ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's basketball team will kick off the New Year with a Monday afternoon matinee at Holy Cross. Opening Patriot League play on Friday with 25 minutes of competitive one-possession action against league favorite, Boston University, before a late offensive lull Navy will look to put together a full 40 minutes on Monday against Holy Cross, a team that was picked third in the league and posted the best non-conference mark at 8-3. The action at the Hart Center is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
 
The Navy-Holy Cross game will have live stats provided online, as well as be broadcast on the ESPN+ platform. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that requires patrons to sign-up for monthly or yearly plans prior to tuning into the contest.
 
Navy versus Holy Cross
The Mids and Crusaders have met 70 times in a series that began on January 18, 1992 … All-time, Holy Cross leads Navy, 47-23 with a 25-10 advantage in games played in Worcester … The two teams had never met prior to the Mids joining the Patriot League in 1991-92 … The series has had multiple lengthy streaks in its history with Holy Cross winning the first eight games, followed by streaks of seven, 10 and 11 consecutive wins by the Crusaders; overall they won 36 of the first 40 games in the series (1992-2008); beginning with the 2009-10 season, Navy swung momentum in its direction with sweeps of the 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2107 and 2018 season series … Over the last 10 contests, the series is tied 5-5 with Holy Cross winning four of the last five.
            Last 5 Games:
            March 7, 2022 (A): Navy 50 – Holy Cross 49
Feb. 19, 2022 (A): Holy Cross 60 – Navy 55
            Dec. 29, 2021 (H): Holy Cross 63 – Navy 53
            Jan. 29, 2020 (A): Holy Cross 57 – Navy 43
            Jan. 4, 2020 (H): Holy Cross 58 – Navy 49
 
Most Recent Navy-Holy Cross Matchup: March 7, 2022 in Worcester
In a game that no one will soon forget, the eighth-seeded Navy Midshipmen knocked off the top-seeded Holy Cross Crusaders with a wild, banked-in three-pointer at the buzzer by senior Jennifer Coleman in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Patriot League Championship. Trailing by two points with 1.0 second remaining, Mimi Schrader in-bounded the ball to Coleman, who launched a one-legged fadeaway jumper from the corner and watched it bounce high off the glass and angle in for the deciding basket in a 50-49 victory at Holy Cross' Hart Center.
 
Coleman's heroics weren't just defined to the last shot of the game as she hit three three-pointers in the final 63 seconds as part of her 27-point performance on Monday night. The All-Patriot League First Team honoree added 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals to her final statline. The double-double is her 21st of the season. Sydne Watts provided strong support for Coleman as she finished with 13 points, including a pair of clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

With the score 14-13 for Navy early in the second quarter, Holy Cross pieced together a 5-0 rebuttal over the next two-plus minutes to re-take the lead 18-14 by 5:49. Both defenses took over for remainder of the half as the Mids held the Crusaders to just one made free throw the rest of the way. In the true nature of a heavyweight defensive battle, Holy Cross was nearly as successful and limited Navy to just one basket, a Darryl Langford jumper from the corner at 2:06 and one free throw from Watts to make it a 19-17 game at the intermission. Both teams scored six points in the second quarter, while going 2-for-12 from the field.
 
The offense started flowing a little more freely after the break as Navy recorded five points over its first three possessions to jump out to a 22-21 lead by 7:49. Another 5-0 streak by Holy Cross over the next two minutes swung the scoreboard back in its favor 26-22. The hosts extended their run out to 13-2 and were ahead by a then- game-high nine points, 33-24 at 1:24. Coleman put the Mids' offense on her back with five points over the final 61 seconds, including a three-pointer to straight the stretch.
 
Down 35-29 to start the fourth quarter, Navy was unable to answer Holy Cross early in the period as the top-seeded squad built out a 10-point lead within the first four minutes, 41-31 by the 6:00 mark. Leaning on its entire roster to step-up and extend the season, the bench duo of Schrader and Morganne Andrews helped Navy cut its deficit to six by 4:13 as Schrader drove the lane and hit a pull-up floater before Andrews swished an elbow jumper. After Holy Cross re-extended its lead back out to eight, Watts caught fire for Navy and hit back-to-back three-pointers 33 seconds apart at 3:17 and 2:44 to make it a four-point game, 45-41. Down 47-41 with less than 90 seconds to go, the Mids' rode this success from downtown as Coleman hit her fourth trey of the game at 1:03 to make it a 47-44 game. The Patriot League's leading scorer continued to leave her mark on Monday's contest as Coleman rolled off of a Ciera Hertelendy screen and launched a deep three-pointer to even the score at 47-47 with seven seconds to go. With neither team willing to go home, the slugfest rolled on and Holy Cross went 2-for-2 from the foul line to go up 49-47 with 1.6 seconds remaining. In a scene that will live on in the lore of Navy Women's Basketball, the Mids threw a long in-bounds pass that was deflected out-of-bounds near mid-court with 1.0 seconds left. After a short review to check the clock, Schrader in-bounded the ball to Coleman allow the near sideline and Coleman launched up a fadeaway that ricocheted high off the backboard just as the clock was expiring. A clean bank through the net sent the program into hysterics and Coleman to the bottom of a joyous dogpile at the foot of her bench as Navy was victorious 50-49.

