WORCESTER, Mass. (Interstat) — Fueled by a dominant third-quarter surge and a combined 38 points from its star backcourt, the Navy women’s basketball team avenged an earlier loss and snapped Holy Cross’s home-court advantage with a decisive 72-58 victory in a Patriot League matchup Wednesday night at the Hart Recreation Center.

The Midshipmen, who fell to the Crusaders by 11 points just over two weeks prior, improved to 11-6 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Holy Cross, which had won its last three home games, dropped to 10-8 and 3-2 in the league. The result defied the pregame analytics, which heavily favored the Crusaders.

The game’s pivotal sequence arrived in the third period, transforming what had been a tight contest into a comfortable Navy lead. After a high-scoring first quarter that ended with Holy Cross ahead 21-23, the pace slowed in the second, with both teams managing only 12 points. The Crusaders took a 33-35 lead into halftime.

The complexion of the game changed entirely after the break. Navy’s defense tightened, and its offense found a potent rhythm. The Midshipmen opened the third quarter on a 14-2 run, a stretch that included a three-pointer and a layup from Zoe Mesuch, a three-pointer from Mary Gibbons, and a layup from Morgan Demos. That burst gave Navy a 47-37 lead, and they never looked back. The Midshipmen outscored Holy Cross 22-15 in the quarter, taking a 57-48 advantage into the final frame and effectively sealing the outcome.

The catalyst for Navy was the dynamic guard duo of Mesuch and Zanai Barnett-Gay. Mesuch, a 5-foot-5 sophomore from Clintondale, New York, scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds, and added an assist and a block in 38 minutes of action. Barnett-Gay, a 5-8 sophomore from Glenn Dale, Maryland, matched her backcourt partner with 19 points of her own, while contributing four assists, a block, and a steal, also playing 38 minutes. Their consistent pressure and scoring ability proved too much for the Holy Cross defense.

Julianna Almeida provided crucial support for Navy with 13 points, while Maren Louridas came off the bench to add four points and two assists, with several key plays during the game-changing third-quarter run.

Holy Cross was led by Hannah Griffin, who scored 12 points, and Kendall Eddy, who added 11 points, three assists, and three steals. The Crusaders struggled from beyond the arc, converting only 4 of 18 three-point attempts, and were inefficient from the free-throw line, making just 4 of 10. They also managed only six assists as a team against seven turnovers, indicative of an offense that failed to generate consistent quality looks against Navy’s defensive pressure.

Statistically, Navy’s efficiency told the story. Both teams had 68 possessions, but the Midshipmen scored 72 points for an offensive rating of 106.1, while Holy Cross managed only 58 points for a rating of 85.6. Navy shot 46.8% from the field compared to Holy Cross’s 40.3%, and made 8 three-pointers to the Crusaders’ 4. The Midshipmen were also a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line.

The win marks Navy’s third straight Patriot League victory and positions them near the top of the conference standings. Holy Cross, meanwhile, sees a two-game winning streak halted and will look to regroup on the road.

Navy next hosts service academy rival Army on Saturday. Holy Cross travels to face American, also on Saturday.

Attendance at the Hart Recreation Center was 876.