The first of two road games this week for the Navy men’s basketball team will be played on Wednesday when the Mids (11-11, 4-6) travel to Easton, Pa. for a 7:00 pm game at Lafayette (7-6, 5 -5).
Five opening remarks
1 – Navy and Lafayette have met in 42 of the last 44 years, including the last 11 seasons before the Mids joined the Leopards as members of the Patriot League for the 1991-92 season.
2 – Wednesday’s game will be the 90th in the series. The only teams Navy has faced more than Lafayette are Army (138) and American (101).
3 – According to KenPom.com, Navy ranks eighth in the Patriot League and 306th in the nation with an average of 64.6 possessions per game. Lafayette is 10th in the league and 357th in the country (including reclassified D1 teams) with an average of 62.1 possessions per game.
4 – Lafayette leads the Patriot League and is tied for 20th nationally with an average of 9.3 three-point field goals per game. Navy is second in the league and 59th in the country averaging 8.6 3-pointers per game.
5 – Navy ranks ninth in the Patriot League and 347th in the nation with an average of 8.8 penalty kicks taken per game, as well as ninth in the league and 343rd nationally with 12.8 attempts per game penalty kicks per game. Lafayette ranks 10th in the league and 349th nationally with 7.7 penalty attempts per game, as well as 10th in the Patriot League and 349th in the NCAA with 12.1 attempts for penalty kicks per match.
Game day information
• The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
• The game will be carried on WNAV (AM-1430, FM-99.9, www.wnav.com, Audacy App).
• Live stats will be available via NavySports.com.
Last game – American 73, Navy 69
• Navy led 16-11 and 23-19 before American scored eight straight to take a 27-23 lead.
• The teams were tied at 37 at halftime.
• The Eagles took an early 47-41 lead before opening up a 62-52 advantage with seven minutes left and a 69-62 lead with 1:22 left.
• The Mids battled and held the ball 72-69 with 22 seconds left. Navy missed a punt on that drive and the Eagles hit a foul shot with 4.1 seconds left to close out the scoring.
• The American was 20-25 from two-point range for the game, including 9-10 in the second half. The Eagles shot 61 percent from the floor on the afternoon.
• Navy made just 44 percent of its shots in the second half.
• The American also had a 40-28 advantage in points scored in the paint.
• Sean Yoder scored 19 points for Navy.
About Lafayette
• Lafayette posted a 7-16 record this season, which includes a 5-5 record in league play.
• The Leopards have compiled home records of 3-4 overall and 3-2 in league games. They have won their last three home games.
• Lafayette lost a 69-57 decision at Colgate on Saturday.
History of the series
• Navy holds a 54-35 advantage in the all-time series with Lafayette. The Leopards lead the average, 20-16, in games played in Easton.
• Navy leads Lafayette, 31-30, in Patriot League regular-season games between the teams. The Leopards hold a 17-13 edge in league regular season games played in Easton.
• The teams originally met on Jan. 10, 1920, when Navy won a 30-23 game played in Annapolis.
• Navy and Lafayette have met in all but two seasons since the 1979-80 campaign (1988-89 and the 2020-21 COVID season). This is the 42nd season in the last 44 years that the teams have faced each other.
• Ten of the last 13 games in the series have been decided by single digits. That includes four of the last six games played in Easton.
Various game recordings
• The Mids have a record of 384-262 against teams located in Pennsylvania.
• Navy has a record of 79-138 in games played in Pennsylvania.
• Navy posted a 17-13 record in games played on Feb. 1. That includes a 3-5 record in Patriot League regular-season games played on the date.
Next up
• Navy closes out a five-game stretch in which it plays four games on the road with Saturday’s game at Holy Cross.
• The Crusaders head into Wednesday’s game at Boston U. with a 7-16 overall record and a 4-6 league record. Holy Cross posted a 1-5 record in its last six games.
Life on the road
• Patriot League road teams have their league-best winning percentage (25-26, .490) since the league became 10 teams with the 2013-14 season.
• Navy posted a 3-2 record on the road in league play.
The Navy relies on a long-range shot
• Navy is averaging its highest three-point field goal percentage of a season, as well as its third-highest three-point field goal percentage in a game.
• The Patriot League ranks second in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage this season.