Game #27 / Patriot League Game #16 • Holy Cross
Sunday, Feb. 25 • 2 p.m. • Alumni Hall • Annapolis, Md.

Multimedia Information
Live Streaming - ESPN+ / Pete Medhurst, Mike Heary
Navy Radio - WNAV AM-1430, FM-99.9, www.iheart.com/live/999-wnav-9420, Audacy app and WFED AM-1500, FederalNewsNetwork.com / Pete Medhurst, Mike Heary
Live Statistics - NavySports.com

Five Starting Notes
1 – Navy averages 65.5 possessions a game and Holy Cross averaged 65.4 possessions a game, according to KenPom.com.  There were 66 possessions in the first game of the season between the teams.
2 – Current Holy Cross players have scored 195 points against the Mids.  Players on Navy's current roster have scored 109 career points against the Crusaders.
3 – Jordan Pennick became the 10th Mid to start a game this season when he took to the floor at the start of Wednesday's game at Loyola.  He was the seventh Mid to make the first start of their respective careers this season. 
4 – Navy and Holy Cross have split the 36 previous games that have been played in Annapolis.
5 – Sunday's game is sponsored by First Command.

Game Information
•    Navy returns home for Senior Day on Sunday (2 p.m.) when the Mids (9-17, 5-10) play host to Holy Cross (9-19, 6-9) in Alumni Hall.
•    The game will be streamed through ESPN+.
•    WNAV and WFED will each carry a radio broadcast of the game.
•    Links to live statistics from the game can be accessed at NavySports.com.

Senior Day Sunday
•    Seniors Tony Atkinson and Austin Inge will be recognized in a ceremony starting at 1:40 p.m.
•    Joining Atkinson will be: Paul Atkinson / father,  Laura Atkinson / mother, LeeAnn Atkinson / stepmother, Adrianna Atkinson / sister
•    Joining Inge will be: Anthony Inge / father, Jackie Inge / mother, Charles Spencer / grandfather, Caroline Spencer / grandmother

Last Game
•    A 43-point first half staked Navy to a lead it would not relinquish in a 69-62 win at Loyola Wednesday.
•    Navy jumped out to a 17-4 lead.  Loyola made it a 27-24 game, but the Mids scored the next nine points to take a 36-24 lead.  Navy led, 43-31, at the half.
•    Navy opened up a 48-33 lead early in the second half.  Loyola drew to within two points at 59-57 (3:11), 61-59 (1:54) and 64-62 (17.4).  
•    Austin Benigni was fouled and he made the first shot but missed the second.  Donovan Draper grabbed the offensive board and was fouled.  He made two free throws to stretch the lead to 67-62 (10.6).
•    Benigni scored 27 points, Draper had a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds and Aidan Kehoe totaled a career-best 11 points to go along with four assists, three blocks and three rebounds.

About Holy Cross
•    Holy Cross travels to Annapolis with an overall record of 9-19 (3-11 in true road games) and a Patriot League record of 6-9 (2-5 in road games).
•    The Crusaders snapped a two-game skid with a 73-59 win over Bucknell Wednesday night in Worcester.

Series History
•    Holy Cross has a 47-29 advantage in the all-time series with Navy. The teams have split the 36 prior games played in Annapolis, with the Mids holding an 18-15 lead in games played in Alumni Hall.
•    The road team has won the last five games in the series.  This span followed a stretch in which the home team won four-straight games.
•    Holy Cross leads Navy, 37-26, in Patriot League regular season games.  Navy leads Holy Cross, 16-15 in league regular season games played in Annapolis, as well as 16-14 in such games played in Alumni Hall.
•    The teams first met in the 1947 NCAA Tournament in New York City's Madison Square Garden.  The Crusaders won a 55-47 first-round game in the field of eight teams.
•    The teams met again in the first round of the 22-team 1953 NCAA Tournament.  Holy Cross won an 87-74 decision that day at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
•    Holy Cross played two games in Annapolis prior to both schools joining the Patriot League (1966-67, 1981-82).

On This Date
•    Navy has posted an 9-13 record in games played on Feb. 25.  This includes a 1-6 record in Patriot League games.
•    This will be the first Navy-Holy Cross game to be played on Feb. 25.

Against This State
•    Navy has posted a 64-71 record in games played against opponents located in Massachusetts.

Up Next
•    Navy closes its regular season home slate Wednesday when it plays host to Lafayette at 7 p.m.

 Service Assignments Made
•    Tony Atkinson received Marine Corps ground.  Upon graduation this May he will enter the Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant.
•    Austin Inge received Navy supply corps.  He will become an Ensign in the Navy on May 24, 2024.

Six First-Time Starters
•    Ten Mids have started at least one game this season.    It marked the first career start for seven of those 10.

More Court Time
•    Nearly every player on the team has played in more games, logged more minutes and scored more points this season than what they had totaled before this year.
•    Among returning players, all but Austin Inge has either tied or set a new career single-game scoring high this 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 130th in free throws made (14.5) per game.  Those averages lead the Patriot League.
•    Austin Benigni ranks 41st nationally with 162 free throw attempts and 30th with 133 free throws made.  Both of those totals lead the Patriot League.
•    Compared to their foes this year, the Mids are +32 in free throws attempted and +17 in free throws made.
•    In league games, Navy is +47 in free throws attempted and +21 in free throws made.

Close Games by Patriot League Teams
•    Navy's five Patriot League games decided by no more than five points is tied for third in the league, as is its nine games decided by single digits. 

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 547-360 this year.
•    Navy ranks third in the Patriot League and 137th nationally in bench scoring this season (21.04 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 13th nationally with a 4.2 turnover margin this season.
•    The Mids are scoring an average of 5.2 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 55th nationally this season with an average of 12.23 offensive rebounds per game.

Second-Chance Points 
•    Navy has scored more second-chance points than its foes in 194 of the 290 games (66.9%) it has played since the start of the 2014-15 season.  

Mike Woods Key on the Offensive Glass 
•     68 of the 209 career points (32.5%) scored by Mike Woods have been second-chance points.
•    Navy has scored on 45 of the 76 (59.2%) career possessions in which Woods has grabbed an offensive rebound.

Draper's Boards Remain High
•    Navy has scored on 45 of the 86 (52.3%) possessions in which Donovan Draper has grabbed an offensive rebound.
•    Draper's offensive rebound average (3.46 org) currently ranks as the best by a Mid in a season since it became an official statistics with the 1986-87 season.
•    Draper's defensive rebound average (5.81 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 12 games this season.  That is 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  nine.

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 289th in the country with an average of 65.5 possessions a game this season.
•    Holy Cross ranks 296th nationally with an average of 65.4 possessions a game.  
•    There were 66 possessions in the first game of the season between the teams.