Navy women’s basketball had never played in the Patriot League Tournament championship game prior to the arrival of Stefanie Pemper as head coach.
So it is rather amazing the Midshipmen will now be making their fifth finals appearance in the span of a decade under Pemper’s guidance.
Pemper credits pride and tradition for that consistent success. Navy captured three consecutive Patriot League championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. That remarkable run set a standard that subsequent teams have sought to match.
That helps explain why, for the second straight season, a Navy squad that was not highly regarded in preseason is playing for the Patriot League Tournament title.