The AU men’s basketball team picked up its third Patriot League win of the season Jan. 18 with a 67-60 victory over the Navy Midshipmen in Annapolis, Md.
“We’re happy to win,” AU Head Coach Jeff Jones said. “Anytime you win on the road in conference play, it’s a positive.”
The Eagles (12-7, 3-1 PL) are now in sole possession of second place in the Patriot League Standings after defeating a struggling Navy squad (3-15, 0-4 PL).
AU was in a tough battle throughout the first eight minutes of the contest, which saw five lead changes and three ties.
But Charles Hinkle’s 3-pointer midway through the first half sparked a 13-2 run that gave AU a 33-18 advantage with 2:54 left in the first half.
Hinkle scored eight of his team-high 17 points during that run and pulled down four of his team-high 10 rebounds in that six-minute span.
“Aside from hitting shots, Charles has been rebounding and boxing out really well, which has been big for us,” said point guard Daniel Munoz. “We know he’s going to hit shots and we know he’s going to score, but when he can rebound the ball like he did against Navy, that’s a big bonus for us.”
Munoz was also very productive in the first half, recording five of his 13 points and four of his team-high seven assists to help guide the Eagles to a 38-22 halftime edge. He also hit four clutch free throws with less than 1:30 left in the game to seal the victory.
“Danny is a key for us,” Jones said. “We really rely on him a lot and in some ways, how he goes, we go. Danny is very much a big key for our team’s success.”
The Eagles continued their stellar play for the opening 11 minutes of the second half, and held a 55-36 lead with 9:07 left in the game.
However, Navy responded with an 11-0 run to cut AU’s lead to 55-47 with 4:44 remaining.
The Eagles let the Midshipmen hang around, and Navy crept within four points twice with less than 1:15 left.
Trailing 64-60 with 55 seconds remaining, the Midshipmen committed two turnovers in a 20-second stretch to kill their chances of a comeback.
“When Navy made a comeback, I didn’t like how we responded,” Jones said. “We were able to hold on, but when you’re playing well enough to get a 25-point lead, we can’t give in when the opposition is bound to come back.”
The Eagles will look to build on their early success in conference play and continue their undefeated mark at home when they take on the Army Black Knights Jan. 21 on Phil Bender Day.
“We absolutely look forward to this game every year,” Munoz said. “Having the fans out there gives you a lot more energy and it makes the game much more exciting. It’s definitely a game everyone looks forward to and hopefully, we’re able to get the win.”
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