For the game, Holy Cross outshot Navy from the field, 36.5 percent (19-52) to 33.3 (20-60) and from the foul line, 52.9 percent (9-17) to 50.0 (2-4). Bolstered by a 5-of-6 conclusion to the game, the Mids outshot the Crusaders from three-point range, 34.8 percent (8-23) to 12.5 (2-16).

Comparing the Teams

(2022-23 Stats)	Navy	Holy Cross
Record / League-Only	0-12 / 0-1 PL	9-3 / 1-0 PL
Home /Away Record	0-7 / 0-5	3-1 / 6-2
Points Per Game	54.9 PPG	58.8 PPG
Points Allowed Per Game	72.9 PPG	53.9 PPG
Field Goal Percentage	37.0 %	39.9 %
3-Point Percentage	31.1 %	30.9 %
Free Throw Percentage	61.6 %	71.3 %
Rebounds Per Game	37.4 RPG	37.9 RPG
Assists/Turnovers Per Game	11.3 / 19.3	14.1 / 16.9

Individual Leaders

(2022-23 Stats)	Navy	Holy Cross
Points Per Game	Watts, 15.9 ppg	B. Power-Cassidy, 11.6 ppg
Rebounds Per Game	Samson, 5.3 rpg	L. Berger, 7.5 rpg
Assists Per Game	Louridas / Schrader, 2.8 apg	K. Flanagan, 3.5 apg
Field Goal Percentage	Samson, 45.5 %	L. Berger, 53.8 %
3-Point Percentage	Schrader, 34.1 %	B. Power-Cassidy, 36.2 %
Free Throw Percentage	Watts, 78.9 %	L. Berger, 81.6 %

Last Time Out: Friday vs. Boston University
After a crisp, well-rounded start to its Patriot League opener on Friday afternoon, the Navy women's basketball team found it hard to find that same spark in the second half versus the preseason league favorites Boston University and fell by a final score of 62-39 at Alumni Hall. The Mids (0-12, 0-1 PL) opened with an excellent first quarter as they tallied 15 points, while holding the Terriers (6-6, 1-0 PL) to a season-low six points. In the second half, the visitors flipped the lead into its favor and never looked back with a dominant 38-17 advantage in scoring on its way to the 23-point victory.
 
Sydne Watts and Maren Louridas led Navy's scoring attack as they combined for 28 points, 15 for Watts and 13 for Louridas. They each found success from long-range with three three-pointers a piece. The Mids' effort on the glass was led by a career-high 13 rebounds by Morganne Andrews.

The action opened with Navy posting its strongest defensive effort of the season as it held Boston University to just six points. Previously, the Mids staunchest defensive quarter was at Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 19 when they allowed just nine points to the Mountaineers. With the explosive Terrier squad, that came in averaging 65.0 points, held in check, the Mids were able to slowly build out a six-point lead by the 3:17 mark at 9-3. Four different Navy players entered their name in the scoring column during this initial stretch highlighted by a Louridas three-pointer at 5:12. Three-pointers by Watts bolstered the Mids down the stretch as the junior sank long-range baskets at 2:44 and 0:32 to finish the quarter's scoring at 15-6. The Terriers made their one and only field goal at 1:15 when Caitlin Weimar sank a jumper. Overall, the visitors were 1-13 from the field and 4-8 from the foul line.
 
Up by nine points to start the second quarter, Navy held that same advantage for over two minutes as both teams netted a three-pointer and a field goal. The Mids' trey came courtesy of Watts at 7:47 to make it 20-11. A lull in Navy's offense failed to net the squad any points for the next 7:16. During this scoreless streak, BU registered 13 unanswered points and jump ahead 24-20. A deep, pull-up jumper off of a Morgan Demos screen by Mimi Schrader with 31 seconds left in the period closed the first half with a score of 24-22 in favor of Boston.
 
Schrader was an early catalyst for the Mids in the third quarter as she was on the receiving end of an Andrews' offensive rebound and kick-out to the wing at 9:33 for a three-point basket. The game stayed within one possession as the teams traded baskets and small runs for the next three-plus minutes. With Boston ahead 32-29 at 6:06, the visitors to their then-largest lead of the game of five as Weimar scored the next time down the court. Trailing 34-29, Louridas sank a corner three-pointer at 3:58 to draw Navy within two. Unfortunately, a stretch of poor ball-handling and decision-making short-circuited the Mids' offense and they went scoreless, while the Terriers scored nine points to go ahead 43-32 after three quarters of action. At the half, Navy was only charged with four turnovers before turning the ball over six times in the third quarter.
 
The late offensive slump by Navy carried over into the fourth quarter and Boston expanded its lead out to 23 points, 55-32 by the 5:25 mark. Louridas' long-range marksmanship put an end to the Mids' scoreless streak as she hit her third three-pointer of the game at 4:40 off of a Schrader pass. The game closed at a 23-point margin as BU added seven points, while Navy countered with four combined from Louridas and Kate Samson.
 
For the game, Boston outshot Navy, 41.0 percent (25-61) to 21.2 (14-66) from the field. The Mids held a nominal 33.3 percent (7-21) to 31.3 (5-16) edge in three-point shooting, while both teams shot 50.0 percent from the free throw line as BU was 7-14 versus 4-8 for Navy. Coming into the contest, the Terriers were shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range and ranked fourth in NCAA Division I.