ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After a delayed start due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and receiving an exemption from the Patriot League to play non-conference games, the Navy women's basketball team will make its 2020-21 season debut on Sunday afternoon at the road versus the George Mason Patriots. The Sunday matinee at Mason's EagleBank Arena will also mark the first game in the collegiate head coaching career of
Tim Taylor, a successful assistant coach with previous stops at Virginia, Furman and most recently at the University of North Carolina. The matchup between the Mids and Patriots will be the second in two seasons as the two squads faced off last December in Annapolis. Currently, Sunday's game is the first of three non-conference contests for Navy before heading into Patriot League play, January 2 at Bucknell. The contest on Sunday is set for a 2 p.m. tip-off and will be streamed online via ESPN+ with a radio broadcast on WNAV (AM-1430, FM-99.9, 1430wnav.com).
Breaking Down the 2020-21 Mids
This season's edition of the Midshipmen will have a youthful look to it with eight underclassmen on its 13-player roster ... Senior team captain
Sophie Gatzounas and her fellow classmate
Sierra Swanda will provide the senior leadership for the team as first-year head coach
Tim Taylor and his staff aim to turn around the fortunes of this program that just two years ago went 25-8 and was competing in the WNIT ... Besides adding four new assistants to his staff Taylor will incorporate five freshmen into the Navy program with three slated to see immediate playing time, including
Sydne Watts and
Morganne Andrews, who are in the mix for starting positions in the front court ... The 2020-21 season will also see the talented junior backcourt of
Jennifer Coleman and
Kolbi Green return to action. As freshmen in 2018-19, Coleman earned Patriot League All-Rookie honors after scoring 13.1 points per game, while Green averaged 8.8 points per contest. Last year in Navy's 65-52 upset win at Clemson in November, the duo combined for 35 points, 16 steals and nine rebounds ... Other returners for the Mids, include junior post
Ciera Hertelendy and sophomore guards
Lindsay Llewellyn,
Mimi Schrader and
Imani Edmonds. Those first three players all made their first collegiate starts during the 2019-20 season as Llewellyn heard her name called in the starting lineup 12 times, while Schrader collected six starts as a point guard and Hertelendy on Feb. 15 at Boston University ... Navy's freshmen class consists of Andrews, Watts,
Kristina Donza,
Sam Schofield and
MiKenzie Yim-Harvin. All five plebes have all-state and all-regional honors associated to their high school careers as Andrews was an All-West Virginia honoree, while Watts succeeded in Georgia. Donza was her high school's all-time leading scorer. As seniors, Schofield was named All-Ohio and Yim-Harvin was named All-Northwest North Carolina.
Navy vs. George Mason
The Mids and Patriots have met 14 times on the hardwood in a series that dates back to Dec. 9, 1977 ... All-time, Navy holds an 8-6 advantage in the series with George Mason ... Prior to last season's matchup on Dec. 19, which the Patriots won by a score of 67-58 the teams have met just two times in the past 30 years (Nov. 25, 2014 & Dec. 20, 2016) ... The Patriots hold a 4-2 edge in games played in Fairfax with victories in 1982, 1984, 1989 and 2016 ... Navy has an all-time record of 26-37 against teams from the Atlantic 10 conference and has played 12 of the 14 associated schools; they've faced off with George Mason (14), Fordham (13) and George Washington (12) the most times.
Last Five Matchups:
Dec. 19, 2019 (Annapolis): George Mason 67 - Navy 58
Dec. 20, 2016 (Fairfax): George Mason 68 - Navy 64 (OT)
Nov. 25, 2014 (Annapolis): Navy 84 - George Mason 79
Jan. 11, 1989 (Fairfax): George Mason 69 - Navy 44
Jan. 23, 1988 (Annapolis): Navy 67 - George Mason 58
Comparing the Teams
| (2019-20 Stats) |
Navy |
Geo. Mason |
| Record / League-Only |
7-23 / 2-16 PL |
9-21 / 3-13 A10 |
| Home /Away Record |
6-8 / 1-15 |
4-10 / 5-10 / 0-1 |
| Points Per Game |
52.6 PPG |
60.6 PPG |
| Points Allowed Per Game |
59.8 PPG |
65.0 PPG |
| Field Goal Percentage |
35.7 % |
36.1 % |
| 3-Point Percentage |
29.1 % |
28.1 % |
| Free Throw Percentage |
63.9 % |
66.5 % |
| Rebounds Per Game |
33.0 RPG |
37.9 RPG |
| Assists/Turnovers Per Game |
11.8 / 14.8 |
12.7 / 14.9 |
Returning Leaders
| (2019-20 Stats) |
Navy |
George Mason |
| Points Per Game |
Coleman, 9.7 ppg |
C. Gatling, 8.1 ppg |
| Rebounds Per Game |
Gatzounas, 5.2 rpg |
C. Gatling, 5.2 rpg |
| Assists Per Game |
Coleman, 2.7 apg |
M. Korpinen, 1.7 apg |
| Field Goal Percentage |
Gatzounas, 45.5 % |
C. Gatling, 50.6 % |
| 3-Point Percentage |
Coleman, 38.1 % |
M. Korpinen, 31.2 % |
| Free Throw Percentage |
Llewellyn, 80.0 % |
M. Korpinen, 82.7 % |
Navy in Season Openers
Sunday marks the latest season opener since Navy opened at William & Mary on November 30, 1993 ... Over the past 10 Opening Days, Navy is 5-5 with wins over Stevenson ('19), Catholic ('18), Marist ('17), Towson ('13) and Siena ('10).
Last 10 Season Openers
November 5, 2019 (H): Navy 70 - Stevenson 36
November 7, 2018 (H): Navy 81 - Catholic 36
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
