Sophomore guard Jordan Pennick scored 22 points and ignited a strong game-ending run with a clutch 3-pointer as Navy men’s basketball beat American, 68-60, on Wednesday night at Bender Arena.
Pennick’s sixth 3-pointer broke a tie with less than three minutes remaining and started a 12-4 run that propelled the Midshipmen past the first-place team in the Patriot League.
Junior forward Mike Woods came off the bench to score 12 points for Navy (12-18, 9-8), which swept the season series with American. Junior point guard Austin Benigni made 7 of 9 free throws in netting 11 points for the Midshipmen, who have clinched a first-round bye in the Patriot League Tournament.
Junior center Aiden Kehoe totaled 10 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots for Navy, which hosts Loyola Maryland in the regular season finale at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall. Junior forward Donovan Draper grabbed 16 rebounds for the second straight game.
American (18-12, 12-5) was determined to turn the game into a slugfest and Navy was more than willing to respond in kind. The Eagles committed 25 fouls with two starters fouling out.
“It was a very, very physical game. I’m really proud of our players for embracing the physicality of the game,” Navy coach Ed DeChellis said. “Our entire team just kept fighting and fighting. It was a really hard-fought game and our guys rose to the challenge.”
Graduate student forward Matt Rogers scored 17 points and sophomore forward Greg Jones added 10 for American, which made just 7 of 31 3-point attempts.
“We really wanted to take away the 3-point shot,” DeChellis said. “They made four early in the first half, but only made three the rest of the way.”
Navy remains tied for fifth in the Patriot League with Boston University with one game remaining. The Midshipmen could finish as high as third place, which would mean a home game in the second round.
“I’ve been in this league for 14 years now and there’s more parity than ever,” DeChellis said. “There are no bad teams, so anybody can beat anybody. You have to be ready to go every night.”
Pennick sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key just as the shot clock was set to expire to give Navy a 59-56 lead with 2:47 remaining. Sophomore guard Jinwoo Kim converted a critical layup and the Mids made 6 of 10 foul shots in the final 1:45 to pull away.
American missed four 3-point attempts in the final 30 seconds.
Pennick made four of his 3-pointers in the second half on the way to scoring 15 points. The Archbishop Spalding product leads Navy with 56 made 3-pointers and ranks second in scoring with an average of 10.4 points.
Pennick is a candidate for All-Patriot League honors after averaging just 3.6 points as a plebe.
“Jordan has an ability to score the basketball. He can make open shots,” DeChellis said. “Jordan’s progression from a year ago to now has been outstanding. He’s done a tremendous job this season.”
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