#1 Navy and #4 Boston Battle in an All-Time Classic in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals

By: Ethan Hennessy

Annapolis Maryland

#1 Navy and #4 Boston met in the Patriot League Tournament for the third year in a row and fourth time in five years. In 2022 Navy defeated Boston in overtime in the semifinals in Annapolis. In 2024, the second-seeded Terriers defended home court against the seven-seeded Midshipmen at Case Gymnasium. In 2025 Navy returned the favor and defeated Boston in the 4/5 game again at “The Roof”. Sunday afternoon’s postseason contest was the latest instalment of a rivalry that has produced competitive games more often than not. This game featured the two best centers in the league as the Naval Academy’s Aiden Kehoe, the 2026 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, matched up against Boston’s seven-footer Ben Defty. The two big men lead the nation in field goal percentage. First place Kehoe is shooting 73.5% from the field and second place Defty is shooting 68.8%. Aiden Kehoe said after the game about Defty “He’s a great player and we know it is going to be a battle going into it. I have tremendous respect for him.”

Navy went up 14-5 early on the Terriers. Boston countered with a 6-0 run of their own. The Terriers have been playing most of the season with a limited lineup of only seven or eight players. What was a negative in depth provided a strength in continuity with the seven rotation players playing very well together. It was a one-point game at halftime after Boston made a surge to jump ahead.

The second half picked up where the first half left off. The two squads were evenly matched. Navy head coach Jon Perry pumped up the crowd with 14 minutes remaining and the mostly full lower bowl at Alumni Hall roared to life. Ben Defty picked up two fouls in quick succession including his third with 12:26 to play. Boston coach Joe Jones substituted him out at that point for backup Quinn Nielsen. Prior to the substitution Kehoe and Defty were playing a pretty even game. Ben Defty checked back into the game and then recorded his fourth foul with 10:26 to go and immediately checked back out. Aiden Kehoe seized the opportunity with Neilsen back in the game by putting up a quick five points including a layup plus the free throw. Boston University’s Azmar Abdulah answered with a top of the key three pointer. Patriot League Player of the Year Austin Benigni made a free throw line pull up jumper to put the midshipmen up 57-53 with 8:21 to go.

At the under four media timeout Navy was clinging to a 63-61 lead. With 2:56 to go Boston center Ben Defty committed his fifth foul shortly after re-entering the game while going up for a rebound against Kehoe. Boston kept shooting the three well and it allowed them to remain in the game. Boston coach Joe Jones described how the play calling changed when his starting center was out of the game. He explained how they have a different set of plays they run, and are fine with fouling Kehoe more because it is difficult to stop him. A Mike Woods layup with 67 seconds remaining put Navy up by two. The Midshipmen secured a rebound off of a subsequent Boston miss and called a timeout to set up a critical last-minute play. In a game that focused heavily on the storyline of the two centers both teams decided to go with small lineups in the final two minutes. Boston’s Chance Gladden made a contact layup off the glass to tie the game with 8.4 seconds remaining, and Navy had one final shot in regulation to win the game. Austin Benigni raced down the lane and made a layup to put Navy ahead by two. Boston inbounded the ball and a halfcourt buzzer beater by Chance Gladden swished through the net as the buzzer sounded giving Boston a 73-72 win. He said in the postgame press conference after releasing it “I knew it was in”. After reviewing the play because the clock did not start immediately at the beginning of Boston’s possession an extra 0.6 seconds was added to the clock for one final Navy attempt. The last second shot was no good though and #4 seed Boston advanced to the Championship game to face #2 Lehigh.

After the game Navy Head Coach Jon Perry spoke passionately about his team particularly his seniors saying “They are professionals. That is what this institution trains them to do… I can’t be more proud of these guys. There is a lot of love in that locker room and a lot of tears. I don’t always understand why thing happen, but you have to have faith.” In particular he had glowing words to say about Aiden Kehoe saying “He has come a long way since he stepped foot on campus and that is a credit to him”. Kehoe who finished his freshman season at the academy only contributing 10 points 11 rebounds ended his senior year first in the country in field goal percentage, Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, and the second best player on a 26 win regular season championship team. Perry also praised Austin Benigni who won this year’s Patriot League Player of the Year and finished first in program history in minutes played, games played, third in scoring, and fourth in assists.

Navy is hoping to continue their impressive season by receiving a bid to the National Invitational Tournament or College Basketball Invitational. Boston meanwhile will travel to Stabler Arena in Bethlehem Pennsylvania for the Patriot League Championship game on Wednesday night against the #2 seed Mountain Hawks of Lehigh.