ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Navy women’s basketball team surrendered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead and dropped a 69-67 overtime decision to Duquesne on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the 2025 Navy Classic at Alumni Hall.
Navy (5-2) dominated for more than 28 minutes and carried a 56-44 advantage into the final period, but shot just 1-of-14 from the floor in the fourth quarter while allowing Duquesne (6-2) nine offensive rebounds. The Dukes outscored the Midshipmen 16-4 in the stanza to force overtime, then made four free throws in the extra session to escape with the comeback victory.
Sophomore forward Julianna Almeida recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in 42 minutes. Freshman guard Christina Liggio added a career-high 12 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting, including two three-pointers. Junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay contributed nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals, earning a spot on the Navy Classic All-Tournament Team.
“We did a lot of uncharacteristic things for us today,” Navy head coach Tim Taylor said. “We didn’t rebound the way that we need to. We got stops, but gave up 22 offensive rebounds; we can’t do that. … We had a bad stretch in the fourth quarter where we were fouling way too much. … 1-14 is tough.”
The Midshipmen forced 23 Duquesne turnovers and converted them into 18 assists on 25 made baskets, but 22 second-chance points off Dukes offensive boards proved decisive.
Duquesne raced to an 8-0 start before Navy answered with a 9-0 run capped by Liggio’s first triple. The teams traded momentum throughout the first half, with Saran Moschella burying three three-pointers in the final 3:10 of the second quarter to send Navy into the break up 31-28.
The Midshipmen opened the third on an 11-5 spurt and stretched the margin to 56-42 behind continued hot outside shooting. A 14-1 Duquesne surge across the third-fourth quarter junction flipped the script, and the Dukes eventually took their first lead since early in the second quarter at 59-58 with 4:08 remaining in regulation.
Almeida’s pull-up jumper at 3:46 gave Navy its final lead at 60-59. Neither team scored from the field the rest of regulation — the teams combined to miss their last 13 attempts — and a Harriet Ford free throw with four seconds left tied it at 60-60.
In overtime, Almeida’s second three-pointer of the game knotted the score at 67-67 with 39 seconds left, but Duquesne converted four free throws around two empty Navy possessions to seal the two-point win.
Liberty defeated Manhattan 68-56 earlier Sunday to claim the Navy Classic title. Liberty’s Avery Mills was named tournament MVP.
Navy returns to action Thursday, December 4 at 6 p.m. when the Midshipmen travel to Radford, Virginia for a non-conference matchup against the Highlanders.
