ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's basketball team will continue its early season non-conference action on the road on Friday with a mid-day matchup at the United States Air Force Academy. The service academy showdown will be a clash of styles as the Mids (0-1) bring in an extremely young team into the contest versus a experience Falcons (1-0) squad that starts four upperclassmen. Friday's action at Air Force's Clune Arena is set for 1 p.m. (ET), 11 a.m. local time in Colorado Springs. The game is the second of the 2022-23 season for both teams. The Navy-Air Force contest will be streamed for free via the Mountain West Digital Network with live stats also available.
Navy vs. Air Force
The Mids and Falcons have faced off 16 times in a series that dates back to Nov. 22, 1996 ... Since that opening series win by Navy (52-49) at the Gate City Classic in Pocatello, Idaho, the Mids have won 12 of the next 15 meetings to hold an all-time series mark of 13-3 ... Navy is undefeated (8-0) versus Air Force in games played in Annapolis and 4-3 all-time in contests in Colorado Springs ... The two service academy rivals met recently in five straight season: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. During that stretch Navy went 5-0 and outscored Air Force by over 12 points per contest, 64.0 to 52.4.
Last Five Meetings (Navy 5 - Air Force 0)
Nov. 27, 2019 (H): Navy 67 - Air Force 59
Dec. 7, 2018 (A): Navy 54 - Air Force 47
Nov. 22, 2017 (H): Navy 71 - Air Force 64
Nov. 29, 2016 (A): Navy 64 - Air Force 46
Dec. 21, 2015 (H): Navy 64 - Air Force 46
Most Recent Navy-Air Force Matchup: November 27, 2019 in Annapolis
Playing its first home game since Nov. 5, the Navy women's basketball team was invigorated and efficient as the Mids (3-3) led for over 34 minutes and shot 50.0 percent from three-point range on their way to a 67-59 victory over the Air Force Falcons (1-6) in a pre-Thanksgiving service academy showdown at Alumni Hall.
The Mids' effort on Wednesday was spearheaded by the trio of Morgan Taylor, Jennifer Coleman and Lindsay Llewellyn as all three players reached double figures. Taylor tallied a season-high 16 points on 6-11 shooting, in addition to corralling seven rebounds and three assists. Coleman was the team's second-leading scorer with 15 points, while Llewellyn notched a career-best 11 points, including a trio of successful three-pointers versus the Falcons.
Both teams started out Wednesday's contest cold from the floor as Navy opened 1-7, while Air Force was just 1-6 over the first five-plus minutes. The Mids' defense forced the Falcons into three turnovers and a lengthy scoreless streak. With Air Force holding a 3-2 lead, Sophie Gatzounas put Navy ahead for the first time at 4:09 as she received a slick bounce pass from Taylor for the easy layup. Consecutive three-pointers by Llewellyn helped the Mids build out their lead to 10-3. The visitors netted their first successful basket since 9:14 with just 11 seconds remaining in the first quarter on a Nikki McDonald layup. That 10-5 score didn't last for long as Coleman closed the period with a pull-up three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 13-5.
For all of the offensive struggles that plagued the game in the first quarter as Navy shot 31.3 percent, while Air Force 18.2 percent, the second quarter featured explosive outputs from both squads as the teams combined for 37 points, 21 for Navy and 16 for Air Force. In a trend that carried over from the first quarter, the Mids found success from three-point range with five treys. The teams traded made baskets for the first five minutes of the stanza though three-pointers by Kolbi Green and Mary Kate Ulasewicz helped the Mids expand their advantage out to 10 points, 23-13 by the 5:17 mark. Two more treys, this time by Coleman and Taylor in back-to-back possessions at 3:27 and 2:58 gave Navy its first 16-point lead of the game, 29-13. Air Force went on to score eight of the next 10 points to cut its deficit to 10 points with under a minute to go in the quarter. Navy's fifth and final three-point of the period, a Llewellyn shot from the wing at 0:18 sent the contest to the locker room, 34-21 in favor of the host Midshipmen.
At the half, Navy was outshooting Air Force from the field, 40.6 percent (13-32) to 33.3 percent (8-24). While the Mids were shooting a scorching 57.1 percent (8-14) from three-point range, the Falcons were 2-9 for 22.2 percent. Navy's defense turned Air Force over 14 times in the opening 20 minutes of play resulting in 20 points off of turnovers.
Air Force came out in the second half with a concerted effort to cut into Navy's 13-point lead. The Falcons opened the third quarter on a 14-4 run over the first 4:43 of play. With the score 38-35 at 5:17, the Mids slowing extended its lead back out to seven points by the 2:43 mark as Taylor and Green notched layups, the only two made baskets during that span. After Air Force's Kamri Heath made it a five-point game, 42-37 at 2:06, Taylor put Navy's offense on her back with five quick points, culminating with a three-pointer at 0:32. The Falcons' Riley Snyder converted a pair of free throws on Air Force's last possession to separate the teams by eight points after three full quarters of play, 47-39.
A quick layup by the Falcons' Kaelin Immel got Air Force within six points to start the fourth quarter. That was the closest that Air Force would get for the remaining 8:37 of the game as Navy immediately responded with 10 unanswered points to match its largest lead of the game of 16, 57-41 at the 6:37 point of the fourth. The Falcons attempted to get their deficit within reach over the rest of the quarter, but their effort proved insufficient as they were only able to cut Navy's lead to seven points, 66-59 with 10 seconds remaining. A Ulasewicz free throw with three seconds left closed the scoring the 67-59.
For the game, Navy outshot Air Force, 43.6 percent (24-55) to 40.4 percent (21-52). The Mids also held advantages in three-point shooting, 50.0 percent (10-20) to 30.8 percent (4-13) and in free throw shooting, 69.2 percent (9-13) to 56.5 percent (13-23). The Mids also won the rebounding battle, 38 to 32 over the Falcons.
