DOVER, Del. -- A strong start to the game helped provide the Navy basketball team (5-5) with a lead that it never relinquished, but never felt completely safe, in a 66-59 victory by the Mids over Delaware State (2-8), Tuesday night at Memorial Gym in Dover, Del.

Navy scored the first 15 points of the game as it held Delaware State scoreless until there was 14:25 left on the clock.  The Mids cooled off from their hot start and the Hornets soon used an 8-0 run to draw to within four points at 23-19 with five minutes still to play in the half.  Navy responded by scoring the ensuing 10 points and holding the Hornets without a made field goal the rest of the half to take a 36-21 lead at the break.

"We got some stops," said Navy head coach Jon Perry on the team's early success.  "We had two 'KOs' as we call them, three defensive stops in a row.  We had six stops in a row and we were able to run in transition.  I thought we were really pushing the ball well."

The teams traded baskets to start the second half, then Delaware State went on a 14-2 run to make the score 41-40 seven minutes into the half.  Turnovers were costly to the Mids as 13 of the 17 points scored by the Hornets during this span were after Navy turnovers.

Navy again answered with a 10-0 spurt to take a 51-40 advantage with eight minutes showing on the clock.  It soon was a 58-47 cushion for the Mids with just over four minutes remaining.  Neither team scored for two minutes, then a field goal by the Hornets, a turnover by the Mids, a basket by Delaware State, another Navy turnover and a three-point field goal by the Hornets –– all in a span of 45 seconds –– and suddenly it was a 58-54 game with 100 seconds left to play.

Austin Benigni was fouled and he made both free throws to stretch the margin to 60-54 with 1:28 on the clock.  Delaware State needed just eight seconds to gain back those two points (60-56).  Navy took its time on its ensuing possession and Mike Woods was fouled with 47.4 seconds remaining.  He made both foul shots to make it a 62-56 game.  

Delaware State's Jalen StClair was fouled with 41.7 seconds left.  After he missed the first attempt from the charity stripe he also missed the second.  The carom was batted all of the way back toward halfcourt when Benigni raced over to grab the ball and give possession to the Mids.  Navy had to call timeout with 34.6 seconds remaining and when play resumed sent the ball to Woods who was fouled with 33.3 seconds left.  Woods missed the first shot but made the second to give the Mids a 63-56 lead.

The Hornets again were sent to the line after a scramble for a missed shot.  John Clemmons made both free throws and it was a 63-58 game with 20.9 seconds showing.  The Mids inbounded to Donovan Draper who was fouled nine-tenths of a second later.  Like Woods, he missed the first attempt but made the second to stretch the lead to 64-58.  Navy would again commit a foul, this time it was Benigni's fifth, and sent St. Clair to the stripe with 15.3 seconds left.  He missed the first and made the second offering (64-59).  The Mids were able to run off a few seconds before Jinwoo Kim was fouled with 11.6 seconds still to play.  Kim made his first shot and missed the second.

The Hornets rushed the ball down the court and tried a three-point shot that missed the mark.  Draper was there for a rebound and was fouled.  His one made free throw with a second remaining ended the game.

Each of the two teams committed six turnovers in the first half, but the second half was a different story as Navy committed 12 which led to 18 Delaware State points.  Conversely, the Mids scored only two points following the two turnovers it forced after halftime.  The turnovers also helped the Hornets enjoy a 17-7 advantage in second half fast break points.

"When it wasn't going well," said Perry, "we were turning the ball over.  We did a really good job in the first half.  In the second half, we were over dribbling the zone (defense) in the gaps and they (Delaware State) was doing a good job of getting hands on the basketball.  Those turnovers led to fast break points.  It is hard to have transition defense when we were turning the ball over as we were doing."

Navy in the game shot 43.5 percent from the field, but that included a 4-16 (25%) effort from three-point land.  The Mids also were 22-32 (68.8%) from the foul line.  

Delaware State shot 33.3 percent from the floor and was only 5-19 (26.3%) from beyond the arc.  Additionally, the Hornets were 12-19 (63.3%) from the free throw stripe.

"I think the good halfcourt defense we played was a credit to the staff and the job they are doing with these guys buying in to our being a good defensive team and hanging our hat on that," said Perry.  "Sometimes your offense doesn't travel with you.  We can shoot the ball better, we just didn't tonight.  But defensively I was really proud of the guys."

Navy held a 9-8 advantage in offensive boards but enjoyed an overall 44-29 lead on the glass.

"We really had a focus of outrebounding them tonight," said Perry.  "Delaware State came into the game plus 33 in offensive rebounds this year.  I am really happy that we had more offensive rebounds than they did."

Aidan Kehoe notched another double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.  Setting a new career high for points was Woods with 18 points.  

"That's what seniors do," said Perry.  "We have a lot of seniors on the team.  I am really happy for Mike.  I thought he gave us a spark to start the game and then late he made a big three at the end of the shot clock.  Jordan Pennick had a big play; he dove on the loose ball and that led to Woods scoring.  Those hustle plays, those 50-50 balls as we call them are really big.  We have to continue to make those plays down the stretch when we need them."

Navy returns home for a Sunday game against Air Force at noon in Alumni Hall.