Men’s Basketball: Terriers Look to Avenge Loss Against Navy at Home

Featured image by Spirit Veron

By Brendan Galvin

In the second half of the Patriot League season, each game means just a little more than the last. 

As the number of games left decreases and the standings become tighter, teams begin to vy for postseason seeding in the conference tournament. 

In their recent effort at Loyola Maryland, men’s basketball came up just short in their comeback attempt. Trailing by as much as 11, the Terriers cut the lead to just one with 39 seconds left in the game. 

A missed three at the buzzer by Michael McNair was the nail in the coffin in the Terriers’ 69-67 loss on Saturday. 

They now turn their attention to the Midshipmen, whom BU lost 62-47 in their first meeting on Jan 22. 

In that game, the Terriers shot an abysmal 5-for-23 (22%) from deep while allowing Navy to connect on 50% (8/19) of their shots from behind the arc. Look out for how BU attempts to turn around their shooting performance and limit the Midshipmen from a successful day from the field. 

BU and Navy currently sit tied in the Patriot League standings, right in the middle at fifth place. 

Whoever wins Wednesday’s matchup will be just a half-game behind second. The loser could fall to eighth, potentially just a game ahead of last-place Holy Cross. As the teams start to make their second trip around the conference, they are able to better prepare for each other, having already played once. 

Kyrone Alexander continues to be the leader in the BU locker room. Alexander, who tallied his first career double-double on Saturday, will look to continue to be aggressive with the ball and lead the team offensively. 

Similarly, Navy has looked to a single player for a majority of its offensive output. Sophomore guard Austin Benigni is the only player averaging double-digit points, scoring 17 points per game. In their first matchup, Benigni torched BU for 21 points, going 2-for-5 from deep but 11-for-12 from the free throw line. 

Keep an eye out for junior guard Mac MacDonald, though, who leads the team with 41 threes on the season. MacDonald did not play in the team’s first matchup, so look out for how BU head coach Joe Jones attempts to limit the scoring of Benigni and the sharp shooting of MacDonald.

The conclusion of the season series between BU and Navy will be tipped off at 7 p.m. at Case Gymnasium with streaming available on ESPN+.