ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy men's basketball team had a possession to tie the game after falling behind by as many as 20 points, but Colgate staved off the rally by the Mids (18-12, 11-7) thanks to 25 points from Keegan Records in a 64-60 victory by the Raiders (23-8, 17-1) Saturday at Alumni Hall in Annapolis.

Navy learned prior to the start of today's regular season finale that it had earned the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament no matter the result of its game against Colgate.  The Raiders had previously earned the top seed for the event.

The Mids will play host to the winner of Tuesday's first-round game featuring No. 10 Bucknell at No. 7 American Thursday in a quarterfinal round game that will be played in Alumni Hall.  

Navy also was the No. 2 seed last year and garnered the No. 1 seed for the 2020 tournament.  The last time the Mids were seeded first or second in at least three-straight years was a six-year run from 1996-2001. 

This is the seventh year in a row in which the Mids received a bye in the first round of the tournament.  The only other team which can match that run is Colgate.

"I am disappointed we lost the game," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis, "but I am not disappointed in the effort, our defensive energy and our enthusiasm for what we were trying to do.

"If you were to tell me that we would be the No. 2 seed after starting the (league) year 1-5, I would said, 'I don't know about that.'  This team is very resilient.  I'm very proud of them.  They have done some good things.  Hopefully our best game is ahead of us.  I don't think we have played our best game on both ends of the floor yet."

Navy fell behind early as it struggled on offense.  Colgate jumped out to leads of 5-0, 10-2, 16-7 and 28-14.  The teams went into halftime with the Raiders in front, 34-23.  The 23 points marked a first-half scoring low for the Mids this season.  Navy shot just 25 percent (8-32) from the field in contrast to the 44.4-percent effort (12-27) by Colgate.

"We didn't play very well in the first half offensively," said DeChellis, "but as I told our guys at halftime, I felt we were ok.  We just needed to hang in there.  I felt we were going to make some shots in the second half."

The Raiders started the second half on an 8-2 run (42-25) and soon built a 49-29 advantage with 14 minutes still to play.

Navy had a response and went on an 11-2 run to make the score 51-40, then closed to within six points at 53-47 with eight minutes left to play.  Colgate totaled three points on its next two possessions (56-47, 6:44 left), but Patrick Dorsey (Sr., Raleigh, N.C.) scored five of the next seven points for Navy and his layup with 5:20 remaining pulled the Mids to within 56-54 of Colgate.

Dorsey totaled 14 points during the 25-7 run that winnowed the deficit to two points.

The Raiders had two field goal attempts on their next possession that ended with a jump ball which favored the Mids.  Navy had a shot of its own that missed the mark on its ensuing opportunity.  The Raiders grabbed the errant shot and scored on the other end to double their lead to 56-54 with 4:10 showing on the clock.

It soon was a 60-54 Colgate lead when Daniel Deaver (Sr., Falls Church, Va.) drained three-point shots on Navy's next two trips down the court -- sandwiched around a Colgate offensive board and putback -- that drew Navy to within 62-60 with 50 seconds still to play.  The Raiders missed a shot with 24 seconds remaining, but again gathered in the offensive board and scored off of it to make it a 64-60 lead with 17 seconds left.

Despite shooting better in the second half (45.5%), Navy ended the game with an overall shooting mark of 35.4 percent (23-65).  Colgate posted a percentage of 42.6 percent (26-61) for the afternoon.

The Raiders held a 45-35 advantage on the glass, which included first-half lead of 24-15.  

Navy took very good care of the ball as it committed only four turnovers.  That is a school record for the fewest in a Patriot League game (was five) and is the fewest since the Mids committed a school-record tying three turnovers at Lafayette on Jan. 3, 1990.  

Dorsey tied a career high with 18 points.  He was 4-8 from three-point range and added a 4-4 effort from the foul line.  Both Deaver and Tyler Nelson (Sr., Monroe, N.C.) posted double-doubles in the game.  Deaver accrued 15 points and 12 boards while Nelson attained 10 points and a career-high 13 caroms.

Patriot League Standings (in seed order)
1. 17-1 Colgate
T2. 11-7 Navy
T2. 11-7 Lehigh
4. 10-8 Army
5. 8-10 Boston U.
T6. 7-11Lafayette
T6. 7-11 American
T6. 7-11 Loyola
T6. 7-11 Holy Cross
10. 5-13 Bucknell

Patriot League Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 28 - First Round
No. 10 Bucknell at No. 7 American 
No. 9 Holy Cross at No. 8 Loyola Maryland
Thursday, March 2 - Quarterfinals
Winner of 9/8 at No. 1 Colgate
Winner of 10/7 at No. 2 Navy 
No. 6 Lafayette at No. 3 Lehigh 
No. 5 Boston University at No. 4 Army West Point 
Sunday, March 5 - Semifinals
Winner of 9/8/1 vs. Winner of 5/4 
Winner of 10/7/2 vs. Winner of 6/3 
Wednesday, March 8
Hosted by the higher seed playing in the game