Game #20 / Patriot League Game #9 • at Lehigh
Wednesday, Jan. 31 • 7 p.m. • Stabler Arena • Bethlehem, Pa.

Multimedia Information
Live Streaming - ESPN+ / Ryan McGettigan, Matt Markus
Navy Radio - WNAV AM-1430, FM-99.9, www.iheart.com/live/999-wnav-9420, Audacy app / Pete Medhurst
Live Statistics - NavySports.com

Five Starting Notes
1 – Navy games averaged 67.3 possessions a game over the first five games of the league season.  That number dropped to 60.2 possessions a game over the last three games.  Lehigh on the overall season ranks 29th nationally with an average of 71.8 possessions a game.
2 – Fifteen of the last 19 games in the Navy-Lehigh series have been decided by single digits.  This includes 10 games decided by five or fewer points and seven games determined by no more than three points.
3 – The average margin of victory over the last five games is 3.4 points and over the last nine games is 6.7 points.
4 – Navy and Lehigh rank first and second –– in some order –– in the Patriot League in five statistical categories for the overall season.
5 – Navy ranks first in the Patriot League and 69th nationally with an average of 12.16 offensive rebounds a game.  Lehigh ranks first in the league and 44th in the country with an average of 27.79 defensive rebounds a game.

Game Information
•    The Mids (8-11, 4-4) head back out on the road for two games this week, starting with a Wednesday (7 p.m.) game at Lehigh (6-13, 3-5).
•    ESPN+ will stream the game.
•    WNAV will carry the game on the radio.
•    Links to live statistics from the game can be accessed at NavySports.com.

Last Game 
•    Navy dug a hole for itself it couldn't completely climb out of in a 74-70 loss to Loyola Saturday.
•    Loyola took an 18-7 lead nine minutes into the game.  Navy cut it to two points at 18-16, but went into halftime trailing 36-29.
•    The margin went from 10 to 3 points, then 12 to 4 points at 62-58 with four minutes left.
•    The Greyhounds built a 67-58 lead before Navy made it a 67-63 lead with 1:16 left.  Loyola was 7-8 at the foul line the rest of the game.
•    Loyola held a 41-25 edge in rebounding, the largest Navy deficit on the glass in nine seasons.
•    Austin Benigni scored 19 points and Mac MacDonald scored 16.  The two were 9-27 from the field.

About Lehigh
•    Lehigh will play host to Navy with an overall record of 6-13 and a Patriot League mark of 3-5.
•    The Mountain Hawks have won two of their three games since they lost a 71-69 decision in Annapolis two weeks ago.  Lehigh most recently posted a 78-72 win at Holy Cross Saturday.

Series History
•    The first Navy-Lehigh game took place Jan. 21, 1911, when Navy won a 31-24 game in Annapolis.
•     Navy holds a 55-35 lead over Lehigh in the overall series.  This includes a 23-14 lead in games played in Bethlehem.  Navy's record against Lehigh in games played in Stabler Arena is 22-14.
•    Navy has posted a 36-29 record against Lehigh in league regular season games.  The Mids have compiled a 20-12 record against the Mountain Hawks in league games played in Bethlehem (all in Stabler Arena).
•    Fifteen of the last 19 games in the series have been decided by single digits.  This includes 10 games decided by five or fewer points and seven games determined by no more than three points.
•    Six of the last nine games played in Stabler Arena have been decided by single digits, with three of them determined by either one or two points.

39th Game in Stabler Arena
•    Wednesday's game will be Navy's 39th in Stabler Arena.  That will tie the arena with Lafayette's Kirby Sports Center for this most total games played by the Mids in a current Patriot League arena and for second place for any venue (48, The Palestra).

On This Date
•    Navy has posted an 16-11 record in games played on Jan. 31.  This includes a 6-2 record in Patriot League games.
•    This will be the third Navy-Lehigh game to be played on Jan. 31 (1996, 2001).

