LEWISBURG, Pa. – Fifth-seeded Navy pulled off the upset on Sunday, knocking off top-seeded Bucknell 83-77 in the Patriot League semifinals at Sojka Pavilion. The Midshipmen overcame foul trouble and a late Bucknell push to secure their spot in the conference championship game.

Despite leading for much of the game, Navy (15-18) had to rely on its depth as starting center Aidan Kehoe was limited to just 13 minutes of action before fouling out, while four other Midshipmen finished with at least four fouls. With their frontcourt depth tested, Navy turned to its backcourt and a relentless attack on the basket, earning 42 free-throw attempts and converting 35 (83.3%) to outpace the Bison (18-15).

Junior guard Austin Benigni, the Patriot League’s leading scorer, struggled from the field (2-for-12) but made his impact at the free-throw line, going 20-for-22 en route to a game-high 24 points. His ability to get to the line helped the Mids withstand Bucknell’s second-half comeback attempt.

Jordan Pennick added 15 points, while Jinwoo Kim (13 points) and Donovan Draper (12 points) provided key contributions, including timely three-pointers to help hold off the Bison.

Bucknell, which had won 10 straight games at home, trailed 36-33 at halftime but kept the game within reach behind a 22-point effort from Patriot League Player of the Year Noah Williamson and 21 points from Achile Spadone. A three-pointer by Spadone cut Navy’s lead to one with just over seven minutes left, and Bucknell briefly took the lead at 60-59 with under six minutes remaining.

However, Navy responded with a 9-3 run, sparked by a Draper three-pointer that put the Mids back in front for good. The Mids sealed the game at the free-throw line, hitting 11 of their last 12 attempts in the closing minutes.

The biggest difference in the game was at the foul line, where Navy outscored Bucknell 35-19. The Midshipmen also committed just eight turnovers while forcing 12, leading to a 12-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

Bucknell, which had the second-best offense in the Patriot League, averaging 73.9 points per game, shot just 30.8% (8-for-26) from three-point range and struggled to find consistency from the perimeter.

With the win, Navy advances to the Patriot League championship game on Wednesday, where it will travel to No. 2 American, who took down defending champion Colgate, 72-62. The Mids will be looking to capture their first conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.