Navy Stays Undefeated in Patriot League Play With Thrilling Win Over Lafayette

Navy was able to remain unbeaten in conference play after winning a thrilling game against Lafayette.

Dec 15, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Navy Midshipmen forward Donovan Draper (11) / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

It wasn't a good start to the season for Navy (5-10, 2-0 in conference), but they have turned it around during Patriot League play with two straight victories, including their most recent thriller against Lafayette (6-9, 1-1) on Sunday when they won, 71-70.

The Midshipmen didn't necessarily challenge themselves during the nonconference slate, only facing one power conference team, Virginia Tech, a game they lost, 80-72.

But, now that the calendar has flipped to Patriot League competitions, Navy is off to a great start.

After a back-and-forth early in the first half, the Midshipmen went on a 17-5 run that put them up by double-digits at the 8:52 mark. They were able to keep Lafayette at arms length for the remainder of the period, even getting their lead up to 11 with just just over a minute remaining.

But two baskets by the Leopards put the halftime score at 41-33 in favor of Navy.

The second half is when things got interesting.

Early on, the Midshipmen were doing a good job of maintaining their lead, answering the runs the Leopards were putting together, but then, Lafayette finally broke through.

An 8-0 run put Navy behind, 53-52, with 12:32 remaining in the game.

The Midshipmen answered with a run of their own to take control of the contest until the four-minute TV timeout.

Lafayette then hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 65, setting the stage for an exciting finish where the Leopards took a five-point lead with 2:24 left to go.

But, that was the last time Navy gave up points, finishing on a 6-0 run where they forced three missed shots and two turnovers.

Donovan Draper was the hero in this one.

With five seconds remaining and Navy down by one, he hit the game-winning jumper and blocked Lafayette's own game-winning 3-point attempt to secure this victory for the Midshipmen.

Draper scored a game-high 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor, while also pulling down nine rebounds, recording three steals and that block.

The four other starters joined him in double figures, with Austin Benigni putting up 14, Aidan Kehoe scoring 12, and Jordan Pennick and Jinwoo Kim both adding 10.

Navy was actually outshot in this game, going 26-59 (44.1%) from the field and 7-16 (43.8%) from deep, while Lafayette shot 27-59 (45.8%) from the field and 9-23 (39.1%) from 3-point range.

They had the advantage from the free throw line and forced five more turnovers than they committed, which helped them stay undefeated in conference play.

The Midshipmen will be back on the court in a road contest against Holy Cross (9-6, 1-1) on Jan. 8.

The game will be be broadcasted on ESPN+ with tip set for 6 p.m. EST.