Dominant Fourth Quarter Powers Dartmouth Past Navy, 65-52

Friday, December 8

Hanover, N.H.

5:00 PM

Dartmouth College

3-4,0-0Ivy League

Navy

3-6,0-0Patriot

Navy

Dartmouth

The Big Green bench celebrates during an impressive fourth quarter run

Photo by: Kyle Relf

Dominant Fourth Quarter Powers Dartmouth Past Navy, 65-52

12/8/2023 8:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Nina Minicozzi scored 12 of her career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to help the Big Green take control down the stretch

By: Kyle Relf

HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth trailed by six heading into the fourth quarter, but that was before the Big Green unleashed a 28-point barrage, all while holding Navy to single digits, in the final 10 minutes of Friday evening's 65-52 victory in Leede Arena.

Dartmouth improved to 3-4 on the season, while Navy dropped to 3-6.

The Big Green never led until the 7:02 mark of the fourth, when Nina Minicozzi hit her first of back-to-back 3-pointers to provide her team with a 44-43 advantage. Minicozzi would finish with a career-best 19 points, and 12 of those came in the final quarter.

"I'm really proud of our effort, especially in the fourth quarter," said Linda Cimino, Dartmouth's Gail Koziara Boudreaux '82 and Family Head Coach. "We were getting great looks in the first half, but weren't converting. We knew we could continue to get the looks, we just needed to put the ball in the basket."

Minicozzi's 19 was matched by Navy's Zanai Barnett-Gay, but Doreen Ariik proved to be another difference maker for the Big Green. The junior grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, the most for any Dartmouth player since Laken Roland grabbed 16 at Cornell in the 2015-16 season, and added 13 points for her second double-double of the season. Victoria Page was scoreless entering the fourth, but flipped a switch to drop 11 late points and help Dartmouth dominate Navy down the stretch to the tune of a 28-9 point differential.

"We talk a lot about being hungry and wanting it more, and just fighting all the way through," Minicozzi said. "My mindset was to do anything possible to get the win."

Minicozzi's consecutive fourth-quarter triples, which gave the Big Green a 47-43 lead, were part of a 17-3 run that featured eight of Page's 11 points. Mekkena Boyd went to the line and sank both free throws at the 2:19 mark of the fourth to give the Big Green their first double-digit advantage less than five minutes after they garnered their first lead of the ballgame. Navy momentarily stopped the bleeding with Maren Louridas' 3-pointer, but the Big Green lead quickly stretched to 11 when Page came up with a big steal and scored on the fastbreak in the final minute. Boyd and Minicozzi both knocked down late free throws to continue to fend off the Midshipmen.

Dartmouth trailed by as many as eight in the first quarter, eventually facing a 16-10 deficit entering the second. The Big Green garnered some momentum shortly before the half with a pair of Boyd 3-pointers to tie the game, but Navy would go into the break with a 27-24 edge.

A 35-28 Midshipmen lead spelled trouble for the Big Green midway through the third, but that's when Dartmouth began to heat up and set the stage for a dominant fourth. The lead was cut to two (39-37) when Minicozzi drained her first 3-pointer of the evening. Kyah Smith and Barnett-Gay scored the final points of the quarter to hand Navy a 43-37 lead entering the fourth, but those buckets would represent two of the Mids' final four field goals of the contest.

Postgame thoughts from Linda Cimino, our Gail Koziara Boudreaux '82 and Family Head Coach! #TheWoods🌲 | #WIN pic.twitter.com/iJyvKT5F1s
— Dartmouth Women's Basketball (@DartmouthWBB) December 9, 2023

Nina Minicozzi's career-high 19 points were crucial in tonight's win! #TheWoods🌲 | #WIN pic.twitter.com/Zn0VS2gT3N
— Dartmouth Women's Basketball (@DartmouthWBB) December 9, 2023

Doreen Ariik grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds and added 13 points for her second double-double of the season!#TheWoods🌲 | #WIN pic.twitter.com/xVMqaQHlOu
— Dartmouth Women's Basketball (@DartmouthWBB) December 9, 2023

Having already surpassed their 2022-23 win total, the Big Green will hit the road to take on Merrimack, which they defeated on a last-second 3-pointer a season ago for their first victory. The game, set to tip at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10, will air live on NESN Plus and live stats will be available on DartmouthSports.com. The Merrimack game marks the start of a three-game road stretch, which also pits the Big Green against UAlbany and UMass Lowell.