Navy Survives Upset Bid, Advances to Patriot League Semifinals

Midshipmen hold off Bucknell to extend winning streak to 13 games

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The top-seeded Navy men's basketball team narrowly avoided an upset bid from eighth-seeded Bucknell, winning 74-69 in the Patriot League quarterfinals. Reserve Cam Cole led the Midshipmen with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks as Navy extended its winning streak to 13 games. The Midshipmen will host No. 4 seed Boston University in the semifinals on Sunday.

Why it matters

Navy hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 1998, and this year represents one of their best chances in decades to end that drought. The Midshipmen dominated the Patriot League regular season, but Thursday's close call against Bucknell shows they'll need to be at their best to secure an automatic bid to the Big Dance.

The details

In the quarterfinal matchup, Navy led by as many as 10 points in the second half but had to hold off a late Bucknell rally. Achile Spadone scored 20 points to lead the Bison, who cut the deficit to just 5 points in the final minutes before the Midshipmen closed out the win. Navy got balanced scoring with Jinwoo Kim and Austin Benigni adding 14 points each alongside Cole's big game off the bench.

  • Navy has won 13 straight games heading into the Patriot League semifinals on Sunday.

The players

Cam Cole

A reserve for Navy who led the team with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in the quarterfinal win.

Achile Spadone

The leading scorer for Bucknell with 20 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

Navy

The top-seeded team in the Patriot League tournament, seeking their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998.

Bucknell

The eighth-seeded team that gave Navy a tough challenge in the quarterfinals before falling 74-69.

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What’s next

The Midshipmen will host No. 4 seed Boston University in the Patriot League semifinals on Sunday, March 10.

The takeaway

Navy's narrow victory over Bucknell shows they'll need to be at their best to secure an NCAA Tournament bid, which would be their first since 1998. The Midshipmen have the talent to make a deep postseason run, but they'll face stiff competition in the Patriot League tournament.