The Navy Midshipmen men’s basketball team defeated Boston University 82-77 on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at Alumni Hall in Annapolis in the Patriot League opener for both squads. The victory improved Navy to 9-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Boston University fell to 5-9 overall and 0-1 in the league. The game matched the preseason poll’s top two teams, with Navy ranked first and Boston University second.
Austin Benigni led Navy with 27 points and eight assists, Jordan Pennick added 18 points, and Aidan Kehoe contributed 15 points and 15 rebounds. The Midshipmen received 27 points from their bench and outrebounded the Terriers 37-28, including a 10-4 edge on the offensive glass. Navy converted 22 of 30 free-throw attempts (73.3 percent) compared to Boston University’s 10 of 12 (83.3 percent). The Mids made 10 three-pointers to Boston University’s nine, despite the Terriers shooting a higher field-goal percentage overall (49.2 to 47.2).
Head coach Jon Perry, in his first season leading the program after succeeding Ed DeChellis, noted the defensive effort and key statistical advantages. “Hard-fought game,” Perry said. “I thought our guys played well. They had two great days of preparation. I really liked our defense. I thought we were great today defensively in a lot of areas. Our bench stepped up (27 points).” He added, “We outrebounded them and made more free throws than they attempted. Those were two key areas. Our ball pressure was really good (after halftime). We started going under (screen) instead of chasing some guys, which we had started the game with.”
The win marked Navy’s eighth consecutive victory in a Patriot League opener, extending a streak dating back to previous seasons. It also made Perry one of only two Navy head coaches to win their first Patriot League game, joining Don DeVoe. The 82 points scored ranked as the second-highest total by a Navy team in a league opener, trailing only the 89 points posted against Bucknell at the start of the 2000-01 season.
Navy built an early 10-4 lead, but Boston University responded with 11 of the next 14 points to take a 15-13 advantage. The teams exchanged the lead five times over the following six minutes before back-to-back three-pointers from Benigni gave the Mids a 25-20 edge. Navy extended the margin to seven points at 29-22 and 31-24, carrying a 35-30 lead into halftime. Benigni scored 15 of Navy’s final 19 points of the half, finishing the first 20 minutes with 15 points and five assists, while Kehoe added four points and 10 rebounds.
Boston University narrowed the gap to one point at 37-36 early in the second half, but Navy responded with a gradual buildup to leads of 42-36, 45-38, 50-41 and 57-45 with 8:22 remaining. Kehoe contributed nine points during that stretch, and Pennick hit a pair of three-pointers. The advantage reached 16 points at 65-49 with 5:14 left. Boston University mounted a late push, closing within eight points multiple times in the final minutes, but Navy maintained control through free throws and defensive stops.
Perry addressed the second-half start. “They (Boston) regrouped (at halftime),” he said. “We came out a little flat. We have to do a better job of our approach to the start of the second half. In the (timeout) huddle, they put a pole in the ground a little bit and said enough was enough.”
Benigni recorded his fourth 27-point, eight-assist performance in a Patriot League regular-season game over the last 23 seasons, the first since Colgate’s Jordan Burns achieved the same against Navy seven seasons earlier. Perry praised Benigni’s leadership. “That’s just who he (Benigni) is,” Perry said. “Being a point guard, a four-year guy, knowing what league play is about and trusting his teammates.”
Kehoe’s 15-point, 15-rebound effort marked the first such performance by a Mid in a home league game since Evan Wieck posted 19 points and 15 rebounds against Lehigh on January 23, 2019. Pennick scored in double figures for the first time since tallying 17 against NJIT on November 22, entering the game without reaching that mark in recent outings. Cam Cole added nine points, four rebounds and zero turnovers in nearly 30 minutes.
Boston University’s Chance Gladden led all scorers with 26 points, while Michael McNair contributed 13 points and six rebounds, and Ben Defty added 12 points.
Navy now prepares for a road game at Holy Cross on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET. The Midshipmen aim to build on their strong league start under Perry, who assumed head coaching duties in 2025 following years as associate head coach. The program enters its 35th Patriot League season emphasizing defense, rebounding and veteran leadership from players like Benigni and Kehoe.