and that was why she was in there for 31 minutes," said Pemper. "I thought our intensity, effort and focus on the game plan was great for 40 minutes and I'm really happy about that."

While doing the job on the defensive end, the Mids also maintained their offensive attack and steadily extended their lead - closing the final 8:50 of the game on a 15-6 run to ensure a 53-39 win.

"They show a lot of different looks on defense and we certainly never got comfortable, I thought," said Pemper. "They took away some things and made it hard to get it into Jade and Cassie. So, that really forced us to take what the defense gave us and make the extra pass."

Navy will return to action on Saturday when it heads to West Point, N.Y. to face rival Army, who also improved to 4-0 in conference play on Wednesday night. The game can be seen live at 3:30 p.m. on CBS College Sports.

Notes: Navy held Holy Cross to just 19 points in the first half, marking the sixth time this season it has held an opponent to 19 points or fewer in the opening frame ... With 10 rebounds, Consedine moved into fifth place on Navy's all-time rebounds list with 783, surpassing Angela Smith ... With 13 points, Jade Geif scored in double-figures for the fourth consecutive game ... The Mids improved to 8-2 when leading at the half ... Navy held 41-31 advantage on the glass, marking third consecutive game the Mids have held a double-digit edge in rebounding ... Navy held a 10-0 advantage in bench points ... Navy is now 4-1 against Holy Cross in the last five meetings, including winning the last three games in Worcester.