Women’s Basketball Wins "Star" Matchup Over Navy, Marking Fifth Straight Win Over Rival

By Army Athletic Communications Date: Monday, Feb 12, 2024 Time: 22:36 EST
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The Army West Point women's basketball team (10-11, 7-4 PL) was victorious in the annual "Star" Series matchup presented by USAA over the Navy Midshipmen (8-14, 4-7 PL), 70-58, at Christl Arena on Feb. 10, marking three straight "Star" Series wins for the Army women's basketball team and Head Coach Missy Traversi.  

Leading the way were Junior Trinity Hardy, who had a season-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor, and sophomore Reese Ericson, who shot 6-for-11 from three-point range, scoring 21 to combine with Hardy for 44 of Army's 70 total points. 

How It Happened 

In a sea of white and many of their cadet peers in attendance cheering them on, which included a majority of the football team, the Army women's basketball team came out hot outscoring Navy 24-13 in the first quarter and never looked back. Army raced out to a 7-0 advantage with two buckets coming from Hardy. Army would go on to lead the entire game. 
 
Ericson would cash her first of six three-pointers midway through the quarter to keep the Black Knights out front 13-8. Ericson would soon connect again pushing Army out to a 23-9 lead as the quarter was coming to a close. 
 
In the second, Army pushed its lead out to 19 points on a basket by Camryn Tade and would take a 38-25 lead into intermission. 
 
In the second half, Ericson was sensational drilling three consecutive three-pointers on three Army possessions late in the third quarter to take a 15-point lead into the final 10 minutes of play at 55-40. 
 
Navy would cut into the Army and make it an eight-point game, following a 7-0 run with five of those points scored by freshman Zanai Barnett-Gay. However, Hardy would answer for Army with a three-pointer of her own and several minutes later Ericson would nail her sixth and final three of the day at the 4:59 mark to push the Black Knights back up by 14 points, 61-47 which they were able to control the remainder of the game. 
 
Navy had three players in double figures, led by Banett-Gay's 20 points, Kate Samson's 16 points and Kyah Smith's 13 points. 
 
Inside the Box 

  • Army women's basketball improves to 43-40 all-time vs. Navy since the first meeting in 1981. 
  • Army is 8-2 in their last 10 meetings vs. Navy. 
  • Army is 20-19 all-time vs. Navy at Christl Arena. 
  • Army has won the last three Star Series matchups over Navy (2022, 2023, 2024). 
  • Traversi improves to 5-1 vs. Navy, with five straight victories over the Midshipmen in her three seasons at the helm. 

Last Five Games vs. Navy: 

  • Feb. 10, 2024 (H): Army 70 – Navy 58 ** 2024 Star Game 
  • Jan. 20, 2024 (A): Army 66 - Navy 51 
  • Feb. 11, 2023 (A): Army 66 - Navy 64 **2023 Star Game 
  • Jan. 21, 2023 (H): Army 75 - Navy 61 
  • Feb. 12, 2022 (H): Army 70 - Navy 66 **2022 Star Game 
      
  • Ericson drilled six three-pointers, her fourth game making four or more threes this season. It was her third game scoring 20+ points. 
  • Over her last two games, Ericson has scored 35 points on 10-23 shooting from three-point distance (.43%). 
  • Hardy scored a season-best 23 points on 10-16 shooting from the field. She has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games.