ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Following an 11-day break from competition after playing three games in six days to start its 2019-20 season the Navy women's basketball team begins a busy stretch of action with a two games in New England this weekend. First up for the Mids (2-1) is a Friday night matchup at the University of Vermont (1-3) at 7 p.m. in Patrick Gymnasium before the team heads east to Portland, Maine for a neutral site matchup with the University of Maine at the Portland Expo Center on Sunday. Tip between the Mids and Black Bears (1-3) is set for 1 p.m. This weekend's travel will serve as homecoming trips for a pair of Navy seniors
Laurel Jaunich (Charlotte, Vt.) and
Montana Braxton (Cape Elizabeth, Maine).
Both games will be streamed online with Friday's Navy-UVMÂ live on ESPN+ for a subscription fee, while Sunday's contest in Portland will be available online free via the AmericaEast.TV.
Last Time Out
Two days after recording the first ACC victory in program history, the Navy women's basketball team came out on Monday, Nov. 11 at the University of North Carolina looking to add a second ACC victory to its resume on its current road trip. Unfortunately, for the Mids (2-1), the Tar Heels (2-0) had a different idea and controlled the matchup from opening tip to the final buzzer on their way to a 80-40 victory at home in Carmichael Arena. North Carolina used its advantages in size, speed and physicality to jump out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
After a slow start in which Navy opened 0-3 from the field,Â
Montana Braxton ended the Mids' drought with a step-back jumper at 7:17 to make it 4-2 North Carolina. That pace continued as the Tar Heels scored four of the next six points to go up 8-4.Â
Jennifer Coleman made Navy's basket during this span. From that point at 6:15, UNC went on a 15-0 run over 4:00 to go up 23-4. Over the remaining two-plus minutes of the first quarter, the Tar Heels went on to extend their lead to 20 points, 29-9. Leading factors in UNC's substantial lead was a field goal percentage of 68.8 percent (11-16) and zero turnovers.
Following the Tar Heels' lead bubbling up to 28 points at 41-13 by the 4:48 mark of play of the second quarter, the Mids fought back with a brief 6-0 run on the strength of field goals byÂ
Laurel Jaunich, Coleman andÂ
Lindsay Llewellyn. Unfortunately for Navy, 22 points was as close as it would get for the rest of the game as UNC concluded the period with eight unanswered points to go into the halftime intermission up 48-19.
Over the second half of action, UNC held a 69-25 lead at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, Navy had its most bountiful stanza of play as the team recorded 10 points over the first 4:15 of action and 15 for the entire period.
For the game, UNC held a 52.7 percent (29-55) to 26.3 percent (15-57) advantage in field goal shooting and a 44.4 percent (4-9) to 23.5 percent (4-17) lead in three-point shooting. In the Tar Heels' 27 trips to the foul line, they made 18 free throws (66.7%), while the Mids were six of 11 for a 54.5 percent mark.
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Navy vs. Vermont / Maine / America East Conference
The Mids and Catamounts have never met on the hardwood, while the Mids and Black Bears have faced off a total of three times in a series that dates back to 1988 ... In the first Navy-Maine contest on January 2, 1988 in Orono, Maine, the host Black Bears defeated the Mids, 92-55 ... After the series was dormant for 22 years, the teams met in back-to-back seasons as Navy knocked off Maine, 65-43 on Nov. 26, 2010 at the Dead River Company Classic in Orono, Maine before hosting the Black Bears in a 2011 Navy Classic matchup on Dec. 3, Navy won that game, 73-56.
Of note, Navy has played two games at the University of Vermont as the team kicked off its 2002-03 season as participants in the Bank North Classic in Burlington. The Mids faced off with Providence (L, 70-62) and Yale (W, 77-69) as part of the tournament on Nov. 22-23, 2002.
All-time, Navy is 20-21 versus teams from the America East Conference, home of both Vermont and Maine with the following records: UMBC (14-13), Albany (3-3), Maine (2-1), Stony Brook (1-3) and New Hampshire (0-1)
Comparing the Teams
(2019-20 Stats)Â Â |
Navy |
Vermont |
Maine |
Record |
2-1 |
1-3 |
1-3 |
Home / Away / Neut. Record |
1-0 / 1-1 |
1-0 / 0-3Â |
0-1 / 1-2 |
Points Per Game |
58.3 PPG |
65.0 PPG |
55.5 PPG |
Points Allowed Per Game |
56.0 PPG |
76.5 PPG |
64.0 PPG |
Field Goal Percentage |
35.6 % |
44.1 % |
35.2 % |
3-Point Percentage |
24.2 % |
37.1 % |
27.2 % |
Free Throw Percentage |
65.6 % |
64.7 % |
79.6 % |
Rebounds Per Game |
31.3 RPG |
32.0 RPG |
29.5 RPG |
Assists/Turnovers Per Game |
13.0 / 12.7 |
13.8 / 15.0 |
10.5 / 12.8 |
Individual Leaders
(2019-20 Stats) |
Navy |
Vermont |
Maine |
Points Per Game |
Coleman, 14.0 PPG |
J. Larkins, 15.5 PPGÂ |
B. Millan, 20.5 PPG |
Rebounds Per Game |
Gatzounas, 4.7 RPG |
R. Caverly, 5.8 RPG |
B. Millan, 6.3 RPG |
Assists Per Game |
Ulasewicz, 4.7 APG |
J. Larkins, 4.0 APG |
D. Saar, 3.0 APG |
Field Goal Percentage |
Gatzounas, 55.0 % |
E. Utterback, 52.6 % |
B. Millan, 41.9 % |
3-Point Percentage |
Llewellyn, 27.3 % |
J. Larkins, 44.1 % |
A. Simon, 36.4 % |
Free Throw Percentage |
Green, 71.4 % |
R. Caverly, 68.8 % |
B. Millan, 84.4 % |
Action-Packed Stretch: Six Games in 12 Days
Friday's game between the Mids and Catamounts is the first in a busy stretch for Navy as the team is scheduled to play six games over the next 12 days. Following Sunday's Navy-Maine game, the Mids will return home for a Wednesday tilt versus the Air Force Falcons at 5 p.m. Three days later, the 2019 Navy Classic will see Navy host Kennesaw State on Saturday and either LaSalle and UMBC on Sunday. The end of this game-filled span is a Wednesday, Dec. 4 road game at Fairfield.
Seniors Get Service Assignments
On Thursday, Navy's four-women class of seniors:
Montana Braxton,
Laurel Jaunich,
Morgan Taylor and
Mary Kate Ulasewicz received their post-graduation service assignments. Three of the seniors will be joining the United States Marine Corps as 2nd LTs following their graduation in May with Braxton joining the Marine Corps Cyber Warfare community and Taylor and Ulasewicz going Marine Corps Ground. Jaunich will be heading into the Navy Submarine division.
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