ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 2018-19 season is just one day away for the Navy women's basketball team as a Wednesday, Nov. 7 matchup versus Catholic University marks the first of 28 regular season contests for the Mids this year. Navy will host its neighbors from Washington, D.C. at Alumni Hall with the tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night's game is the first between the Mids and Cardinals since February 15, 1990.

Wednesday's game will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network with live stats available at NavyStats.com. WNAV will also broadcast the game over the radio airwaves at 1430 AM / 99.9 FM WNAV.

Your 2018-19 Midshipmen
Coming off a program-best 25-win season in 2017-18, the Midshipmen will once again look to attain postseason glory this year ... Navy has competed in both the Patriot League Championship Game and WNIT contests in each of the past two seasons ... 11th-year head coach Stefanie Pemper and senior team captain Bianca Roach are charged with leading and guiding a young, but talented Midshipmen squad ... Junior Laurel Jaunich, sophomore Sophie Gatzounas and Roach all return as players, who saw time in the starting lineup in 2017-18, while guard Morgan Taylor comes back for her junior season after strong work off the bench last season ... Alongside six other returners, five freshmen will be integrated into the framework of the team this season.

Navy versus Catholic
The Midshipmen and Cardinals were regular combatants during the Mids' early days as a NCAA Division II program from 1977-78 through 1990-91 ... Navy and Catholic first went head-to-head on the hardwood on February 1, 1979 in Annapolis in a game that the Mids came away with a 69-65 victory ... The Cardinals would win two road matchups in D.C. during the 1980 season before the Mids ran off six straight wins from 1981 until the teams' final meeting on February 15, 1990 ... Navy won that last matchup, 90-62 ... The Mids have since moved up to NCAA Division I and compete in the Patriot League, while the Cardinals are in the Landmark Conference in Division III.

All-Time Series (Nine Meetings: Navy 7 - Catholic 2)
    February 15, 1990 (H): Navy 90 - Catholic 62
    December 2, 1989 (A): Navy 73 - Catholic 53
    January 21, 1987 (H): Navy 83 - Catholic 56
    February 23, 1983 (H): Navy 76 - Catholic 48
    February 4, 1982 (A): Navy 69 - Catholic 44
    February 5, 1981 (H): Navy 80 - Catholic 49
    February 26, 1980 (A): Catholic 69 - Navy 61
    January 10, 1980 (A): Catholic 72 - Navy 67
    February 1, 1979 (H): Navy 69 - Catholic 65

Comparing the Teams

(2017-18 Stats)	Navy	Catholic
Record / League-Only	25-8 / 13-5	16-9 / 7-7
Home /Away Record	16-1 / 9-7	10-3 / 5-5
Points Per Game	64.7 PPG	59.4 PPG
Points Allowed Per Game	54.0 PPG	51.6 PPG
Field Goal Percentage	39.5 %	35.5 %
3-Point Percentage	31.6 %	25.2 %
Free Throw Percentage	69.0 %	69.6 %
Rebounds Per Game	38.5 RPG	38.7 RPG
Assists/Turnovers Per Game	15.4 / 14.4	11.8 / 16.6

Returning Leaders

(2017-18 Stats)	Navy	Catholic
Points Per Game	Taylor, 6.9 PPG	Poindexter, 7.0 PPG
Rebounds Per Game	Gatzounas, 4.2 RPG	Poindexter, 5.1 RPG
Assists Per Game	Roach, 1.9 APG	Reynolds, 2.2 APG
Field Goal Percentage	Gatzounas, 48.6 %	O'Connor, 44.3 %
3-Point Percentage	Gatzounas, 37.8 %	Reynolds, 29.3 %
Free Throw Percentage	Gatzounas, 75.6 %	Mooney, 80.0 %

Navy in Season Openers
Wednesday marks the earliest season opener in program history as the Midshipmen have never started a season earlier than November 8 ... Always up for a challenge under 11th-year head coach Stefanie Pemper, the Mids have opened up on the road eight times over her first 10 campaigns with contests at perennial NCAA Tournament hopefuls Wake Forest ('16), Hofstra ('15) and Marist ('17) highlighting those road matchups ... Over the past 10 Opening Days, Navy is 4-6 with wins over Marist ('17), Towson ('13), Siena ('10) and High Point ('09).

Season Openers during the Pemper Era
    November 10, 2017 (A): Navy 77 - Marist 70
    November 11, 2016 (A): Wake Forest 75 - Navy 65
    November 13, 2015 (A): Hofstra 65 - Navy 63
    November 14, 2014 (A): North Carolina A&T 52 - Navy 47
    November 8, 2013 (A): Navy 56 - Towson 55
    November 9, 2012 (A): Iona 74 - Navy 64
    November 11, 2011 (H): Richmond 56 - Navy 39
    November 12, 2010 (A): Navy 57 - Siena 43
    November 13, 2009 (N): Navy 70 - High Point 67 (at Elon, N.C.)
    November 14, 2008 (H): Ohio 63 - Navy 48

Navy at Home
The Mids will look forward to playing Wednesday's contest in the friendly confines of Alumni Hall as the program has won 11 or more games in the arena since the 2010-11 season ... Beginning that season, the Mids are 101-30 with a program-record 16 wins coming during the 2017-18 campaign

Navy at Alumni Hall (2010/11 - 2017/18)
    2017-18: 16-1
    2016-17: 13-2
    2015-16: 11-5
    2014-15: 11-5
    2013-14: 13-4
    2012-13: 14-2
    2011-12: 12-5
    2010-11: 11-6

Patriot League Preseason Poll
The Patriot League announced its 2018-19 Preseason Women's Basketball Poll on Oct. 18 and recognized Bucknell University as the league favorite with 14 first-place votes and 154 points overall ... Navy stands in a two-way tie in fourth place with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks with 91 points. American (137 points – 2 first place votes) and Loyola (129 points – 4 first place votes) occupy the second and third positions, respectively.

Upcoming Action
After Wednesday night's game versus Catholic, Navy will host Marist College on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Alumni Hall ... The matchup between the Mids and Red Foxes is the back-end of a home-and-home series that started in 2017 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

This Week in Navy Promotions
A host of promotions involving the Navy women's basketball team are planned for this week ... 

Wednesday: Navy vs. Catholic ... Melwood Appreciation Night: Melwood staff will be invited to the game for group rate discounted tickets ... Poster Night: Make sure to come to the home opener and get a free 2018-19 Navy Women's Basketball poster

Friday: Veteran's Classic Men's BBall Doubleheader ... Autograph Session: The Navy women's basketball team will be signing its 2018-19 poster on the main concourse during the intermission between the Providence-Wichita State (6 PM) and Navy-Maryland (8:30 PM) games as part of the 2018 Veteran's Classic Doubleheader

Sunday: Navy vs. Marist ... Faculty/Staff Day: Faculty and Staff of USNA will be able to get in free with valid ID; anyone else they bring will be able to purchase tickets at group rates

Parking/Shuttle Ticket Information
Vehicle access to the U.S. Naval Academy is limited to those with a Department of Defense identification card ... It is suggested that everyone else park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium ($5 per vehicle) and ride the free shuttle bus to and from the game ... Shuttle bus service will begin one hour prior to tip. Note that a government issued identification card must be carried and presented by visitors ages 18 and older to the USNA prior to being allowed onto The Yard.

Tickets
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth online in advance of the game at NavySports.com. The Alumni Hall Ticket Office will open one hour prior to the start of the game.