Against This State
•    Navy has posted a 288-265 record in games played against opponents located in Pennsylvania.

In This State
•    Navy has posted a 76-137 record in games played in Pennsylvania.
•    The Mids have compiled a 24-15 record in games played in Bethlehem.

Up Next
•    Navy closes a week on the road with a Saturday (noon) game at Colgate.  The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.

Six First-Time Starters
•    Nine Mids have started at least one game this season.    It marked the first career start for six of those nine.

Benigni Rarely on the Bench Recently
•    Austin Benigni has been Navy's Ironman over the last number of games.
•    He has been on the court for 94 percent of the team's minutes since the start of the league season.
•    He currently is at Navy's highest percentage of minutes played during the Patriot League regular season.

At the FT Line
•    In 2023-24, the Mids rank 81st nationally in free throws attempted (21.6) and 116th in free throws made (14.9) per game.  Those averages lead the Patriot League.
•    Compared to their opponents this year, the Mids are +14 in free throws attempted and +26 in free throws made.

Close Games by Patriot League Teams
•    Navy's six Patriot League games this season decided by single digits ranks second among league teams. 

Navy Bench Has Been a Strength
•    The Mids have received an average of at least 20 points a game from their bench since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
•    The Navy reserve players have outscored their foes 432-253 this year.
•    Navy ranks fourth in the Patriot League and 112th nationally in bench scoring this season (22.7 ppg).

3-Point Percentage Low in Navy Games
•    Navy ranks 35th nationally in defensive three-point field goal percentage as opponents are shooting 30.0 percent from beyond the arc against the Mids. 
•    Navy ranks 333rd in the country in offensive three-point field goal percentage.  The Mids are making 29.1 percent of their three-point field goal attempts.

Positive Turnover Margin
•     Navy is on pace to again have a positive turnover margin (fewer turnovers committed than forced) for the fourth year in a row.
•    The Mids lead the Patriot League and rank seventh nationally with a 5.1 turnover margin this season.
•    The Mids are scoring an average of 6.6 points per game after turnovers more than their foes this year.

Good Again on the Offensive Boards
•     Navy has been very good over the last number of years at winning the offensive rebound margin.
•    The Mids rank first in the Patriot League and 69th nationally this season with an average of 12.16 offensive rebounds per game.

Second-Chance Points 
•     Navy has scored more second-chance points than its foes in 190 of the 283 games (67.1%) it has played since the start of the 2014-15 season. 
•    The Mids are +57 in second-chance points scored this season. 
•     58 of the 171 career points (33.9%) scored by Mike Woods have been second-chance points.
•    Navy has scored on 36 of the 61 (59.0%) career possessions in which Woods has grabbed an offensive rebound.
•    Navy has scored on 32 of the 61 (52.5%) possessions in which Donovan Draper has grabbed an offensive rebound.
•    Draper's offensive rebound average (3.32 org) currently ranks fourth by a Mid in a season since it became an official statistics with the 1986-87 season.
•    Draper's defensive rebound average (6.05 drpg) currently ranks second by a Mid in a season since it became an official statistics with the 1986-87 season.
•    Draper has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 10 games this season.  That is tied for second for the most by a Mid during Navy's Patriot League era.
•    Draper also ranks among the leaders for the most double-doubles during Navy's Patriot League era with eight (the standard is 10).

Navy Pace 
•    Navy traditionally has been one of the more deliberate teams in terms of possessions per game under head coach Ed DeChellis.  
•    The Mids rank fourth in the Patriot League and 294th in the country with an average of 65.7 possessions a game this season.
•    Navy averaged 67.3 possessions a game in its first five Patriot League games this season, but just 60.2 possessions a game in its last three.
•    Lehigh ranks first in the Patriot League and 29th nationally with an average of 71.8 possessions a game.  Boston ranks second in the league and 248th in the country at 66.7 possessions a game.