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Women’s basketball notes: Navy finished, Army preps for postseason, Air Force upsets Colorado State

Two Service Academy teams play on while one had its season cut short by COVID.

By Mitchell Northam
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: DEC 01 Women’s Air Force at Tennessee Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Navy finished

The season is over for Navy’s women’s basketball team.

Because of COVID-19 protocols, the Mids were not included in the field for the Patriot League tournament.

The league said in a statement: “The Navy women’s basketball team will also not be participating in the tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program’s Tier 1.”

And so, Tim Taylor’s first year on the job is over and Navy ends its pandemic-shortened season with a 5-7 overall record and a 5-3 mark in Patriot League play.

Navy won four of its last six regular season games and split its season slate with Army. Additionally, it was a solid season for junior guard Jennifer Coleman, who finished third in the league in scoring, second in passing and second in rebounding with 17.1 points, 4.2 assists and 11.3 boards per-game. Navy led the Patriot League in rebounds per-game with 39.8. The Mids were also second in steals.

While Coleman and Kolbi Green will be back next season, Navy will miss the solid and consistent play of senior Sophie Gatzounas, who averaged 13.4 points and 7.5 rebounds this season. Gatzounas started in 71 of the 95 games she played in for Navy.

Army set to face American

Army ended its regular season with a 9-10 overall record and a 6-8 mark in conference play. The Black Knights haven’t played since falling to Boston University on Valentine’s Day, but are ready to go for the Patriot League tournament.

The Black Knights are seeded sixth and will face No. 3 American on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C. on ESPN+.

Army is first in the Patriot League this season in three-point defense, allowing opponents to connect from deep on just 27.9% of their attempts. On the offensive end, Army is second in the league in three-pointers made per-game with 6.9.

Alisa Fallon has been a standout all-around player for Army this season, averaging 12.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per-game.

Both ESPN and The Next are picking Bucknell to win the Patriot League tournament and grab its automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.

Air Force tops Colorado State

It’s been a rough season for Air Force’s women’s basketball team, but the Falcons got a crucial victory Monday night, upsetting Mountain West-leading Colorado State, 75-68.

The Falcons were led by the stellar play of Riley Snyder, who posted 22 points, four rebounds, a block and an assist in 31 minutes of play. Briana Autrey added 13 points, four assists and two boards. Perhaps the biggest factor in the game was bench points, as Air Force’s reserves outscored the Rams 32-5, led by a combined 20 points from Dasha Macmillan and Kayla Pilson.

Up until losing to Air Force, Colorado State had won eight straight. ESPN is projecting the Rams to get the Mountain West’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament, but Air Force proved Monday that’s no guarantee.

The Falcons have now won three of their last five games and are saddled with a 7-15 overall record and a 4-12 mark in conference play. They’ll conclude their regular season this week, hosting Nevada on Wednesday and Thursday.