Davis leads huge rally for Midshipmen
Loyola women fall short of Bucknell in season opener
It was gut-check time right out of the gate for the Navy men’s basketball team as it sought to start the new year on a positive note.
Down 17 points six minutes into the second half, the Midshipmen were in danger of getting embarrassed on their homefloorto open the 2021 Patriot League campaign. Experience and depth are two of the strengths of this Navy squad, and those factors were crucial to overcoming the double-digit deficit.
Senior captain Cam Davis took over offensively while Navy turned it up several notches defensively in rallying to beat Bucknell 78-69 on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall.
Davis scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half to spark the comeback and the Mids held the Bison without a field goal over the final 12 minutes, 40 seconds. Junior forward Richard Njoku scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Navy (4-1), which closed on a 35-9 run.
Sophomore forward Daniel Deaver came off the bench to score 10 points for Navy, which is off to its best start since 2008-2009. Junior guard Greg Summers totaled eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Mids.
It was the third-largest comeback victory in program history for Navy, which has won four straight against Bucknell.
The Midshipmen and Bison will square off again Sunday (6 p.m.) at Sojka Pavilion as part of the Patriot League’s home-andhome weekend doubleheader format.
Junior guard Andrew Funk scored 16 points to lead Bucknell (0-1). Sophomore guard Xander Rice added 13 points and five assists for the Bison, who missed 14 straight field goals and committed six turnovers over the final 11:48.
Women
Bucknell 72, Loyola Maryland 44: Devyne Newman poured in 16 points in her Loyola debut, and Taleah Dixon (McDonogh) added 14 points during her first game action in 22 months, but it was not enough for the visiting Greyhounds in the season opener for both sides.
Tessa Brugler totaled 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Bison, who topped the Patriot League regular season last winter and are projected to do so again this winter. Bucknell limited the visitors to 16 points in the second half to break open what had been a single-digit contest at halftime.
Newman, who joined Loyola this summer after spending her first two collegiate seasons at St. Joseph’s, hit 8 of 14 shots from the field in a career-high scoring effort. Dixon also reached double figures in her return for the Greyhounds after missing all of last season due to an offseason injury.
The Greyhounds host Bucknell in their home opener tonight at 6 at Reitz Arena.