Navy men’s basketball schedule altered
Mountain Hawks will now face Navy this weekend
The Patriot League on Wednesday announced Navy men’s basketball will face Lehigh on Saturday and Sunday as the league alters its schedule due to the impact of COVID- 19.
Navy was originally set to play Loyola Maryland in a home- and- home series this weekend, but the Baltimore school postponed those games last Thursday because of a positive test. American on Wednesday revealed a “Tier 1” positive COVID- 19 test, which forced its weekend contests with Lehigh to be postponed and created an opening for Navy and Lehigh to square off.
Lehigh will host the Mids at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at 2 p. m. on Saturday, while Navy will host the Mountain Hawks at 3 p. m. on Sunday at Alumni Hall.
Navy coach Ed DeChellis said Monday therewas a possibility the Mids could end up playing this weekend and was preparing his team to be ready on short notice.
“I’m preparing this week like we’re going
to play this weekend,” DeChellis said. “If another program has a positive test and can’t play, the conference could slide [ Navy] into that slot. We need to be flexible and ready to go at all times.”
Navy men’s basketball had two nonconference games canceled and paused all activities for about twoweeks in December due to positive tests within itsprogram. The Mids are 5- 1 this season and swept Bucknell in a home- and- home series lastweekend in both team’s Patriot League openers.
Navy women’s basketball saw
its weekend games against Loyola Maryland postponed Tuesday as the Mids remain in quarantine protocol after a positive COVID- 19 testwas revealed Friday.
It’s the second straight weekend Navy’s women had games postponed, as the positive test late last week forced the postponement of two contests against Bucknell.