Comparing the Teams
| (2022-23 Stats) |
Navy |
Air Force |
| Record / League-Only |
0-1 / 0-0 PL |
1-0 / 0-0 MWC |
| Home /Away Record |
0-0 / 0-1 |
0-0 / 1-0 |
| Points Per Game |
64.0 PPG |
67.0 PPG |
| Points Allowed Per Game |
79.0 PPG |
63.0 PPG |
| Field Goal Percentage |
48.9 % |
36.1 % |
| 3-Point Percentage |
46.7 % |
30.0 % |
| Free Throw Percentage |
61.1 % |
94.4 % |
| Rebounds Per Game |
38.0 RPG |
36.0 RPG |
| Assists/Turnovers Per Game |
13.0 / 28.0 |
16.0 / 12.0 |
Individual Leaders
| (2022-23 Stats) |
Navy |
Air Force |
| Points Per Game |
Watts, 28.0 ppg |
D. MacMillan, 13.0 ppg |
| Rebounds Per Game |
Samson, 10.0 rpg |
N. McDonald, 7.0 rpg |
| Assists Per Game |
Pissott/Schrader, 3.0 apg |
J. Huntimer, 8.0 apg |
| Field Goal Percentage |
Watts, 58.8 % |
K. Heath, 50.0 % |
| 3-Point Percentage |
Louridas, 60.0 % |
D. MacMillan, 50.0% |
| Free Throw Percentage |
Watts, 100.0 % |
N. McDonald, 100.0 % |
Last Time Out: Monday at William & Mary
The Navy women's basketball team kicked off its 2022-23 with new energy and an emphatic first quarter, though an unfortunate injury late in the opening period short-circuited most of the in-roads that the Mids had made through that point in a loss at William & Mary on Monday night. After scoring the fourth-most points in a first quarter in program history and taking a 26-18 lead, Navy (0-1) was unable to keep up that pace and eventually fell by a score of 79-64 to William & Mary (1-0) on the road at Kaplan Arena.
In a game that featured the collegiate debuts of seven freshmen for Navy, it was junior Sydne Watts who starred for the Mids as she shot 10-17 from the field with four three-pointers on her way to a career-high 28 points. Among the rookie performers, Kate Samson posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Maren Louridas joined her in double figures with 11 points on 4-8 shooting and three three-pointers.
The action at Kaplan Arena opened at a breakneck pace as the Mids and Tribe were running up and down the court and scoring at will. Over the first 3:35 of play, Navy netted 12 points versus 10 for William & Mary. Watts and Louridas were the early catalysts for the Mids with five points each. A slight 5-2 run for the Tribe helped the hosts flip the score in their favor for the first time all game, 15-14 at 5:04. From that point in the quarter, Navy didn't miss another shot and connected on its final five shots. Toni Papahronis, Samson, Shannon Clarke recorded all of the made baskets with Papahronis and Samson finding the bottom of the net twice during this run. As a team, Navy shot 84.6 percent (11-13) from the field with seven assists during the opening quarter to post 26 total points. This success for the Mids came at a price as Papahronis went down hard at the 1:05 mark and was unable to return for the remainder of the game. The 26-point output ranks fourth overall in the category of highest scoring first quarters in program history.
Ahead 26-18 after one quarter of play, the pace, efficiency and energy that drove Navy into the lead, slowly went away following Papahronis' injury. The Mids and Tribe played even over the first five minutes of the second quarter as the game advanced to 32-24. Watts scored four of those six points for Navy. With neither team registering a made field goal for nearly four minutes, the action heated in the final 2:52 of the second quarter. William & Mary closed out the half on a 13-5 run to knot the score at 37-37 at the intermission. Navy shot just 36.4 percent (4-11) from the field in the second quarter and turned the ball over 10 times with only one assist.
Coming out of the locker room even the teams traded baskets over the first two minutes of the third quarter with Watts making both of Navy's field goals. The Tribe started finding success from distance as Riley Casey went on a 9-2 individual run with a pair of three-pointers and another long jumper to push William & Mary out to a 52-43 lead by the 6:11 mark. Two more consecutive baskets by Casey extended the Tribe's lead out to 59-46 three minutes later at 3:11. Successful shots by Samson and Watts helped the Mids cut it down to a 61-50 margin at the end of the quarter. Ball-handling was a problem once again for Navy as it had 6:1 turnover-to-assist ratio in the third.
The momentum that William & Mary built up in the third quarter carried over into the first half of the fourth quarter as it opened on a 10-0 run to go up 71-50 at 6:06. A prideful Navy squad fought back and scored 14 of the next 15 points between 4:38 and 1:08. Hot outside shooting bolstered the Mids during this time as Watts made three three-pointers, in addition to a fourth trey by Louridas. The final swing of momentum went the way of William & Mary as the hosts built out their eight-point lead of 72-64 to the final score of 79-64.
For the game, Navy outshot William & Mary, 48.9 percent (23-47) to 37.3 percent (25-67) from the field and 46.7 percent (7-15) to 33.3 percent (8-24) from three-point range. Neither team was particularly sharp at the foul line as the Tribe converted 67.7 percent (21-31) of their free throws versus 61.1 percent (11-18) for the Mids.
Navy also won the rebounding battle, 38-34, though the hosts held a significant 12-4 advantage in offensive boards. Samson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Her fellow freshmen Gia Pissott and Morgan Demos combined for 12 rebounds as Pissott corralled seven boards with Demos getting credit for five caroms.
The statistical difference-maker on Monday night was 28 turnovers for Navy versus 10 for William & Mary.
