ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Yale (1-0) closed the first half on a 26-5 run to take control of an eventual 97-68 victory by the two-time defending Ivy League champions over the Navy men's basketball team (1-1), Friday night at Alumni Hall in Annapolis.    

The game was the second of the evening in the 12th annual Veterans Classic. Tulsa defeated Rhode Island, 82-65, in the opener.

"It wasn't our best basketball tonight," said Navy head coach Jon Perry.  "We got beat in the big three categories, and that's not a good recipe.  I thought Yale was the tougher team and we didn't respond."

Navy took an early 18-9 lead, but Yale made five three-point shots in a row to take a 24-22 advantage with nine minutes left in the half.

"We were up nine, tried to make some adjustments and then the game got away from us in the first half," said Perry.  "Credit to them (Yale).  That's a very good basketball team which is very well coached."

The Bulldogs would end the half 10-22 from three-point range while the Mids were 0-5.  That allowed Yale to take a 46-31 lead at the break.  Navy was held without a made field goal for the last 7:30 of the frame as it was outscored 20-5 during that span.

Navy ended the drought with a basket on its first possession of the second half, but Yale was 7-7 from the floor on its next seven possessions to take a 60-33 lead with 16 minutes still to play.  The margin was at least 20 points over the rest of the game.

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity," said Perry.  "Tonight was difficult for us.  There is going to be turbulence in our season.  We have to learn from it and grow from it.  We have to develop and stay together.  It is one game, but we have a lot of work to do."

The Bulldogs ended the game with 12 made three-point field goals and an overall shooting percentage of 50 percent (33-66).  The Mids were 3-14 (21.4%) from long range and shot just 44 percent (22-50) in all.

Yale, which has won four Ivy League titles in the last five years the tournament was played and is the preseason favorite again this year, held an 18-7 lead in second-chance points and turned 19 Navy turnovers into 30 points. Conversely, the Mids forced just 10 turnovers and tallied 11 points from those Yale miscues.

Jinwoo Kim scored a career-best 16 points for the Mids in the loss.

Navy heads back out on the road for a Tuesday night game at Penn State.