Courtesy of NavySports.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Junior Shawn Anderson scored 15 points with four rebounds, six assists and six steals to help Navy (12-10, 7-3 PL) earn its seventh straight win with a 60-47 victory over Holy Cross (11-12, 5-5 PL) on Saturday in Alumni Hall.
At 7-3 in the Patriot League, Navy currently sits in sole possession of second place behind Bucknell (9-1) and a half-game ahead of idle Lehigh (6-3) and Boston University (6-3).
Anderson made a career-best three 3-pointers and his six steals were also a career-high. Anderson was joined in double figures by sophomore guard Hasan Abdullah and junior guard Bryce Dulin, who each scored 10 points. Abdullah scored in double figures for the fifth straight game and also dished out four assists.
Junior forward Tom Lacey scored five points with a game-high 15 rebounds. Lacey is the first Mid to have three straight 10-plus rebound games since Laramie Mergerson in 2004.
Navy outshot Holy Cross 50 percent (22-of-44) to 34 percent (15-of-44). Navy made six 3-pointers in the first half and nine in the game and outrebounded the Crusaders, 36-27.
Navy has posted a seven-game winning streak for the second straight season and the seven-game conference winning streak is the longest conference streak since winning 12 straight games spanning the 2000 and 2001 Patriot League seasons. Navy’s seven-game winning streak last season came during non-conference play.
“We’ve won seven in a row and for that I am proud of our kids,” said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis when asked about the team’s winning streak. “But we know we have more work to do. We had some moments tonight where we did some good things. I thought defensively we were good and I thought we were pretty good rebounding the ball.
“We didn’t play our best game, but we found a way to win the game. So I’ll take that. Now we have to get back to work on Monday and become a better basketball team.”
Navy’s first two baskets in the game came on 3-pointers by Dulin and Anderson. Anderson would later make a steal at halfcourt and finish a fastbreak dunk before Abdullah scored five straight points to put Navy ahead 13-3.
Holy Cross answered with a 7-0 run, but another 3-pointer by Dulin and a layup by freshman center Evan Wieck helped Navy built its lead back up. Anderson’s second 3-pointer put the Mids ahead 26-16 with under five minutes left in the first half and Navy carried a 33-24 lead into the locker room.
Anderson scored the first five points of the second half on a 3-pointer and a layup to push Navy’s lead to 14 points at 38-24. A 10-3 run that included 3-pointers by sophomore George Kiernan and Abdullah would give Navy its largest lead of the game at 19 points (50-31) with nine minutes to play.
Navy’s offense stalled late in the second half, going on a four-minute plus stretch without a made field goal, but the Mids stayed strong on the defensive end to close out the 13-point win at 60-47.
Navy senior center Edward Alade scored seven points with five rebounds.
Patrick Benzan went 6-of-7 from the free throw line to lead Holy Cross with 12 points. Malachi Alexander scored 11 points with five rebounds and Anthony Thompson added 10.
Navy evened the season series with Holy Cross. The Mids fell, 51-50, on a last-second layup in Worcester on Jan. 2.
Six of Navy’s seven wins during the winning streak have come by double digits.
Navy will next embark on a two-game road trip next week at Boston University on Thursday and at Colgate on Saturday.
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