ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Peaking at the right time, the Navy women's basketball team, winners of two straight games and three of its last four, will look to secure a first round bye as it wraps up the regular season at Bucknell on Wednesday night. Trailing the Bison (12-16, 9-8 PL) by one game in the standings, the Mids (12-16, 8-9 PL) will be aiming to recreate their performance from earlier this season when they knocked off the Bision at home on January 24 by a score of 59-48. A victory on Wednesday at Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion and some help would guarantee Navy an automatic berth into the Patriot League Quarterfinals on Monday. The action in Lewisburg is set to tip-off at 6 PM.

The Navy-Bucknell 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. An audio-only portion of the contests will also be available via WNAV: over the radio waves on 99.9 FM or 1430 AM, online at WNAV.com or through the iHeart and Audacy platforms. 

Navy versus Bucknell
The Mids and Bison have met 76 times in a series that began on December 5, 1981 ... The series is dotted with multiple lengthy streaks of wins and losses; overall Bucknell leads Navy 45-31 ... Over 36 games played in Lewisburg, the series leans towards Bucknell, 23-13 as the Bison have run off a run of 4-2 over the last six games at Sojka Pavilion ... During the 42 years of competition between the squads, Navy has run off streaks of nine wins (2009-2013) and five games twice (1981-1992 / 1997-1999), while Bucknell won 13 straight (1999-2004), nine straight (2005-2009) and most recently seven straight (2015-2018)  ... Over the last ten matchups, Bucknell is 8-2 versus Navy.
    Last Five Games
    Jan. 24, 2024 (H): Navy 59 - Bucknell 48
    Feb. 8, 2023 (A): Bucknell 70 - Navy 49
    Jan. 25, 2023 (H): Bucknell 67 - Navy 49
    March 10, 2022 (A): Bucknell 64 - Navy 44 **Patriot League Semifinals
    Jan. 26, 2022 (H): Bucknell 53 - Navy 43 

Most Recent Navy-Bucknell Matchup ... January 24, 2024 in Annapolis
Navy turned in one of its most complete efforts of the 2023-24 season as its defense held Bucknell to just 28.1 percent shooting from the field, while three separate Midshipmen compiled 16-point scoring nights to lead Navy to a 59-48 win on Wednesday. The Mids (6-12, 2-5 PL) broke out to an eight-point lead through one quarter of play as the Bison (5-13, 2-5 PL) only were able to muster one made basket and four points total. That lead would hold up for nearly the entire game as Navy was ahead for 38:34 of the 40-minute contest at Alumni Hall.

Individually, Zanai Barnett-Gay, Kate Samson and Kyah Smith all tallied 16 points on Wednesday night. Each player added to their scoring outputs as Barnett-Gay finished with a double-double with 11 rebounds to go along with four steals, while Samson's line was augmented as she tied her career-high with five blocks. Smith was Navy's leading facilitator with a game-high four assists, in addition to tying her career-high with six rebounds.

Navy broke out to an early 6-2 lead as the Mids scored on three consecutive possessions over a 60-second span. Up four at 7:46, the Mids rattled off six of the next seven points to extend their advantage over the Bison to nine, 12-3 by the 2:54 juncture. Smith recorded all six of those points for her squad. One successful foul shot with 17 seconds remaining by Bucknell concluded the quarter at 12-4. Defensively, the Mids held the Bison to just 6.3 percent (1-16) shooting from the field in the period. Of those 16 attempts, three were blocked by Navy defenders.

Ahead by eight, the Mids quickly increased their lead to 10 at 8:40. After both teams scored five points over the next four minutes to make it a 19-9 game, Bucknell ran off eight unanswered points with four straight baskets to cut Navy's lead to just 19-17 by the 2:20 mark. A jumper by Smith with 46 seconds left sent the game to halftime at 21-17 in favor of the Mids.

Navy's late offensive slump stayed in the locker room as Sydne Watts found the bottom of the net with a three-pointer 11 seconds into the third quarter. A Samson steal and breakaway layup by Barnett-Gay immediately put the Mids back up nine, 26-17. The score moved ahead nearly even over the next three minutes as it was 30-22 following a Samson basket at 6:21. From that point, Bucknell posted a 10-2 run to draw even at 32-all by 3:19. The first and only tie of the game lasted all of eight seconds as Smith raced down the court after the make and dropped in a floating jumper to put Navy back ahead. The Mids' offense quickly re-engaged with points on five straight possessions to close the quarter on a 9-3 run.

Up 41-35 after 30 minutes of action, Navy repeated its early success from the previous period as Watts and Smith went back-to-back with makes to build the Mids' lead back into double-digits. With the score 45-35, the teams traded baskets over the next four minutes as the score advanced to 52-42 by 4:56. Four points by the Bison over the next 33 seconds tightened the game to a six-point margin, but to the chagrin of the visitors, that was as close as the Mids would let them get. With the pressure on, Navy was nearly perfect at the foul line down the stretch with a 7-8 performance, while its defense held Bucknell to just 1-7 shooting from the field with five turnovers forced to salt away the 59-48 victory.

For the game, Navy outshot Bucknell, 36.8 percent (21-57) to 28.1 (16-57) from the field, though the Bison held minimal edges in three-point shooting, 20.0 percent (3-15) to 11.8 (2-17) and free throw shooting, 86.7 percent (13-15) to 83.3 (15-18).

