The men's basketball team continued its struggling season, losing to the Navy Midshipmen 77-66 at home for the first time since 1991.
From the start, Navy was easily the more energetic team, as the Midshipmen gave AU struggles with both their zone and full court man-to-man defenses. Still, a late run by the Eagles gave them a slight halftime lead of 37-35.
The Eagles' struggles continued in the second half, as they were held to just over 30 percent shooting from the field in the half. Leading scorers Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer were held in check, shooting just 6-23 from the field and attempting just two free throws.
To make matters worse, Navy forced 17 Eagle turnovers, including nine steals, and blocked five shots.
"You have to be strong with the ball," said Coach Jeff Jones. "They attacked us off the dribble. They had a good night. We had a bad night."
On the other end, Navy guard Greg Sprink, who Jones called a "hybrid," was lighting it up from everywhere. He made eight of 18 shots and 17 of 18 free throws, good for 36 points in the victory.
"He's very strong and can post, so if you put a smaller person on him, he can really hurt you inside," Jones said. "He can shoot the three, but the thing that ties it all together is that he can put the ball on the floor as well."
Despite their struggles, the Eagles managed to hang around. However, every time it seemed like AU might make a run, the Midshipmen answered right back, refusing to give the Eagles the slightest bit of momentum.
"They outplayed us in every area," Jones said. "It was probably our worst performance of the year."
However, Jones gave credit to Navy for their endurance.
"We just tip our hats to Navy," he said. "They outplayed us for 40 minutes. They were the aggressor - they were the team with energy."
Junior Brian Gilmore led the Eagles with 16 points and led the team with four assists, while senior Travis Lay added 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
With the loss, the Eagles dropped to 3-3 in the Patriot League and 11-10 overall. They will go on the road Saturday to face conference leader Lafayette.
"The big thing after tonight was just more energy and more of a competitive spirit," Jones said. "We need to raise the level of our play"
