Sunday, Dec. 3, William and Mary women’s basketball (3-5) defeated Navy (3-5) 81-53 at Alumni Hall at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. This win continues a recent surge by the Tribe, which had won three of its last four games.
When looking at the two teams prior to Sunday’s matchup, William and Mary and Navy seemed evenly matched. Navy started the season 3-2, but entered Sunday coming off back-to-back losses against Wagner College and Abilene Christian University. Despite these losses, the Midshipmen have a talented roster led by freshman guard Zanai Barnett-Gay, who has had a more than impressive start to her rookie season, recording 161 points over her seven starts in 2023.
The Tribe entered Sunday with a misleading 2-5 record. To date, William and Mary’s schedule has included significant non-conference play against top teams with a combined record of 30-5.
Notably, the Tribe had an impressive performance in the FIU Thanksgiving Classic at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Fl. The team recorded a semifinal victory against Tennessee State (2-6, 0-0 OVC), and a tournament-securing win in the final against hosts Florida International University. Junior guard Bella Nascimento was named MVP of the tournament, and graduate forward Nylah Young was named to the all-tournament team.
With momentum still rolling from the tournament win, the Tribe came out firing against the Midshipmen.
In the past 10 matchups against Navy, the Tribe has been victorious in six of the 10 meetings, giving them a small edge heading into the game.
Nascimento continued to be a dominant force for the Tribe, leading the team with 14 points and five assists in the win. The Tribe dominated the entire contest and outscored its opponents each quarter. This victory is the second time the Tribe has won against Navy under coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who joined the team last season.
The Tribe faces James Madison (6-3) Thursday, Dec. 7 at Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va. The Tribe have lost its last nine matchups against the Dukes but hope to flip the script.