The Old Dominion women’s basketball team was eager for redemption after an early exit in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament two weeks ago. On Saturday afternoon, they seized that opportunity with both hands, defeating the Naval Academy 63-42 in the first round of the WNIT at Chartway Arena.
The Monarchs (18-15) surged to an early lead and withstood a late charge from Navy (19-12) to secure the victory. With the win, ODU advances to the second round of the WNIT and will face Purdue Fort Wayne (25-8) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Mastodons, who set a school record with a 17-game winning streak this season, lost to Green Bay in the Horizon League championship game. Purdue Fort Wayne poses a significant challenge for ODU, holding the highest NCAA NET ranking of any team in the WNIT at No. 88 and boasting a 13-1 record at home. In comparison, ODU ranks 164th in the NET standings.
ODU shot efficiently, hitting 22 of 51 attempts (43.1%), and dominated inside, outscoring Navy 28-12 in the paint while outrebounding them 47-41. However, it was ODU’s defense that truly set the tone. Navy was forced to take difficult shots and struggled mightily, making just 15 of 73 attempts (20.5%). Navy’s star guard Zanai Barnett-Gay, the nation’s 11th-leading scorer, finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds, but was held to just 8 of 25 shooting.
After a sluggish start, ODU led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, but they heated up in the second. Junior guard Hama’ya Fielder grabbed a rebound and immediately hit a three-pointer to push ODU to a 20-9 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. Over just 90 seconds, graduate guard En’dya Buford scored two free throws, junior guard Simaru Fields added a layup and a three-pointer, and Buford hit two more free throws to extend the lead to 36-15 with 40 seconds left in the first half. Navy’s Morgan Demos scored a hook shot with four seconds remaining to cut ODU’s lead to 19 at halftime.
Navy mounted a comeback in the second half, cutting the lead to just eight points, 48-40, early in the fourth quarter after a Kyah Smith jumper. However, ODU responded with a 10-0 run, highlighted by four points each from senior guard Simone Cunningham and Buford, and cruised to the victory.
Milton-Jones acknowledged Navy’s resilience, especially given their injuries, including the loss of 6-foot-4 starting center Kate Samson earlier in the season. Despite these setbacks, Navy played tough, physical basketball. ODU, with a deeper rotation, was able to wear down the Midshipmen.
“We were able to keep fresh bodies on the floor,” said Milton-Jones. “If Navy had their full lineup, with their normal substitution patterns, it might have been a different story.”
Milton-Jones also praised Navy’s discipline, noting that athletes at the academy balance intense physical training, rigorous academics, and military duties, which demands a unique mindset.
“These student-athletes are a step apart,” she said. “You have to have a different type of mindset when you play at Navy, and they put that on display with how hard they played.”
Looking ahead to round two, the Monarchs face a tough challenge in Purdue Fort Wayne. With their strong performance in the first round, ODU is ready to keep building on their success.
