Game #25 / Patriot League Game #14 • at Boston U.
Saturday, Feb. 17 • 1 p.m. • Case Gym • Boston, Mass.

Multimedia Information
Live Streaming - ESPN+ / Doug Brown, Brian Maurer
Navy Radio - None
Live Statistics - NavySports.com

Five Starting Notes
1 – The road team in Navy-Boston U. Patriot League regular season games has posted a 14-5 record.  The visiting team has compiled a 14-7 record when Including every game played in the series played in either Annapolis or Boston.
2 – Four of the last five games played in Boston and nine of the last 14 overall games in the series have been determined by single digits.
3 – Among current players on the respective rosters, the leading scorer for each team when facing the other has scored 30 points (Austin Inge, Miles Brewster).
4 – Navy games average 65.8 possessions a game and Boston U. game average 66.3 possessions a game (KenPom.com).  The first game of the season between the teams had 66 possessions.
5 – Saturday's game is Navy's eighth game in a nine-game span in which it will play six games on the road (Jan. 24-Feb 21).  The Mids have trips to Bucknell, Lehigh, Colgate and Army during this segment of the schedule.  Loyola is the only other league team that plays as many as six road games in a nine-game stretch this season (Jan. 20-Feb. 17).

Game Information
•    Navy returns to the road for the first of back-to-back games away from Annapolis Saturday (1 p.m.) when the Mids (8-16, 4-9) play at Boston U. (10-16, 5-8).
•    The game will be streamed through ESPN+.
•    There will not be a WNAV broadcast of the game.
•    Links to live statistics from the game can be accessed at NavySports.com.

Last Game 
•    American held Navy to season lows for points and field goal percentage in a 59-42 win by the Eagles over the Mids Wednesday in Annapolis.
•    American held a 16-14 lead when it scored 14 of the next 16 points to take a 30-16 lead.
•    Navy drew to within 11 points at 30-19 only to see the Eagles take a 37-22 lead at halftime.
•    The Mids held American to just 22 points after halftime, but scored only 20 themselves.
•    Navy shot 28.3 percent (15-53) from the floor and 38.5 percent (5-13) from the free throw line.

About Boston U.
•    Boston U. enters the game with an overall record of 10-16 (5-6 in home games) and a Patriot League record of 5-8 (2-4 in road games).
•    The Terriers lost a 65-50 decision at Army Wednesday.  The team has alternated wins and losses over the last six games.

Series History
•    Boston U. leads the all-time series with Navy by the count of 12-11.  Navy holds a 7-3 lead in games played in Boston, which includes a 7-1 record in games played in Case Gym.
•    Navy holds an equally slim 10-9 edge in Patriot League regular season games played between the teams.  This includes a 7-2 lead in games played in Boston and a 7-0 advantage in games played in Case Gym.
•    The Mids have won the last six games in the series, which includes the last two games played in Boston.
•    The Navy winning streak in league regular season games is five in a row.  Also, the Mids have won the last seven league regular season games played in Boston.
•    The teams originally met in the regional semifinal round of the 1959 NCAA Tournament. The Terriers defeated the Mids, 62-55 in overtime, in the game that was played in Charlotte, N.C.
•    The only additional meeting of the teams prior to Boston U. joining the Patriot League took place on Dec. 30, 1988, when the Terriers defeated the Mids, 75-54, in a game played in Santa Clara, Calif.
•    Nine of the last 14 games in the series have been decided by single digits.
•    Four of the last five games played in Boston have been determined by single digits.

On This Date
•    Navy has posted an 21-7 record in games played on Feb. 17.  This includes a 6-2 record in Patriot League games.
•    This will be the second Navy-Boston U. game to be played on Feb. 17 (2018).

Against This State
•    Navy has posted a 64-70 record in games played against opponents located in Massachusetts.

In This State
•    Navy has posted a 26-35 record in games played in Massachusetts.
•    This includes a 9-6 record in games played in Boston.

Up Next
•    Navy returns to the road this weekend when it plays Saturday at Boston U.

3-Point Defensive Struggles of Late
•    Navy's three-point defense has struggled during the team's current seven-game losing streak.
•    Opponents are shooting almost 48 percent from beyond the arc and making an average of 9.9 triples a game in this span.

More Court Time
•    Nearly every player on the team (all but Austin Inge) has played in more games, logged more minutes and scored more points this season than what they had totaled before this year.
•    Nearly every returning player (all but Austin Inge) has either tied or set a new career single-game scoring high this season.

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 nearly 90 percent of the team's minutes since the start of the league season.
•    He currently stands second among Navy's highest percentage of minutes played during the Patriot League regular season.

At the FT Line
•    Navy ranked 343rd nationally during the 2022-23 season with an average of 13.5 free throws attempted a game, and 344th with an average of 9.5 free throws made a game.
•    In 2023-24, the Mids rank 105th nationally in free throws attempted (20.7) and 133rd in free throws made (14.5) per game.  Those averages lead the Patriot League.
•    Compared to their foes this year, the Mids are +34 in free throws attempted and +22 in free throws made.
•    In league games, Navy is +49 in free throws attempted and +26 in free throws made.

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 505-334 this year.
•    Navy ranks third in the Patriot League and 142nd nationally in bench scoring this season (21.1 ppg).

Positive Turnover Margin
•     Navy is on pace to again have a positive turnover margin (fewer turnovers committed than forced).
•    The Mids lead the Patriot League and rank ninth nationally with a 4.6 turnover margin this season.
•    The Mids are scoring an average of 5.8 points per game after turnovers more than their foes this year.

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 rank first in the Patriot League and 61st nationally this season with an average of 12.17 offensive rebounds per game.

Mike Woods Key on the Offensive Glass 
•     66 of the 197 career points (33.5%) scored by Mike Woods have been second-chance points.
•    Navy has scored on 41 of the 71 (57.7%) career possessions in which Woods has grabbed an offensive rebound.

Draper's Boards and Steals Remain High 
•    Navy has scored on 38 of the 76 (50.0%) possessions in which Donovan Draper has grabbed an offensive rebound.
•    Draper's offensive rebound average (3.29 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 (5.96 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 11 games this season.  That is tied 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.  He ranks second on the list with eight (record 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 282nd in the country with an average of 65.8 possessions a game this season.
•    Boston U. ranks 258th nationally with an average of 66.3 possessions a game.