NEWARK, Del. (Interstat) — The Navy women’s basketball team opened its season with a hard-fought 68-61 victory over Delaware on Friday night at the Bob Carpenter Center, overcoming a late surge from the Blue Hens.

In a game defined by runs and defensive stops, the Midshipmen built a commanding lead through the middle quarters, only to see the home team claw back to within a single possession in the final minutes. Navy’s poise at the free-throw line and key defensive plays in the closing seconds sealed the win.

Navy established control early, taking a 14-12 lead after a back-and-forth first quarter. The Midshipmen then exploded in the second period, outscoring Delaware 23-11 to take a 37-23 advantage into halftime. The lead ballooned to 52-40 after three quarters, but the Blue Hens mounted a serious challenge in the fourth.

Delaware opened the final period on a 12-4 run, cutting Navy’s lead to 56-52 and forcing a Midshipmen timeout. The Blue Hens’ full-court pressure caused problems, and they continued to chip away, eventually closing the gap to 63-61 with under a minute to play. Navy, however, showed its composure by making five of six free throws in the final 39 seconds to secure the seven-point victory.

Zanai Barnett-Gay, a 5-foot-8 guard from Glenn Dale, Maryland, led the Midshipmen with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 26 minutes of action. She was instrumental in handling Delaware’s late pressure. Teammate Zoe Mesuch, a 5-5 guard from Clintondale, New York, matched Barnett-Gay’s scoring output with 16 points, including several crucial three-pointers.

For Delaware, which fell to 1-1, guard Kailah Correa was a standout. The 5-4 Lebanon, Pennsylvania, native poured in a game-high 19 points. Lay Fantroy, a 5-10 forward from Palestine, Texas, also recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite being outscored 36-26 in the paint and 24-15 in points off turnovers, Navy’s ability to answer Delaware’s runs and execute down the stretch proved decisive. The Midshipmen also benefited from a balanced scoring attack, with Julianna Almeida adding 11 points.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 936. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Delaware had entered the contest with a 68.50 percent probability to win.

Navy begins its season at 1-0 and will next host Longwood on Wednesday. Delaware, now 1-1, looks to rebound on the road at Old Dominion, also on Wednesday.