PatriotMBB Notebook (.PDF)

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Patriot League men’s basketball crown and League’s automatic berth to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be on the line Wednesday when No. 1 American hosts No. 5 Navy in the 2025 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men’s Basketball Championship Game at Bender Arena.
 
Live coverage of the title game begins at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, with Jason Knapp handling play-by-play duties, Mo Cassara providing analysis and Keiana Martin reporting from the sideline. Westwood One will also carry a national radio broadcast of the championship game with Pat McCarthy and Kyle Nick Bahe on the call.
 
The second-seeded Eagles advanced to the League title game for the first time since 2015 by defeating No. 3 Colgate, 72-62, on Sunday. Senior guard Elijah Stephens led five Eagles in double figures with 16 points, and graduate student forward Matt Rogers tallied 15 points and five rebounds. American is playing for its fourth League title and will host the Patriot League Championship Game for the first time since 2009.
 
No. 5 Navy downed No. 1 Bucknell behind a game-high 24 points from junior guard Austin Benigni, who connected on a Patriot League Championship single-game record 20 free throws. The Mids advance to the championship game for the first time since 2022 and will be playing for the fourth Patriot League title in program history and first since 1998.
 
CLICK HERE for more information on the 2025 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men’s Basketball Championship. To view the 2025 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Championship Digital Program, CLICK HERE.
 

DATE	MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP | ROUND | COVERAGE	TIME/SCORE
Tuesday, March 4	No. 10 Holy Cross at No. 7 Lafayette | First Round | ESPN+	Lafayette, 69-68
Tuesday, March 4	No. 9 Lehigh at No. 8 Loyola Maryland | First Round | ESPN+	Loyola 77-73
Thursday, March 6	No. 8 Loyola Maryland at No. 1 Bucknell | Quarterfinals | ESPN+	Bucknell, 76-72 (OT)
Thursday, March 6	No. 7 Lafayette at No. 2 American | Quarterfinals | ESPN+	American, 71-69
Thursday, March 6	No. 6 Army West Point at No. 3 Colgate | Quarterfinals | ESPN+	Colgate, 84-55
Thursday, March 6	No. 5 Navy at No. 4 Boston University | Quarterfinals | ESPN+	Navy, 86-78
Sunday, March 9	No. 5 Navy at No. 1 Bucknell | Semifinals | CBSSN	Navy, 83-77
Sunday, March 9	No. 3 Colgate at No. 2 American | Semifinals | CBSSN	American, 72-62
Wednesday, March 12	No. 5 Navy at No. 2 American | Championship Game | CBSSN	7 p.m.

 
PENFED CREDIT UNION PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NO. 5 NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (15-18, 10-8 PL) AT NO. 1 AMERICAN EAGLES (21-12, 13-5 PL)
Bender Arena/Washington, D.C.                                      7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
BROADCAST (CBS SPORTS NETWORK): PxP – Jason Knapp; Analyst – Mo Cassara; Sideline – Keiana Martin
RADIO BROADCAST (WESTWOOD ONE): PxP – Pat McCarthy; Analyst – Nick Bahe
LIVE STATS | DIGITAL CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
SEASON SERIES: Navy swept the two-game season series against American.
SERIES HISTORY: The Midshipmen and Eagles will meet for the 107th time in series history, dating back to 1931. Navy holds a 55-52 edge, including winning its last six games at Bender Arena dating back to 2020.
GAME ONE (Jan. 2): At Navy 81, American 58 (BOX SCORE): Jr. C Aidan Kehoe scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season to lead Navy to an 81-58 victory over American to open the League slate. Kehoe connected on 8-of-11 from the floor to help the Mids outscore the Eagles 40-24 in the paint. Mids’ Jr. F Donovan Draper finished two assists short of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. American Gr. G Colin Smalls paced the Eagles’ offense with 18 points, hitting 4-of-8 from long distance.
GAME TWO (Feb. 26): Navy 68, at American 60 (BOX SCORE): So. G Jordan Pennick scored a game-high 22 points to lead Navy to a 68-60 victory over American to sweep the season series. Draper pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds to help Navy hold a 40-28 advantage on the glass. Eagles’ Gr. F Matt Rogers scored a team-high 17 points, while So. F Greg Jones added 10 points.
PREVIEWS: NAVY | AMERICAN
 
