Navy women's basketball tops Army, 54-51, for first Star since 2018

Victory gives Midshipmen at least a share of Patriot League regular-season title

Feb. 22, 2026 at 10:22pm

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The Navy women's basketball team rallied to beat Army, 54-51, to win the Star for the first time since 2018. The victory gives the Midshipmen at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title.

Why it matters

The annual Army-Navy rivalry game is a highly anticipated event, and this win marks an important milestone for the Navy women's basketball program, which has been working to regain the Star after a multi-year drought.

The details

Zoe Mesuch scored 14 points to lead the Midshipmen to victory over their service academy rivals. Navy trailed for much of the game but rallied in the fourth quarter to secure the win and clinch at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title.

  • The game was played on February 22, 2026.

The players

Zoe Mesuch

A key player for the Navy women's basketball team who scored 14 points in the victory over Army.

Navy women's basketball team

The Navy women's basketball program, which has been working to regain the Star in their annual rivalry game against Army.

Army

Navy's rival service academy, whose women's basketball team lost to Navy in the 2026 matchup.

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What they’re saying

“This win means so much to our program and our school. We've been working hard to get the Star back, and I'm proud of the way our team fought today.”

— Zoe Mesuch, Navy women's basketball player (capitalgazette.com)

What’s next

The Midshipmen will look to build on this victory and secure the outright Patriot League regular-season title in their remaining games.

The takeaway

Navy's women's basketball team has reclaimed the Star in their annual rivalry game against Army, marking an important milestone for the program and demonstrating their resilience and determination to succeed.