ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's basketball team will face off with Boston University on Wednesday night in the first of two home games this week at Alumni Hall. The Mids (5-12, 0-6 PL) are readying themselves for a Terrier (8-9, 3-3 PL) squad that has struggled with consistency so far in the Patriot League with wins while scoring 72 points and 44 points and the inverse being losses with 61 and 34-point outcomes. The two teams battled in a pair of physical, grind-it-out type of games last season with Boston coming out ahead in both contests to earn the season sweep. Prior to 2019, the Mids had earned series sweeps on four different occasions against the Terriers. The action at Alumni Hall is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off with free live streaming via the Patriot League Network and live stats on NavySports.com available.

Last Time Out
In a game with two very different halves, the Navy women's basketball team was unable to respond to Lafayette's hot-shooting second half as it fell by a score of 79-52 at the Kirby Sports Center on Saturday afternoon. After an even first half in which the Leopards took a scant 31-30 lead into the locker room, the Mids could not recreate that performance in the second 20 minutes as the hosts shot 66.7 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from three-point range on their way to victory. Mary Kate Ulasewicz stood out for Navy on Saturday as the team captain led the Mids in points with 14, three-point field goals with four and assists with three over 30 minutes of action. Morgan Taylor and Montana Braxton backed up their fellow senior's effort as Taylor tallied nine points and seven rebounds, while Braxton notched eight points and three rebounds.

After Lafayette scored on its first possession of the game, Navy came down and netted seven points the first three times it had the ball. Ulasewicz spearheaded this fast offensive start with five points over the initial 1:35 of play. With the score 7-2, the Leopards came down the court 15 seconds later and pulled it to within two points with a trey. Ulasewicz' scorching effort continued as she answered Lafayette's three-point basket with one of her own 32 seconds later to make it 10-5 at 7:38. Navy's offense hit a cold stretch over the next three-plus minutes as Lafayette crept back on the scoreboard. The Mids scored just five points the rest of the quarter. Down 15-12, the host Leopards closed the first quarter with baskets on its final two possessions to take a 16-15 lead at the break.
 
The tight back-and-forth action continued in the second quarter as the teams were tied or within one possession of each other for the first five minutes. Navy scored nine points during this portion of the period, while Lafayette countered with eight. The duo of Taylor (5) and Braxton (4) scored all nine points for the Mids. After a Braxton jumper tied the game at 24-24 at 5:49, the Leopards went 4-4 at the foul line over their next two possessions. Navy kept grinding away as Braxton found the bottom of the basket next time down the floor. Over the closing 2:08 of the period, the Mids held the Leopards to just one make, a Drew Freeland three-pointer, while their offense was aided by a pair of success Llewellyn shots.
 
Coming out of the locker room following halftime with the score, 31-30 the teams found their offensive flow early with makes on each of their initial possessions. Lafayette continued that fast start with six unanswered points to take its then-largest lead of the game at seven points, 39-32 by the 6:41 mark of the third quarter. Following a timeout, the Leopards kept streaking to the tune of an eventual 11-0 run. A three-pointer by Ulasewicz and a jumper by Maggie Moore helped the Mids cut further into their deficit as they trailed by just seven, 44-37 at 5:00. Ulasewicz tried willing her team back into the game, but she netted Navy's only field goal for the final five minutes of the period, a three-pointer at 3:07. During this offensive lull for the Mids, the Leopards were able to score 14 points to take a 58-40 lead into the final quarter intermission.
 
Navy's cold second half carried over into the fourth quarter as the Mids made just one of its first four field goal attempts. This hindered the visitor's comeback attempt as the Leopards added three points to their lead to go up 64-43 before Mimi Schrader fought her way into the box score with a jumper off the glass at 5:51. Three-pointer shooting was the common theme of the next three-plus minutes with Lafayette tallying a trio of treys; all three combined made field goals in this span were threes. Nyah Garrison scored the last four points of the game for the Mids of the final 1:40 of play.
 
In the 79-52 victory, Lafayette outshot Navy, 52.9 percent (27-51) to 36.8 (21-57) from the field, as well as from three-point range, 43.5 percent (10-23) to 30.0 (6-20) and the foul line, 88.2 percent (15-17) to 57.1 (4-7). As a team, the Leopards shot 66.7 percent (16-24) from the field and 75.0 percent (6-8) from three-point range in the second half as they pulled away from the Mids.

Navy versus Boston University
The Mids and Terriers have met 13 times in a series that began on December 30, 2011 at the Fordham Holiday Classic in the Bronx, N.Y.  ... All-time, Navy leads Boston, 9-4, with a 5-1 mark in games played at Alumni Hall; the team's only loss in Annapolis came last season ... The two teams started meeting annually once the Terriers joined the Patriot League for the 2013-14 season ... Over the last ten matchups, Navy is 7-3 with wins in four of the last six meetings.
    Last 5 Games
    Feb. 23, 2019 (A): Boston 66 - Navy 55
    Jan. 26, 2019 (H): Boston 49 - Navy 35
    Feb. 17, 2018 (H): Navy 59 - Boston 48
    Jan. 20, 2018 (A): Navy 64 - Boston 59
    Feb. 2, 2017 (H): Navy 55 - Boston 41

Most Recent Matchup ~ February 23, 2019
Navy battled for 40 minutes on the road at Boston University, but came up short down the stretch as the host Terriers pulled away late for a 66-55 victory on Feb. 23. Within four points at 47-43 after three quarters, the Mids were unable to find an answer for the Terriers in the fourth quarter as they were outscored by seven points, 19-12 in action at "The Roof" at Case Gym. Individually, Navy tightened its rotation and had four of its starters registered 32 minutes or more of playing time. On the court for a career-high 39 minutes, Kolbi Green posted a personal-best of 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, four three-pointers and four made free throws. Massachusetts native Sophie Gatzounas was the second-highest scorer with 13 points in 32 minutes of court time.

