Box Score ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– John Carter Jr. (Sr., Spring Hill, Tenn.) and Tyler Nelson (Jr., Monroe, N.C.) combined for 43 points and were two of the four Navy men's basketball players to score in double figures in an 83-71 victory by the Mids (9-4, 2-0 Patriot League) over Boston University (10-5, 1-1), Tuesday night at Alumni Hall in Annapolis.

"I'm just really, really proud of my team," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis.  "We came in to this thing shorthanded without Greg Summers (who had started 60-straight games over the last three seasons but was sidelined tonight with an injury).  I just thought it was a great team effort.

"I think Boston U. is a really good team and this is a really good win for us.  I'm proud of our guys."

Offense dictated the majority of the game between two of the better defensive teams in the Patriot League.  The Terriers jumped out to a 21-14 lead thanks to starting the game 5-5 from three-point land as part of an initial 8-10 effort from the field in all.  The Mids trailed by those seven points, but were 2-2 from three-point land and 6-9 from the floor overall to start the game.

Navy responded by going on a 17-0 run to take a 31-21 lead with 6:40 left before halftime.  The Mids scored on five-straight possessions at the beginning of the run to build a 26-21 lead.  The last four possessions of that five-possession surge saw Navy score second-chance points on each trip down the court.  Carter accounted for seven of those nine second-chance points.

Defensively, Navy held Boston U. scoreless for 5:44 and without a made field goal for nearly eight minutes as the margin would grow to as many as 12 points at 40-28 with 2:50 remaining on the clock.  It remained a 10-point difference at 42-32 when the Terriers closed the half on a 6-0 run to make the score 42-38 at intermission.

Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half –– Navy, 56.3%; Boston U., 54.2% –– with the Mids sinking six triples and the Terriers five long-range attempts.  The two noticeable statistical differences in the first half were second-chance points and bench points, each of which were titled in favor of Navy by counts of 14-4 and 13-5, respectively.

Individually, Carter scored 15 first-half points and Daniel Deaver (Jr., Falls Church, Va.) scored 10 points in the first 20 minutes of the game.

Boston U. carried its momentum from the end of the first half into the start of the second as the Terriers, who were a perfect 7-0 against Navy in Alumni Hall, tied the score at 44-44.  The score would again be tied at 46-46, then Nelson drained a three-point shot to give the Mids a 49-46 lead.  Boston U.'s Javante McCoy quickly scored on the other end to draw the Terriers to within one point at 49-48 with 14 minutes remaining.

Deaver scored on Navy's next trip down the court to make the score 51-48.  A missed jumper by Boston U. was followed by another three-point basket by Nelson (54-48).  Jonas Harper answered with a three-point shot of his own (54-51) for the visitors, but that was followed by Carter scoring a field goal while being fouled after Deaver had snared an offensive board.  Carter would sink the foul shot to take the lead to 57-51.  The Terriers were one shot and done on their ensuing possession, then Carter took advantage of another second-chance opportunity.  His field goal gave the Mids points on five-straight possessions for the second time in the game and made the score 59-51 with 11:41 left to play.

Boston U., which was picked the win the Patriot League this season, needed less than two minutes to make it a one-possession game at 61-58 with 9:53 still remaining.  Navy, which was predicted to finish in third place, responded with a 9-3 run to jump out to a 70-61 lead following a three-point field goal by Austin Inge (So., Greensboro, N.C.) with seven minutes still to play.

The Mids were able to hold a lead of at least seven points over the remainder of the game.  

After falling behind 21-14 lead, the Mids outscored the Terriers 69-50.

The 83 points was a season high for Navy against a Division I team, and was the most for the Mids in a regulation-length game against a Division I opponent since scoring 88 against Lehigh on Jan 15, 2020.

Navy shot 48.1 percent from the field in the second half and added five more three-point field goals (on eight attempts).  The Terriers made 42.3 percent of their second half field goal attempts and were just 2-6 from three-point range after halftime.

Navy held a 22-11 edge on the glass in the second half, a total than included an 8-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Those numbers gave the Mids a 37-22 cushion in overall rebounds and a 14-6 lead in offensive caroms for the game.  The Mids also ended the game with a 23-11 advantage in second-chance points.

"The key to the game for us was to try and keep them off the glass," said DeChellis.  "They really rebound the ball, and we were plus there.  They really offensive rebound the ball.  Sukhmail Mathon had 50 offensive rebounds in 12 games.  That's a lot.  The focus was to try and keep Richard Njoku (Sr., Washington, D.C.) and Deaver to back into him and keep him from getting second shots (he had three offensive rebounds).   I thought we did a really good job of rebounding the ball and I thought we knocked some balls loose off the offensive glass, which we love to be able to do."

Carter scored a season-high 23 points and Nelson scored 15 second half points to total a career-best 20 points (his previous high was 15).  Additionally, Deaver set a season high with 18 points and tied a career-high with nine rebounds, while Inge contributed a career-high 12 points and a career-high tying five steals.

"We had guys step up," said DeChellis.  "Tyler played great tonight.  John gave us his normal 20, which I don't take for granted. I thought Deaver played his best game today.  Double D was tremendous.  Austin had to play a bunch and he did a great job."

Five players scored in double figures for Boston U.

Navy will close a week of home games Friday when the Mids play host to Bucknell.