Jasin Sinani and Terren Frank combined to score 41 points to lead Campbell men’s basketball to a convincing 86-66 victory over Navy on Sunday afternoon in Alumni Hall.
Austin Benigni and Aidan Kehoe had 14 points apiece for the Midshipmen, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Camels’ stifling defense and the home team’s free throw shooting woes.
Navy began the game with the hot hand, hitting 5 of it first 8 shots in taking an early 14-10 lead. Senior guard Lysander Rehnstrom scored five points during that span and the Mids also found some early success going inside to Kehoe.
However, Campbell adjusted its defense and started double-teaming the powerful 6-foot-10 center, which paid immediate dividends as Kehoe turned the ball over three times and missed his first three free throws.
“We concentrated the last two days on taking away the 3-point shot after the way we guarded it against Rider, but today we couldn’t guard the ball and they just drove, drove and drove,” Navy coach Ed DeChellis said.
DeChellis’ strategy to take the perimeter away from Campbell in large part kept Navy in the game during the first half. The combination of the Mids’ aggressive defense and the Camels’ poor shooting resulted in the visitors missing 12 of the first 13 shots they took from beyond the arc.
However, Navy’s offense cooled off and it could not capitalize on 13 first-half fouls by Campbell. The Mids struggled at the free throw line, hitting only 7 of 15 attempts.
Making matters worse, with 2:37 left in the first half and the Mids trailing 32-28, a questionable foul on Benigni led to a heated conversation between DeChellis and one of the officials.
DeChellis wound up getting hit with a technical foul, which he said was only the third of his 29-year coaching career.
“I didn’t like what he said,” said DeChellis, who also questioned some of the “ticky-tack” fouls earlier in the contest.
The uncharacteristic outburst and two made free throws by Campbell was followed by a dazzling baseline jumper by Rehnstrom, who was fouled on the play. He hit the free throw to pull Navy within three points, 34-31, but that was as close as the Mids would get.
Campbell (3-2) opened the second half with the hot hand and started to take advantage of a suddenly turnover-prone Navy offense. The Camels also started draining 3-pointers as five players scored from beyond the arc in the second half. Campbell was able to convert at the free throw line.
“They shot a bunch of free throws and made them all,” DeChellis said. “They scored 40 points in the paint and we had no resistance to their drive.”
Even though it may have not made a difference in the final score, Campbell only missed 3 of 22 free throws, while Navy only made 15 of 24. Another telling statistic for DeChellis was Campbell’s ability to convert Navy turnovers into 20 points. Meanwhile, the Mids only mustered six points off turnovers.
A 30-second stretch that began with 9:40 left in the contest summed up the second half for Navy. Sinani drained an uncontested 3-pointer that was followed by a Kehoe turnover and a fast break for the Camels. Navy fouled Sinani in transition and the guard hit both free throws to give Campbell a comfortable 62-45 lead.
DeChellis said he expects the free throw shooting to improve, but he is quite concerned about the defense. After giving up just under 67 points per game last season, Navy is allowing an average of 81.5 so far this season.
“We are not an offensive juggernaut. For us to think we are going to outscore people is the wrong thought process,” DeChellis said. “We better think we have to work hard defensively, we better work hard at rebounding the ball.”
Navy (1-3) will look to improve on both sides of the ball when it returns to action Tuesday at Alumni Hall against Quinnipiac, the preseason favorite in the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Quinnipiac at Navy
Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: 1430 AM