Benigni leads Navy against Lehigh after 21-point performance

Updated Jan. 17, 2024 3:43 a.m. ET
Associated Press

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-11, 1-3 Patriot League) at Navy Midshipmen (6-9, 2-2 Patriot League)

Annapolis, Maryland; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Midshipmen -2; over/under is 143.5

BOTTOM LINE: Navy hosts the Lehigh Mountain Hawks after Austin Benigni scored 21 points in Navy's 78-62 loss to the Lafayette Leopards.

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The Midshipmen are 5-2 in home games. Navy averages 68.4 points while outscoring opponents by 2.8 points per game.

The Mountain Hawks are 1-3 against conference opponents. Lehigh ranks eighth in the Patriot League shooting 31.6% from 3-point range.

Navy's average of 6.1 made 3-pointers per game is 1.7 fewer made shots on average than the 7.8 per game Lehigh allows. Lehigh has shot at a 43.9% clip from the field this season, 1.6 percentage points above the 42.3% shooting opponents of Navy have averaged.

The matchup Wednesday is the first meeting of the season for the two teams in conference play.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mac MacDonald is shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Midshipmen, while averaging 9.5 points. Benigni is shooting 41.1% and averaging 16.4 points over the last 10 games for Navy.

Keith Higgins Jr. is shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc with 1.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Mountain Hawks, while averaging 15.1 points and 1.8 steals. Tyler Whitney-Sidney is averaging 13.5 points over the past 10 games for Lehigh.

LAST 10 GAMES: Midshipmen: 5-5, averaging 72.9 points, 36.1 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 9.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 42.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.3 points per game.

Mountain Hawks: 3-7, averaging 73.4 points, 35.5 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 7.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.4 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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