PHILADELPHIA — On Friday night, Navy secured an 86-78 victory over Pennsylvania, highlighted by Austin Benigni’s impressive performance, which included 16 points and five assists. The Midshipmen improved their record to 3-4 with contributions from several players. Jack Medalie also shone, scoring 14 points with an efficient shooting performance of 4 for 7 from the floor, and demonstrating excellent marksmanship from beyond the arc by hitting 4 of 6 attempts while making 2 of 3 free throws, along with grabbing six rebounds. Cam Cole added 12 points through a combination of 3 for 8 shooting, including 1 for 3 from three-point range, as well as a strong performance at the free-throw line, connecting on 5 of 6 attempts.
Ethan Roberts was the standout for the Quakers, scoring a remarkable 33 points, but despite his efforts, they fell to 2-4 on the season. Nick Spinoso supported the team with a double-double, contributing 16 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, while Sam Brown chipped in with 11 points.
Navy took a lead into halftime, with a score of 37-28, and Jordan Pennick being their top scorer at the break with eight points. The turning point in the game came in the second half when Navy staged a 9-0 run that overturned a one-point deficit, giving them a solid lead of 59-51 with 7:13 remaining. Cam Cole was instrumental during this phase, scoring 12 points in the second half alone.
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday; Navy will face Elon while Pennsylvania will host Maine.