ANNAPOLIS —- Navy is back in the BB&T Classic for the third time.
The Mids beat Howard in 2005 and lost 79-70 to Virginia Tech a year ago. They’ve represented themselves well in the event.
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So can Navy, at 4-4 with a mix of results so far, pull off a mild surprise against George Washington (5-1) tomorrow?
“We’re still working on being consistent,” sophomore guard Jordan Sugars said. “We still have a long ways to go, but we’ve shown glimpses of being the team that we want to be. We just have to keep working hard and keep getting better.”
Getting better is a common mantra with the Mids, who picked up back-to-back victories for the first time this season with defeats of Quinnipiac and Penn.
Navy used 12 players Friday night against Penn, including 11 in the first half. But maximizing situations and closing teams out remain issues for the Mids, who needed a halfcourt heave to upend Quinnipiac and nearly let Penn back into what was an eight-point game with less than four minutes to play.
“We have to get better in almost every aspect of the game,” coach Billy Lange said. “We feel like we’re a few possessions [away from] having a better record or having won consecutive games [earlier]. Those things will iron themselves out in at the end. It’ll all shake out the way it’s supposed to shake out.”
A victory tomorrow could prove notable. George Washington is already halfway to its victory total from a year ago and could prove to be a credible victory. It will also probably be the biggest crowd Navy plays in front of this season.
“It’s a big atmosphere, and it’s always fun,” Sugars said. “But you can’t get caught up in the big lights and center stage.”
—- Patrick Stevens
