Mids run conference win streak to six after beating Lehigh

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Sophomore forward Tom Lacey scored a career-high 18 points with six rebounds and senior center Will Kelly added 16 points with five boards as the Navy men’s basketball team (15-5, 6-1 PL) won its sixth straight conference game by posting a 69-64 victory at Lehigh (5-13, 3-4 PL) on Wednesday evening.

Navy snapped an 11-game losing streak to Lehigh to remain tied with Bucknell for first place in the Patriot League at 6-1.

“I thought it was a great win for our team on the road,” said head coach Ed DeChellis. “In the second half we played very good defense. I’m proud of our kids. It was an unbelievable effort.”

At 15-5, Navy is off to its best 20-game start since 2000 and its 6-1 Patriot League mark is its best start since 2001. Navy is 8-1 in true road games, which is tied with Monmouth for the most road wins in the NCAA.

Lehigh’s Jesse Chuku made two 3-pointers late in the game to keep the Mountain Hawks within reach, but Navy got a big second-chance bucket from sophomore Shawn Anderson, a late dunk by Kelly off a feed from Anderson and then a Kelly free throw for a 67-64 lead with 35.8 seconds left.

Lehigh held the ball for most of the shot clock and then Tim Kempton threw the ball away to the sideline with 10 seconds left in the game. Lehigh sent Navy junior guard Tim Abruzzo to the line, who made two foul shots with 8.6 seconds left to seal the five-point win.

Navy got ahead 10-2 early in the contest and the lead grew to 16-7 after a bucket by Edward Alade. After Navy took an 18-11 lead halfway through the period, Lehigh responded with a 16-2 run over the next six minutes to pull ahead 27-20.

Navy then fought back with an 11-3 run to end the first half. Lacey had a dunk off a nice find by sophomore Bryce Dulin and then Lacey dunked a putback off a missed free throw. Lacey continued to make his mark as he got a steal and took off on a fast break with 10 seconds left in the half. He was fouled on his layup attempt and the shot was ruled good due to goaltending. Lacey then made his and one free throw attempt to give Navy a 31-30 halftime lead.

Navy scored the first eight points of the second half by getting two buckets each from Kelly and Anderson as Navy’s lead grew to 39-30 with a 19-3 run that spanned both halves.

Kempton scored nine points in a row for Lehigh as the hosts pulled within two points at 43-41. Navy answered with a 3-pointer by Abruzzo but Lehigh got a triple of their own from Devon Carter on the next possession. Anderson found Kelly for a dunk and he converted the three-point play after being fouled to put Navy ahead by five.

Lehigh threatened again but Lacey made two free throws and then senior guard Tilman Dunbar hit a stepback jumper.

Lehigh’s Austin Price made a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock to get within four, but Dunbar drove on the left side to score and then Lacey converted an and one play. Sophomore Jace Hogan would later make a tough basket on a second-chance opportunity and then Anderson also scored after an offensive board to put Navy up seven and set up the game-sealing free throws by Abruzzo.

Anderson scored 12 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Hogan tallied eight points and Dunbar dished out five assists.

Lacey was 7-of-9 from the field in his career day and was 4-of-4 from the free throw line. He had three dunks in the game.

“Tom played with the most energy on the floor tonight,” said DeChellis. “His play on the offensive rebound off the free throw line was the play of the game. He just busted through, caught it and dunked it in one motion. Tom and Will Kelly were very good inside and they really excelled tonight.”

Kelly had two blocks, which give him 57 for the season and tie his 2015 total for the ninth best single season total in school history.

Navy shot 55 percent in the game (28-of-51) and 61 percent in the second half (14-of-23), but the Mids made just one of their nine 3-point field goal attempts.

Navy scored 21 points off of Lehigh’s 18 turnovers and the Mids scored 14 second-chance points off of their 10 offensive rebounds.

Navy improved to 13-0 when leading at halftime this season and the Mids are 15-0 when scoring at least 60 points.

Kempton led Lehigh with 16 points and seven rebounds. Navy held the 2015 Patriot League Player of the Year to just two points in the first half. Chuku scored 13 points and Carter added 10 off the bench.

This is the second time Navy has won at least six straight games. The Mids had a seven-game winning streak during non-conference play.

Navy will next face rival Army West Point (12-7, 3-4 PL) in the Star Game on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 2 PM at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

OTHER GAMES IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

BALTIMORE, Md. – Nana Foulland scored 15 points and led a stellar defensive effort with three blocked shots in Bucknell’s 67-58 road win over Loyola Maryland on Wednesday evening at Reitz Arena.Stephen Brown, Ryan Frazier and Zach Thomas added 11 points apiece for the Bison, who moved to 6-1 in Patriot League play and remained in a first-place tie with Navy. READ MORE.

HAMILTON – Austin Tillotson scored a game-high 22 points, including his 1,000th career point at Colgate, to help men’s basketball edge visiting Boston University, 85-78. READ MORE. 

 Freshman forward Karl Charles posted a double-double with 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, to lead the Holy Cross men’s basketball team to a 69-65 victory over Army West Point at the Hart Center. READ MORE.

EASTON, Pa. — Senior Jesse Reed and freshman Delante Jones combined for 46 points and the American University men’s basketball team snapped a 10-game losing streak and picked up its first Patriot League win of the season, 81-73, over Lafayette on Wednesday evening. READ MORE.