Yale used a late first-half surge to pull away from Navy, winning 97-68 Friday night at Alumni Hall in the second game of the 12th annual Veterans Classic. The Bulldogs, two-time defending Ivy League champions, improved to 1-0 while dropping the Midshipmen to 1-1.
The matchup marked the season opener for Yale and followed Navy’s 76-55 exhibition win over Presbyterian on Monday. Tulsa topped Rhode Island 82-65 in the doubleheader’s first contest, with five Golden Hurricanes scoring in double figures and the team hitting 11 of 22 three-pointers.
Navy jumped to an 18-9 lead early, but Yale responded with five consecutive three-pointers to grab a 24-22 edge with nine minutes left in the half. The Bulldogs shot 10 of 22 from beyond the arc before halftime while Navy went 0 for 5, allowing Yale to build a 46-31 advantage at the break. The Midshipmen missed their final seven field-goal attempts of the period as Yale outscored them 20-5 in the closing stretch.
Navy ended the drought with a basket on its opening possession of the second half, but Yale went 7 for 7 from the floor over its next seven trips to extend the margin to 60-33 with 16 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs maintained at least a 20-point lead the rest of the way, finishing with 12 three-pointers overall and a 50% shooting mark on 33-of-66 attempts. Navy connected on 3 of 14 threes and shot 44% from the field on 22-of-50 efforts.
Yale held an 18-7 edge in second-chance points and converted 19 Navy turnovers into 30 points, while the Midshipmen managed just 11 points off 10 Yale miscues. Off the bench, Yale sophomore Riley Fox scored 24 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting, including a highlight-reel dunk late. Senior forward Nick Townsend, a first-team All-Ivy selection last season after averaging 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, added 23 points.
Junior guard Jinwoo Kim led Navy with a career-high 16 points in the loss. The Midshipmen, under first-year head coach Jon Perry, struggled in the “big three” categories of shooting, rebounding and turnovers, as Perry noted afterward.
“It wasn’t our best basketball tonight,” Perry said. “We got beat in the big three categories, and that’s not a good recipe. I thought Yale was the tougher team and we didn’t respond.”
Perry, promoted from associate head coach on March 19 after 12 seasons on the staff, previously played for his mentor Ed DeChellis at East Tennessee State. DeChellis retired following 14 years at Navy, where he posted a 189-227 record. Perry’s debut victory over Presbyterian featured senior center Aidan Kehoe’s 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, but the Mids could not sustain that form against Yale’s methodical offense.
“We were up nine, tried to make some adjustments and then the game got away from us in the first half,” Perry said. “Credit to them. That’s a very good basketball team which is very well coached.”
Yale, the preseason Ivy favorite under James Jones in his 27th season, has claimed four league titles over the past five tournaments. The Bulldogs return key pieces like Townsend, junior guard Casey Simmons and junior forward Samson Aletan, who combined for significant production last year. Yale’s schedule includes a Dec. 29 trip to Alabama and the Paradise Jam in November, testing their bid to extend their Ivy dominance.
The Veterans Classic, held annually around Veterans Day since 2013, honors service members from all branches and draws crowds to Alumni Hall’s 5,000 seats. Broadcast on CBS Sports Network, the event has featured programs like Michigan State, North Carolina and Maryland in past years, blending competition with campus tours and military appreciation. For Southern Maryland residents, the tournament holds special appeal given the region’s strong military ties; Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties host thousands of Navy families and veterans, many of whom make the 45-minute drive from Waldorf or Prince Frederick to Annapolis for games. Local outlets like the Southern Maryland Chronicle have covered Navy schedules for years, highlighting how events like this foster community pride in the academy’s athletic traditions.
Navy’s early-season turbulence comes amid a revamped roster emphasizing paint protection and transition play, per Perry’s preseason comments. The Mids face a tough nonconference slate, including Tuesday’s road game at Penn State and later matchups at North Carolina. In the Patriot League, Navy aims to build on last year’s 13-19 mark by improving offensive efficiency and reducing turnovers.
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” Perry said. “Tonight was difficult for us. There is going to be turbulence in our season. We have to learn from it and grow from it. We have to develop and stay together. It is one game, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Yale’s decisive win underscores their status as a mid-major power, having reached the NCAA tournament in four of the last five years. Their 2024-25 run ended with an 80-71 first-round loss to Texas A&M, but returning scorers like Townsend position them for another deep Ivy campaign. For Navy, the loss serves as a measuring stick against elite shooting and veteran leadership, areas Perry targeted in summer workouts.
The Classic’s format — two games in one evening — keeps Alumni Hall buzzing, with fans from the D.C. metro area filling stands alongside midshipmen. Past editions have packed the venue, underscoring its role in early-season scheduling. As Perry’s era begins, Navy draws on its history of resilience; the program has produced 11 NBA players, including David Robinson, and maintains a focus on character development alongside wins.
