ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A fast start offensively paired with one of the better defensive performances in modern program history combined to give the Navy men's basketball team (8-5) a 70-23 victory over Rosemont College, Sunday afternoon at Alumni Hall in Annapolis. 

Rosemont is an NCAA Division III school located in Philadelphia that is in its final season of varsity sports before the school is absorbed by neighboring Villanova.  The Ravens have compiled a 2-8 record this year against fellow NCAA Division III teams. Today's game was designated as an exhibition for Rosemont.

Navy jumped out to a 13-0 lead six minutes into the game as Rosemont didn't score its first basket of the afternoon until the 13:20 mark.  It soon was a 17-9 lead for the Mids when they scored 15 of the next 16 points on their way to building a 35-12 lead at the break.  

Navy shot 52 percent (13-25) from the floor and held Rosemont to a 13.6-percent effort (3-22) in the first half.  The Mids also held a 26-8 advantage on the glass.

"We switched a lot of things," said Navy head coach Jon Perry about the defensive effort.  "They ran a lot of motion and we had pretty good communication on the defensive end and, obviously, limiting them to one shot.  We did a good job of blocking them out.  Our gaps were really good.  Because we were in gaps, they run a dribble-drive motion and we were able to keep the ball in front of us."

The Mids quickly scored the opening five points of the second half to take a 40-12 lead and end any suspense as to the eventual outcome.

Navy finished the game shooting 45.1 percent from the field as 13 of the 17 Mids who played scored at least two points.  The Ravens shot only 12.5 percent for the game (5-40) and were 3-20 (15%) from three-point range.  

"We were getting stops and pushing the ball," said Perry about the offense.  "I thought we were getting really good looks and I liked our shot selection.  I would have liked to have shot it better, but we did shoot 45 percent for the game and 30 percent (7-24) from three."

Navy snared 18 offensive boards and 50 rebounds in the game while limiting Rosemont to four offensive caroms and 19 rebounds.  The Mids held a 16-0 advantage in second-chance points.

Game statistics first became available for Navy starting with the 1951-52 season.  The 23 points scored by Rosemont are the fewest for a Navy opponent since then.  The previous low for points scored by a Navy opponent during this modern era was 32 by Virginia on Dec. 8, 1951.  Also, the five made field goals by the Ravens are fewer than the previous low of 10 set by the Cavaliers in that game played 74 seasons ago.

Individually, Donovan Draper led Navy with 15 points and also added six rebounds and three steals.  Also, Aidan Kehoe finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, Mike Woods had 11 rebounds and five assists and Austin Benigni totaled eight points and five rebounds.

Navy opens Patriot League play with a home game against Boston University on New Year's Eve Day.