American All-Patriot League Honorees
*Gr. F Matt Rogers (17.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) earned First Team All-Patriot League honors after finishing among the League leaders in scoring and rebounding. The three-time All-League honoree is the third student-athlete in League men’s basketball history to surpass 1,800 points and 700 rebounds, joining Bucknell’s Mike Muscala and Lehigh’s Tim Kempton.
*Sr. G Elijah Stephens (10.6 ppg, 3.7 apg) earned Third Team All-Patriot League honors. The two-time All-League honoree finished among the League’s leaders in assists.
*So. F Greg Jones (10.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 spg) was selected to the Patriot League’s Defensive Team after finishing among the League’s leaders in steals.
 
Navy All-Patriot League Honorees
*Jr. G Austin Benigni (18.3 ppg, 4.2 apg) won the League’s scoring title and claimed First Team All-Patriot League honors. The two-time All-League selection is third in League history in free-throw percentage (.852).
 
Midshipmen As Road Warriors in 2024-25
The Midshipmen are aiming to join the 2015-16 Holy Cross Crusaders as the only teams to claim the League title by winning three or more road games during the championship. Despite finishing 3-6 on the road in League play, Navy has shown a unique knack for accomplishing the feat, snapping three of the Patriot League’s longest home winning streaks this season.
 
The Midshipmen defeated American, 68-60, on Feb. 26 to hand the Eagles its first League home loss of the season after an 8-0 start. In the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Championship, the Mids traveled to No. 4 Boston University and defeated the Terriers, 86-78, after BU went 9-0 at home in League play. On Sunday, Navy handed top-seeded Bucknell its first home loss to a League opponent this season after the Bison recorded 10 straight wins at Sojka Pavilion.

Eagles Enjoy Comforts of Bender Arena in 2024-25
American enjoyed success at Bender Arena during the 2024-25 season, posting a Patriot League-best 12-2 overall record at home. The Eagles averaged 72.3 points per game, outscoring opponents by 8.3 points while shooting .458 from the floor and .365 from 3-point range. Conversely, AU was held to 63.9 points per game on the road with a -8.3 scoring margin. The Eagles’ shooting percentages dipped, connecting on .413 from the field and .335 from beyond the arc.
 
Patriot League Championship History: American vs. Navy
American and Navy will meet for the seventh time in Patriot League Championship action. The Eagles hold a 4-2 advantage in the postseason. The series is tied at 1-1 at American.
2002-03 – First Round – No. 2 American 72, No. 7 Navy 57
2004-05 – First Round – No. 3 American 85, No. 6 Navy 83 (OT)
2009-10 – Quarterfinals – At No. 4 American 62, No. 5 Navy 60
2018-19 – Quarterfinals – No. 5 Navy 60, at No. 4 American 56
2021-22 – Quarterfinals - At No. 2 Navy 71, No. 10 American 64
2022-23 – Quarterfinals - No. 7 American 52, at No. 2 Navy 51
 
American in Patriot League Championship Games
2001-02 - No. 2 Holy Cross 58, at No. 1 American 54
2002-03 – At No. 1 Holy Cross 72, No. 2 American 64
2003-04 – No. 1 Lehigh 59, No. 2 American 57
2007-08 – At No. 1 American 52, No. 3 Colgate 46
2008-09 – At No. 1 American 73, No. 2 Holy Cross 57
2013-14 – No. 2 American 57, at No. 1 Boston University 46
2014-15 – At No. 4 Lafayette 65, No. 6 American 63
 
Navy in Patriot League Championship Games
1993-94 – At No. 1 Navy 78, No. 3 Colgate 76
1994-95 – At No. 1 Colgate 68, No. 3 Navy 63
1996-97 – At No. 1 Navy 76, No. 2 Bucknell 75
1997-98 – No. 2 Navy 93, at No. 1 Lafayette 85
1999-00 – At No. 1 Lafayette 87, No. 1 Navy 61
2000-01 – At No. 1 Holy Cross 68, No. 2 Navy 64 (OT)
2021-22 – At No. 1 Colgate 74, No. 2 Navy 58
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.