Comparing the Teams

(2023-24 Stats)	Navy	Bucknell
Record / League-Only	12-16, 8-9 PL	12-16 / 9-8 PL
Home / Away / Neut. Record	10-6 / 2-10	7-6 / 5-10
Points Per Game	61.8 PPG	55.4 PPG
Points Allowed Per Game	64.8 PPG	61.1 PPG
Field Goal Percentage	38.2 %	38.8 %
3-Point Percentage	27.8 %	29.4 %
Free Throw Percentage	66.9 %	73.3 %
Rebounds Per Game	36.4 RPG	32.6 RPG
Assists/Turnovers Per Game	12.3 / 14.9	11.0 / 15.5

Individual Leaders

(2023-24 Stats)	Navy	Bucknell
Points Per Game	Zanai Barnett-Gay, 18.1 ppg	Emma Theodorsson, 12.9 ppg
Rebounds Per Game	Z. Barnett-Gay, 6.3 rpg	Ashley Sofilkanich, 6.3 rpg
Assists Per Game	Kyah Smith, 3.4 apg	Blake Matthews, 2.6 apg
Field Goal Percentage	Kate Samson, 45.0 %	Grace Sullivan, 54.3 %
3-Point Percentage	Sydne Watts, 34.7 %	Ashley O'Connor, 35.0 %
Free Throw Percentage	Z. Barnett-Gay, 76.0 %	E. Theodorsson, 79.8 %

Last Time Out -- Saturday versus American 
The Navy women's basketball team had a lot to celebrate on Saturday as one of the NCAA's greatest turnaround stories of 2023-24 continued with a 73-57 victory over American. Honoring its senior class prior to the game at Alumni Hall, Navy scored early and often as for the second straight game the Mids (12-16, 8-9 PL) broke out to a double-digit first half lead. Surviving pesky comeback attempts by the Eagles (9-19, 7-10 PL) during the middle portion of the game, the Mids dominated down the stretch and held the visitors to just 25.0 percent shooting in the second half, while countering with a blistering 77.8 mark on 7-9 in the fourth quarter.

Zanai Barnett-Gay was unstoppable to start the game as she netted 16 of her 23 total points in the first quarter on 6-7 shooting before handing the offensive baton to Sydne Watts, who tallied 13 of Navy's 15 points in the second quarter on 6-8 shooting; she'd finish with 16 total points on Saturday. Kyah Smith gave the Mids a consistent third option throughout as she scored 14 points on 5-11 shooting with a 4-6 mark from three-point range. All three players filled up the box score with more than just points as Barnett-Gay augmented her line with five rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Watts grabbed three boards with two assists and Smith assisted on four baskets. 

The game opened with a brisk offensive pace as both squads shot 50 percent out the gate over the first 3:33 of action. While American was 4-8 to net its nine points, Navy was 3-6 with a trio of three-pointers; two from Barnett-Gay and one from Smith. The teams continued trading baskets as the score was tied twice more in quick succession at 12-12 and 16-16. After that juncture at 4:48, the Mids closed the quarter on a 9-2 run, including seven straight points from Barnett-Gay.

Coming off its highest-scoring first quarter of the 2023-24 season, Navy immediately increased its lead from 25-18 to 34-18 with nine straight points by Watts over a span of 2:48. American finally got onto the scoreboard at 7:01 with an Emily Johns layup, though Maren Louridas responded with a driving layup the next time down the court. Trailing by 16, 36-20, the Eagles clawed their way back into the game over the final six-plus minutes of the half with a 17-4 run to draw within three points after 20 minutes of action. Five turnovers and an 0-4 showing from the field hurt the Mids' cause during this span.

American's comeback effort continued in the second half as the visitors scored five of the first nine points over the initial 3:24 of the third quarter. With the score 44-42, Navy fired back with seven unanswered points over 66 seconds starting with another driving layup by Louridas and followed in quick succession by an 'and-one' conversion by Barnett-Gay and a crisp drive and pass through the post from Louridas to Morganne Andrews at 3:35. The 7-0 run was extended out to 11-2 as the Mids held the Eagles to just two points over the final six-plus minutes of the period to take a 55-44 lead into the quarter break. Defensively, Navy forced six American turnovers and into a 3-15 shooting performance.

The Eagles' final chance to fight back into the contest came and went quickly in the fourth quarter as an Anna LeMaster jumper on their first possession brought them to within nine points, 55-46, before the Mids answered back emphatically to the tune of a 10-2 run to break open a 17-point lead of 65-48. Smith paced Navy's effort during this stretch with a pair of three-point baskets and a no-look pass under the hoop to a waiting Andrews, who easily put away a layup. The three-ball continued to fuel the Mids' offensive engine as Toni Papahronis sank her first triple of the day at 2:57 before Sam Schofield found her senior classmate Watts wide open on the wing for a trey with 27 seconds left to clinch the victory. Two American foul shots on its final possession closed the scoring at 73-57.

For the game, Navy out-shot American, 53.6 percent (30-56) to 38.3 (23-60) from the field and 58.8 percent (10-17) to 23.1 (3-13) from three-point range, though the Eagles posted an 80.0 percent mark (8-10) from the foul line versus a 50.0 (3-6) effort for the Mids. Both its field goal and three-point shooting percentages were season-highs for Navy.

Patriot League Standings (One Regular Season Game to Go)
t1. Boston: 10-7 
t1. Loyola: 10-7 
t1. Holy Cross: 10-7
t4. Army: 9-8
t4. Colgate: 9-8
t4. Bucknell: 9-8
t7. Lehigh: 8-9 (1-1 vs. Navy)
t7. Navy: 8-9 (1-1 vs. Lehigh; tie-breaker is record against Boston ... Lehigh 1-1 / Navy 0-2)
9. American: 7-10
10. Lafayette: 5-12

Wednesday's Schedule
Boston at Colgate, 6 PM
Navy at Bucknell, 6 PM
Lehigh at Army, 6 PM
Lafayette at Holy Cross, 7 PM
American at Loyola, 7 PM