The game opened with a hectic offensive pace continued as Gatzounas made it a 12-8 game by the 5:55 mark of the first quarter. The Terriers evened the contest with eight of the next 12 points over the next 4:22 to tie it at 16-all. Green netted her second three-pointer of the period to put the Mids back ahead late, 19-16. Coming out of the first quarter intermission, Boston immediately responded with seven unanswered points over a 2:22 span of play. A no-look pass from Jennifer Coleman to a cutting Gatzounas at 7:12 got the Mids back within two points, 23-21. After playing the role of facilitator with three assists over the first quarter and a half, Coleman finally got her way into the points' column with a layup at 3:15 to make it a 27-25 game. A pair of free three throws by Gatzounas on the ensuing possession knotted the game at 27-27. From that point at 2:41, Boston closed the half on a 4-0 run to take a 31-27 lead into the locker room. That four-point lead was the largest of the opening 20 minutes for the Terriers. 

Boston slowly extended its lead over Navy over the opening 2:30 of the third quarter as the hosts netted a pair baskets versus one for the Mids. Down 35-29, Green found success from distance for the third time on Saturday with a trey from the left wing at 7:11. Consecutive layups by Coleman and Green at 5:51 and 5:15 cut Navy's deficit to just one at 37-36. A successful free throw by Coleman at 4:38 re-tied the game for the fifth time, Green did the same a minute later to make it 40-40. Over the final 3:26, Boston outscored Navy 7-3 to take a 47-43 lead into the quarter break.
 
Trailing by four, the Mids dialed up their freshmen backcourt of Coleman and Green to the tune of five points in 84 seconds and just like that Navy was up 48-47. The back-and-forth action continued as the Terriers responded with a 9-2 run to go back ahead 56-50 with 5:44 left in regulation. Up six, Boston got a Katie Nelson jumper at 5:01 to take its then-biggest lead of the game, 58-50. Over the next two minutes, the hosts were able to add four more points to its advantage. Green ended this 11-0 run that spanned 4:20 with a pair of foul shots at 2:50. With the score 62-52, each team recorded one basket down the stretch. Two foul shots in the final five seconds by Boston made the final score 66-55.

For the game, Boston outshot Navy 47.3 percent (26-55) to 39.6 percent (21-53). The teams posted similar three-point percentages with the Terriers carrying a 40.0 (6-15) mark versus 37.5 (6-16) for the Mids. 

Comparing the Teams

(2019-20 Stats)	Navy	Boston
Record / PL	5-12 / 0-6 PL	8-9, 3-3 PL
Home / Away / Neut. Record	4-4 / 1-8	4-5 / 4-4
Points Per Game	53.8 PPG	59.9 PPG
Points Allowed Per Game	60.9 PPG	62.6 PPG
Field Goal Percentage	36.4 %	39.2 %
3-Point Percentage	29.3 %	34.0 %
Free Throw Percentage	58.3 %	66.2 %
Rebounds Per Game	33.9 RPG	34.6 RPG
Assists/Turnovers Per Game	12.2 / 15.1	11.7 / 15.2

Individual Leaders

(2019-20 Stats)	Navy	Boston
Points Per Game	Taylor, 8.1 PPG	K. Nelson, 14.0 PPG
Rebounds Per Game	Taylor, 5.0 RPG	R. Childs, 7.6 RPG
Assists Per Game	Ulasewicz, 3.4 APG	K. Nelson, 3.7 APG
Field Goal Percentage	Gatzounas, 47.3 %	N. Irving, 45.4 %
3-Point Percentage	Taylor, 32.0 %	K. Nelson, 36.0 %
Free Throw Percentage	Ulasewicz, 70.6 %	M. Pina, 75.0 %

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.

Upcoming Promotional Schedule

vs. Boston University | Wednesday, January 22 | 7pm | We Back Pat

• Help us raise awareness for Alzheimer's as "We Back Pat."
• Be one of the first 100 fans and receive a free Navy Shaker Water Bottle.
• All Annapolis City employees receive free admission.

Army Doubleheader | Saturday, January 25 | 11am – Women's / 1:30pm – Men's | Navy White Out

• Match the team and WEAR WHITE to the game for the Navy White Out!
• Stick around for two halftime performances by the Firecrackers Jump Rope team.
• Be one of the first 4,000 fans in the door to grab a White Out Rally Towel/Pom-Pom.
• The first 1,000 Midshipmen in the door receive a light up wand
• During halftime of the women's game, Courtney Davidson's No. 21 jersey will be retired

"Spirit Wednesdays" at the Alley
For the remaining Wednesday Navy basketball games the Alley Bar located on the USNA campus is opening to the public for happy hour prior to the game from 4pm - 7pm. The Alley will have special deals on food and drink and any customer who brings their receipt to the Alumni Hall ticket office will receive discounted $5 tickets to that evening's game.

Courtney Davidson's Jersey Retirement
It was announced earlier this season that Courtney (Davidson) O'Brien's No. 21 women's basketball jersey will be retired by the Naval Academy Athletic Association. The ceremony recognizing O'Brien will be held Jan. 25, 2020, as part of the nationally televised Army-Navy women's (11 a.m.) and men's (1:30 p.m.) basketball doubleheader in Alumni Hall. O'Brien, a member of the United States Naval Academy's Class of 2004, will become the second Navy women's basketball player to have her number retired after Becky (Dowling) Calder saw her uniform raised to the rafters in January of 2014.