Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men's basketball team (16-9, 7-5 PL) erased an 11-point first-half deficit but fell short against Colgate (11-12, 7-5 PL), 58-55 at Alumni Hall on Saturday evening. After opening Patriot League play at 6-1, Navy has lost four of its last five games.

Navy opened the second half on an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the game at 29-28 three minutes in to the period. Colgate quickly regained the lead, but Navy stayed within at least five points for the rest of the contest.

The Mids had a chance to force overtime, but senior Tilman Dunbar's game-tying 3-point field goal attempt was blocked by Jordan Swopshire at the buzzer.

"Colgate had an answer for everything we did," said head coach Ed DeChellis. "They made very big shot that they needed to make. We couldn't make our free throws and we didn't make any perimeter shots."

Navy shot a season-low seven percent (1-of-14) on 3-pointers, while Colgate was 11-of-25 (44 percent). Navy also shot just 42 percent (8-of-19) from the free throw line.

"You have to make free throws and perimeter shots and we didn't do that tonight," said DeChellis.

Colgate's Swopshire shot 5-of-7 on 3-pointers for a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. Teammate Austin Tillotson finished with 13 points.

Sophomore Jace Hogan scored 13 points for Navy and Dunbar tallied 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. Senior Will Kelly posted 10 points and six boards.

Colgate's first five made field goals in the game were all 3-pointers as the visitors jumped out to an early 18-7 lead with seven minutes left in the first half. Baskets by sophomore Shawn Anderson, junior Edward Alade and Dunbar helped cut the halftime margin to eight at 26-18.

Navy had a fast start to the second half to get right back in to the game. Sophomore Tom Lacey made two free throws and then after a jumper by Tillotson, Kelly scored inside. Dunbar then scored on back-to-back possessions and senior Kendall Knorr drilled a 3-pointer on the next trip to give Navy's its first lead.

Colgate's Sean O'Brien responded with a 3-pointer to give the lead right back to Colgate 26 seconds later and the Raiders would stay ahead for the rest of the game.

After Colgate's Alex Ramon made two free throws to put his team up 48-43 with 5:37 left, Hogan scored nine straight points for Navy on a combination of jumpers and layups to close the gap.

A Hogan bucket cut Navy's deficit to one at 51-50 before Jordan Robertson's triple from the corner extended the margin. Navy started to send Colgate to the free throw line and Dunbar made a driving layup to cut the margin again to one point at 56-55 with 5.9 seconds left.

Navy almost got a steal on the Colgate in-bound play and then sent O'Brien to the free throw line, where he made both to extend Colgate's lead to three with 4.3 seconds left.

Dunbar got up a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the top of key as time expired, but Swopshire made the defensive play to deflect the shot and seal the win.

Dunbar scored in double figures for the fifth straight game.

Navy made more field goals than Colgate (23-19), but Colgate's 11-1 advantage in 3-pointers made created a 30-point edge.

Navy is 11-3 in games played away from home, but just 5-6 in Alumni Hall.

"We haven't played well at home and that is a concern for us," said DeChellis.

At 7-5 in league play, Navy is in a four-way tie for second place in the Patriot League standings with Colgate, Boston U. and Loyola.

Navy will next play at Loyola (8-15, 7-5 PL) on Wednesday at 7:30 PM. The Greyhounds earned a 100-99 double-overtime win at Army West Point on Saturday.