Navy Midshipmen Blow Halftime Lead Against Bucknell, Suffer Fourth Straight Loss

Navy's defeat against Bucknell has them now riding a four-game losing streak.
Dec 15, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Navy Midshipmen guard Austin Benigni (1) shoots the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jaden Schutt (2) during the second half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Navy Midshipmen guard Austin Benigni (1) shoots the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jaden Schutt (2) during the second half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
In this story:

After leading Bucknell (8-11, 4-2) through to the half by nine, the Navy Midshipmen (5-14, 2-4) lost their chances for a third conference win in Lewisburg, Pa. when they fell to the Bison, 73-69.

Navy's effort and ability to crash the boards provided the Midshipmen with numerous second-chance points, putting them ahead of Bucknell for the majority of the game. But despite a successful afternoon on the boards, they fell short in the last couple minutes.

Coming into the matchup, Navy sat seventh in the Patriot League after having just suffered their 13th overall loss against the conference leaders, Colgate. The Midshipmen aimed to break their three-game losing streak when they hit the road to face Bucknell, but were unable to do so in the end.

With four wins in the conference, Bucknell is now tied for No. 2 in the Patriot League, fighting for the spot against Army West Point and American University.

Junior guard Austin Benigni put up an impressive 23 points for Navy, falling two points short of Bucknell's game leader, Noah Williamson.

The Midshipmen had a grasp on Bucknell's offense for the majority of the game, but Navy could not maintain any sort of defensive effort in the second half. Bucknell was also able to capitalize on Navy's turnovers, scoring 15 points off their mistakes.

Navy shot 25-for-61 from the field, falling short to Bucknell's 47.9%. The Midshipmen were able to shoot 75% in free throws, matching that of their opponent. Before Bucknell's defensive instincts kicked in, the game was pretty evenly matched for the entire two halves.

Looking forward, the Midshipmen will come back home to try and snap their losing streak in another conference matchup against Boston University Terriers on Jan. 22.

Navy is currently projected to come out of that matchup victorious, hopefully securing themselves a much-needed conference win.

Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.


Published