Navy posts 83-67 win at Boston University

BOSTON, Mass. – Five players scored in double figures as the Navy men’s basketball team (11-5, 2-1 PL) opened up a 16-point first half lead and then held off a Boston University (7-9, 0-3 PL) comeback in an 83-67 win at Case Gym on Wednesday evening.

Navy earned its first-ever win against Boston University in seven meetings and the team improved to 6-1 in true road games this season.

“Anytime you can go on the road and get a win, that is important,” said head coach Ed DeChellis. “We are trying to build some confidence and this gives us some more juice as we head into the Colgate game on Saturday.”

Navy used a 17-0 run over eight minutes in the first half to build a 16-point lead, but the Terriers responded with a 10-0 run and took a 30-28 lead into halftime. Navy then pulled away late in the second half to post its 11th win of the season.

“We made some shots in the first half then we went dry for about five or six minutes, and to BU’s credit, they were able to come right back on us,” said DeChellis. “We turned the ball over foolishly in the first half. In the second half we got it together again. We started making some baskets and we made almost all of our free throws in the second half (20-of-24).”

Navy turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, but just four times in the second half.

Senior center Will Kelly, senior guard Tilman Dunbar and sophomore guard Shawn Anderson each scored 16 points, sophomore forward Jace Hogan scored 13 points and junior guard Tim Abruzzo added 11. Navy had five players score in double figures for the second time this season, which was in a 71-65 win over Jacksonville when the exact same players all scored in double figures.

Dunbar had a strong all-around game and added five assists, four rebounds and a steal to his 16 points.

Kelly blocked two shots to move into a tie with Cliff Mauer (’84) for third place in school history with 151 career blocks.

Navy trailed 3-2 in the opening minute of the game, but reeled off a 17-0 run over eight minutes to go ahead 19-3 and the Mids would later lead 21-5 before Boston started its comeback. Navy’s run was keyed by three straight possessions with 3-pointers when Dunbar, Anderson and junior guard Zach Fong all connected from deep.

The Terriers then made four quick 3-pointers and outscored Navy 25-9 over the final 10 minutes of the half to take the 30-28 halftime lead.

The Mids scored the first six points of the second half and the teams would trade the lead back-and-forth for the next nine minutes with Boston U. going ahead 45-42.

Navy then got a 7-2 run on a jumper by Hogan, a 3-pointer from Fong and then two free throws from Hogan to take a 49-47 lead. Boston answered with a 3-pointer from John Papale to briefly retake the lead, but a three-point play on a dunk by Hogan gave the Mids a lead they would not relinquish at 52-50 with just under nine minutes to play.

Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer and two free throws by Dunbar extended Navy’s lead to seven at 61-54. Boston U. made 12 straight points from the free throw line to hang around, but a layup by Dunbar and a 3-pointer by Abruzzo at the end of the shot clock put Navy up 11 with 2:22 remaining.

Navy received a huge momentum boost when Kelly converted a three-point play after making a layup off an inbounds play that started with just three seconds left on the shot clock to keep the Navy lead at 11 with 90 seconds to go.

Abruzzo took advantage of a Boston U. personal foul then technical foul by making four straight free throws with 70 seconds to go and then Abruzzo later made two more free throws with 17 seconds left to put the Mids ahead by 16 for the final score of 83-67.

The 83 points were a season-best for Navy and the team is 11-0 when scoring at least 60 points this year.

Navy outshot Boston U., 54 percent to 42 percent, and outrebounded the home team, 31-29. Navy finished 21-of-26 (81 percent) from the free throw line.

At 11-5, Navy is off to its best start since opening the 2008-09 season at 12-4.

Navy will continue its road trip by playing at Colgate (6-8, 2-1 PL) on Saturday at 2:00 PM.