LEWISBURG, PA. –– A great start to the second half allowed the Navy (13-7, 6-3 Patriot League) men's basketball team to build some separation from Bucknell (4-17, 1-8) and lead the Mids to an 81-63 victory over the Bison, Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pa.  

"I'm really proud of our guys," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis.  "Right from the opening tip we played well.  After getting stung Saturday, this was kind of a test of who we are and what kind of team we have.  I think they showed us tonight they have a great fiber to them.  I trusted them and they were ready to play."

The game started with the lead changing hands four times in the opening few minutes.  Bucknell then held a 12-9 lead when Navy went on a 12-0 run to take a 21-12 lead with 10:28 left in the half.  Keying the start was Tyler Nelson (Jr., Monroe, N.C.) with 11 of the team's first 20 points.

The advantage was down to six points at both 27-21 and 29-23 with the Bison then having four shots on three possessions to cut into the margin more. Nelson then hit another triple to stretch the lead back out to nine points at 32-23 with 4:14 left before halftime.  The teams went into the locker room with Navy in front, 35-27.

The Mids started the second half with the ball and they immediately converted when Richard Njoku (Sr., Washington, D.C.) made a nice move in the lane to score.  On the other end of the court, Navy picked up an errant Bucknell pass into the post and was able to turn that into a John Carter Jr. (Sr., Spring Hill, Tenn.) three-point field goal to make the score 40-27 just 40 seconds into the stanza.  That led to a quick timeout being called by the Bison.

Navy would go on to score on each of its first eight and 10 of its first 11 possessions of the second half to open up a 55-37 lead with 14:25 showing on the clock.  The Mids were 7-7 from the floor to start the frame, with Nojku going 4-4 during that span.  Navy would soon extend the margin out to 20 points at 60-40 with 12:06 left to play.  

"We wanted to try and get the ball inside," said DeChellis.  "We haven't started well in the second half.  That was a focus point.  At practice the other day I called timeout and made them sit down for a few minutes and then we went back at it trying to simulate halftime and coming out of the gate."

The Mids led by at least 16 points and by as many as 25 points over the rest of the game.

Navy shot 59.4 percent (19-32) from the field in the second half, including a 6-10 (60%) effort from three-point range.  The Mids scored 24 of their 46 second-half points in the paint.  Jaylen Walker (Jr., Allen, Texas), Daniel Deaver (Jr., Falls Church, Va.) and Carter each scored nine second-half points and Njoku scored eight points after halftime.

Navy would shoot 48.4 percent (31-64) from the floor for the game, a percentage that was aided by Navy making 10-19 (52.6%) three-point attempts.  Defensively, Bucknell connected on 40.4 percent (21-52) of its field goal attempts and was 8-20 (40%) from three-point land.

"We just made shots today," said DeChellis.  "If you make shots, you look pretty good.

"I am really proud of these guys.  It wasn't fun Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, but they responded."

Navy won the rebounding statistic, 35-30, an overall number that included a 13-8 edge in offensive boards.  The Mids also committed just 10 turnovers and forced 15, which led to Navy holding a 19-14 edge in points after turnovers.

Individually, Nelson and Walker each scored 14 points, Deaver scored 11 points and Njoku had 10 points,  Patrick Dorsey (Jr., Raleigh, N.C.) accrued 10 rebounds, five points and five steals.

"It is a great win for us," said DeChellis.  "That gives us a sweep of Bucknell and a sweep of Boston and now we have to try and put some wins together."

Navy will be back in Alumni Hall Saturday at 2 p.m. when the Mids play host to American.