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.

The Midshipmen built a substantial lead through the first half, outscoring the Blue Hens 37-23 by halftime. A strong second quarter, in which Navy scored 23 points, proved critical in establishing a cushion that would withstand a late Delaware rally.

Delaware mounted a significant comeback attempt in the second half, outscoring Navy 38-31 over the final two quarters. The Blue Hens’ most productive period was the fourth, where they put up 21 points, but the Midshipmen countered with 16 of their own to secure the season-opening win.

Navy’s offense was fueled by a balanced scoring attack. Zanai Barnett-Gay, a 5-foot-8 guard from Glenn Dale, Maryland, recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes of play. She was joined in double figures by Zoe Mesuch, a 5-5 guard from Clintondale, New York, who also scored 16 points. Julianna Almeida, a 5-6 guard from North Arlington, New Jersey, added 11 points and five rebounds.

For Delaware, which moved to 1-1, Kailah Correa led all scorers. The 5-4 guard from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, poured in 19 points. Lay Fantroy, a 5-10 forward from Palestine, Texas, also notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a game-high 36 minutes. Safi Kolliegbo provided a spark off the bench with 12 points.

Despite being outscored in the paint 36-26 and in points off turnovers 24-15, Navy managed to control the game’s tempo and maintain its lead down the stretch.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 936. Navy next hosts Longwood on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Delaware travels to face Old Dominion on the same date.