ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The non-conference slate for the Navy women's basketball team will come to a conclusion on Monday with the Mids' home matchup versus the Saint Joseph's Hawks. The Mids (4-5) will come into the contest looking to even out their non-conference record versus a Hawks team that comes in with a 4-8 record. The game on Monday will be the first for Navy since the Mids dropped a hard-fought 68-67 road decision at Monmouth on December 19. The women's basketball programs from Navy and Saint Joseph's have never met on the hardwood. The action on Monday is set for a 6 p.m. tip-off at Navy's Alumni Hall.
Monday's game will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network. Live stats will be available at NavyStats.com.
Prior to the 6 p.m. tip-off, Head Coach
Stefanie Pemper will be honored with a brief pregame presentation of a commemorative basketball that recognizes her 200th win at the helm of the Navy Women's Basketball program. On the road on December 2 at Rider, Pemper became just the fifth head coach in Patriot League history to reach the 200-win milestone at one institution.
Last Time Out
Navy fell victim to a lights-out shooting effort by Monmouth late in the game on Wednesday, Dec. 19 as the host Hawks came from behind to knock off the Mids by a score of 68-67. Leading 36-24 going into halftime, Navy was unable to shut down a Monmouth team that shot a scalding 75.0 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and finished with back-to-back 22-point quarters in the third and fourth periods of action at OceanFirst Bank Center.
Sophomore Sophie Gatzounas had a day for the record book as she netted a career-high 22 points, while missing just three shots the entire game. Her line on Wednesday was 7-10 from field, 3-5 from three-point range and 5-5 from the foul line. She was joined in double figures by Jennifer Coleman, who tallied 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Morgan Taylor was the third Navy player to surpass that threshold as she netted 11 points, while corralling 12 rebounds for her third double-double of 2018-19.
Trailing 17-16 to start the second period, Coleman put Navy back ahead with a pair of successful free throws at 8:49. The high-scoring freshman guard converted her first field goal of the game in the ensuing possession to increase the Mids' lead out to three at 20-17. Monmouth ended Coleman's personal 6-0 streak to start the second quarter at 4:50 to make it 22-19. Coleman continued fronting Navy's offense in the period as she notched her 11th point of the quarter, the Mids' 12th overall, when she sank a three-pointer at 2:02 to increase her team's lead to 28-21. Gatzounas took the scoring baton from Coleman down the stretch with six points of her own to send Navy into the locker room up 36-24. The duo was responsible for 17 of the Mids' 20 points in a period where they outscored the Hawks, 20-7.
With the score 45-37 with 2:32 left in the third quarter, Monmouth completed the period on a 9-3 run to make it, 48-46 Navy, after 30 minutes of play.
A 5-2 start for the fourth quarter helped Monmouth re-take the lead, 51-50 at 6:33. That was the Hawks' first lead since it was 17-16 to start the second quarter. The hectic back-and-forth action continued over the final 123 seconds as game was tied three times, at 62-62, 65-65 and 67-67, respectively. At the line with the game tied and 12 seconds showing on the scoreboard, the Hawks' Lucy Thomas sank one of two free throws to net the game's final point as Monmouth secured the come-from-behind victory, 68-67.
For their respective efforts, Gatzounas was named the NAAA Athlete of the Week, while Coleman picked up Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors.
Navy versus Saint Joseph's
Monday's showdown between the Mids and Hawks will be the first-ever between the two programs that competed in the 2018 WNIT Tournament ... All-time, Navy is 24-35 in 59 prior meetings with schools from the Atlantic-10 conference; the Mids went 2-0 against A-10 squads in 2017-18 as they defeated St. Bonaventure, 86-48 on Nov. 26, 2017 and Richmond, 76-56 on Dec. 6 ... Earlier this season on Nov. 24, Navy dropped a 65-61 game to Penn, one of the five schools in Philadelphia that makes up the city's Big 5 rivalry series ... On the men's side of the basketball equation, Navy and Saint Joseph's have faced off six times (Navy, 5-1), most recently on March 14, 1959 as part of the 1959 NCAA Tournament.
Comparing the Teams
| (2018-19 Stats) |
Navy |
STJ |
| Record / League-Only |
4-5 / 0-0 |
4-8 / 0-0 |
| Home /Away Record |
2-2 / 2-3 |
3-5 / 1-3 |
| Points Per Game |
61.1 PPG |
52.2 PPG |
| Points Allowed Per Game |
57.9 PPG |
57.0 PPG |
| Field Goal Percentage |
35.3 % |
35.4 % |
| 3-Point Percentage |
25.0 % |
26.2 % |
| Free Throw Percentage |
62.4 % |
71.5 % |
| Rebounds Per Game |
40.3 RPG |
33.7 RPG |
| Assists/Turnovers Per Game |
11.2 / 18.1 |
12.4 / 15.3 |
Individual Leaders
| (2018-19 Stats) |
Navy |
Saint Joseph's |
| Points Per Game |
Coleman, 13.3 PPG |
A. Monaghan, 12.8 PPG |
| Rebounds Per Game |
Gatzounas, 7.4 RPG |
K. Mayock, 6.2 RPG |
| Assists Per Game |
Coleman, 2.7 APG |
A. Monaghan, 3.8 APG |
| Field Goal Percentage |
Gatzounas, 52.0 % |
K. Mayock, 51.3 % |
| 3-Point Percentage |
Gatzounas, 36.8 % |
A. Monaghan, 30.7 % |
| Free Throw Percentage |
Green, 80.0 % |
A. Monaghan, 90.6 % |
Navy at Home
The Mids will look to continue their success within 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 103-32 with a program-record 16 wins coming during the 2017-18 campaign
Navy at Alumni Hall (2010/11 - 2018/19)
2018-19: 2-2
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
Monday's Promotions
Free Admission with Military Bowl ticket: Any fan, who attends the Military Bowl earlier on Monday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and shows their ticket at the ticket window at Alumni Hall will receive free entry to the Navy-Saint Joseph's Game.
Camper Reunion: Youths who attended 2018 Navy Women's Basketball camps will be invited to attend Monday's game for a camper reunion.
Both of these promotions are part of Navy's
"Celebrate the New Year at Alumni Hall" event as a lead into New Year's Eve festivities. Navy will be providing guests with an assortment of NYE traditions throughout the game at Alumni Hall.
Parking/Shuttle Ticket Information **Note Changes for Monday's Game**
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 the
Naval Health Clinic at 695 Kinkaid Rd. and ride the free shuttle bus to and from the game
(Note this is a change due to Monday's Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium) ... 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.
