ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Bucknell (10-14, 7-4) shot just under 70 percent from the field during the second half and totaled 11 three-point field goals in an 80-67 win over the Navy (8-14, 4-7) men's basketball team, Wednesday night at Alumni Hall in Annapolis.

"When you let a team shoot 69 percent in a half," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis, "you are not going to win.  When you let a team shoot 60 percent from three, you are not going to win."

Navy used a 12-0 run to take a 14-6 lead a little more than five minutes into the game.  The Mids would lead by 10 points at 21-11 before Bucknell closed to within three points at 24-21.  A quick 7-0 run by the Mids boosted them to a 31-21 lead.  The Bison winnowed the margin to as few as two points at 35-33 before the teams went into the locker room with Navy in front, 39-35.

The Mids extended their lead to 41-35 in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Bison ran off the next eight points to take a 43-41 lead.  Navy regained a 46-43 advantage only to see Bucknell score 17 of the next 19 points to take a 60-48 advantage with 9:37 showing on the clock.

"We played for the first 18 minutes of the game," said DeChellis.  "I thought we played really efficient basketball.  I thought we played really well.    The last two minutes of the first half were not very good.  We turned it over three times.  And then again the first four-to-six minutes of the second half we didn't play very well."

Navy cut the lead down to single digits at 63-54 only to see Bucknell go on another 8-2 run to build a 71-56 lead with just over four minutes remaining.

Bucknell shot 69.6 percent from the field in the second half, which included a 6-10 effort from three-point range.  Conversely, Navy shot 36.4 percent from the floor after halftime and was only 1-9 from outside of the arc.

The Bison ended the game shooting 61.2 percent from the field and made 11-21 three-point attempts.  The Mids had 14 more field goal attempts (63-49) but made two fewer baskets (30-28) to shoot 44.4 percent on the night.  Navy was just 6-12 from three-point land in the game.

"The three-point shot over the last five games is just killing us," said DeChellis, of the 56-26 advantage opponents have in three-point field goals made over the last five games. "We are just not defending the way to win games."

The Mids did win the rebounding battle, 32-27, which included a 13-4 advantage on the offensive end.  That helped Navy to a 15-4 advantage in second-chance points scored.  The Mids also committed 13 turnover and forced 17, but the Bison led, 17-16, in points scored after turnovers.

Austin Benigni led Navy with 18 points.  He finished just ahead of the 17 points totaled by Mitch Fischer.  Donovan Draper added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Navy heads to Army on Saturday for the annual Star Game against the Black Knights.  The 1:30 p.m. game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.