Game #12 • Navy (3-8) at Coppin State (0-12)
Saturday, Dec. 22 • 1 p.m.
Physical Education Complex Arena • Baltimore, Md.

Series History
Overall: Navy leads, 4-2
Last Game: Navy, 75-52 / Dec. 3, 2023 (Annapolis, Md.)
at Coppin State: Coppin State leads, 2-1
Last Game: Coppin State, 75-68 / Nov. 14, 2022

Broadcast Information
Video: ESPN+ / Kyle Borg, Ramona Riley-Bozier
Navy Radio: WNAV / Joe Miller

Five Starting Notes
1 – Navy returns 12 players who totaled 54 points in last season's 75-52 victory over Coppin State.  The Eagles return three players who scored four points in the game against the Mids.
2 – This is just the seventh game between the teams.
3 – Saturday's game will be Navy's sixth-straight road game and Coppin State's third home game of the season.
4 – Coppin State is the only MEAC team Navy is playing this season.  The Eagles have already faced Loyola from the Patriot League. 
5 – Navy and Coppin State have each dropped games this season to Saint Joseph's and Rider. 

Game Information
•    Navy makes the short drive to Baltimore for a Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) game at Coppin State.
•    The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
•    Joe Miller will have the local radio broadcast of the game on WNAV.

About Coppin State 
•    Coppin State finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 2-27 record and placed eighth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 1-13 record.
•    The Eagles placed eighth 2024-25 MEAC Preseason Poll.
•    Included among the losses for Coppin State this season have been defeats to Wake Forest, Virginia, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina State and Penn State.  The Eagles additionally have dropped games to Saint Joseph's and Rider, two teams which also defeated Navy, and Loyola.

Series History
•    Despite the close proximity of the schools, this will be just the seventh game in the series which began during the 2009-10 season.
•    Navy holds a 4-2 advantage in the series, which includes a 75-52 victory by the Mids one year ago in Annapolis.
•    Coppin State has won two of the three previous games played in Baltimore.  The Eagles won a 75-68 decision when the teams met two years ago in Charm City.
•    Navy has posted a 17-12 record against MEAC teams and Coppin State has compiled a 10-12 record against Patriot League teams.

On This Date
•    Navy has posted a 7-7 record in games played on Dec. 21.

Against This State
•    Navy has posted a 197-78 record in games played against opponents located in Maryland.

In This State
•    Navy has posted a 1062-507 record in games played in Maryland.  
•    This includes a 35-46 record in games played outside of Annapolis and a 20-16 record in games played in Baltimore.

Navy vs. MEAC on the Road
•    Navy has posted a 4-9 record in road games played against current MEAC teams.

A Look Back (Virginia Tech 80, Navy 72)
•    Navy used an 11-0 run to take a 27-15 lead, but Virginia Tech scored the next 12 points to tie the game.
•    The Hokies took a 46-41 lead at the break and led, 48-41, early in the second half.
•    Navy made it a one-point game at both 51-50 and 57-56 and tied the score at 59 with 12 minutes left.
•    Virginia Tech scored the next nine points to take a 68-59 lead with seven minutes remaining.
•    Navy leads of 30-20 in rebounds and 15-8 in offensive boards, but led only 12-10 in second chance points.
•    Navy turned the ball over 16 times and forced Virginia Tech into 10 turnovers.
•    Jordan Pennick and Lysander Rehnstrom each scored 14 points and Austin Benigni had 13.

A Look Ahead 
•    Navy ends the 2024 calendar year, its non-league slate and a stretch of seven-straight games away from Annapolis on Dec. 29 when the Mids play at William & Mary.

The Flying Mids 
•    Navy is trying to play at a faster pace this season than in the past.
•    Using the adjusted tempo statistic (possessions per 40 minutes) on KenPom.com, the Mids are playing at their fastest pace during the Ed DeChellis-coached era (68.6 possessions a game, 170th in the NCAA).
•    Coppin State is averaging 67.3 possessions a game to rank 233rd.

Missing Home
•    Navy's Nov. 25 game against Washington (Md.) was the last home game for Navy in the 2024 calendar year.  The Mids will not return to Alumni Hall until they open Patriot League play on Jan. 2 against American.
•    Navy will go 38 days between home games, which is the second-longest span between home games in program history.  It also marks the 12th time in school history in which Navy will go at least 30 days between home games.
•     It also is tied for third for the most consecutive regular season games played away from Annapolis.

Navy by President
•    Navy has posted a 61-52 (.540) record under President Joe Biden.
•    The Mids previously compiled a 58-44 (.569) record during Donald Trump's first term as President.

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.
•    Navy ranked fourth in the Patriot League and 149th nationally in bench scoring during the 2023-24 season (20.06 ppg).
•    This year, the reserves scored 45 of the team's 86 points against Penn and 39 of 63 points against Elon.
•    The Mids are second in the league and 99th in the NCAA this year with an average of 26.1 bench points per game.

Navy 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 ranked first in the Patriot League and 40th nationally during the 2023-24 season with an average of 12.45 offensive rebounds per game.
•    Navy stands first in the league and 46th nationally with an average of 13.36 offensive boards a game this year.
•    Aidan Kehoe (3.27 OR/G, 2nd PL, 37th NCAA) and Donovan Draper (3.00 OR/G, 4th PL, 59th NCAA) rank among the NCAA leaders in offensive rebounds.

Three-Point Plays 
•    Austin Benigni leads the team for the most career three-point play opportunities.
•    Benigni has had at least one three-point play opportunity in 21 career games as well as in 16 of the 42 games since the start of his sophomore year.

At the FT Line – Austin Benigni / 2024-25 
•    Benigni ranks 21st in the NCAA for free throws made (61) and 41st in free throws attempted (72).
•    Benigni ranks fifth at Navy during the Patriot League era (1991-92 to present) and 21st in program history for the highest career free throw attempts per game average with 334 attempts in 73 games (4.57 fta/g).
•    Benigni ranks among the Navy leaders for career free throw percentage (3rd, 84.7%).

Kehoe Lately 
•    Aidan Kehoe moved into the regular rotation during Navy's Feb. 21, 2024, game at Loyola and made his first start in the next game against Holy Cross.
•    He had totaled 26 points (1.0 ppg) and 40 rebounds (1.5 rpg) in 26 career games prior to taking to the floor against the Greyhounds.
•    Since then, he has totaled 153 points (9.0 ppg) and 135 rebounds (7.9 rpg). 

Pennick Lately
•    Jordan Pennick had appeared in 16 games prior to Navy's Feb. 17, 2024, game at Boston U., and totaled 26 points (1.6 ppg) and 18 rebounds (1.1 rpg).
•    Since then, he has scored 144 points (8.0 ppg) and grabbed 65 rebounds (3.6 rpg).