Terriers Stun Top-Seeded Navy in PL Semifinal With Deep Gladden Buzzer-Beater, 73-72

Sunday, March 8

Annapolis, Md.

2 PM

Boston University

17-16,10-8Patriot

Navy – PL Semifinal

26-7,17-1Patriot

Boston U.

Navy

Photo by: Dan Koerner

Terriers Stun Top-Seeded Navy in PL Semifinal With Deep Gladden Buzzer-Beater, 73-72

March 8, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Coach Jones-Gladden Postgame

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Freshman Chance Gladden connected on his second consecutive late-second game-winner - this time from 40 feet away - to stun top-seeded Navy and push the Boston University men's basketball team into the Patriot League title game with a 73-72 triumph on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Hall.

Reaching their first PL title game since hoisting the trophy in 2020, the Terriers (17-16) more than quadrupled the Midshipmen (26-7) in made 3-pointers, 11-2, with Gladden delivering the final blow against a squad that was holding opponents to just 29.4 percent from behind the arc. BU finished 11-for-24 (.458) in 3-point territory and went 26-for-47 (.553) from the field for the highest shooting percentage of the season recorded by an opponent against Navy.

With the game tied at 70, the Midshipmen had the ball with 8.4 seconds left and needed just five seconds to quickly go the length of the court and convert on a layup. On the in-bounds, Gladden took the pass from classmate Donte Tisinger Jr. and raced to midcourt before creating space with a behind-the-back dribble and lofting the deep try that found nothing but net.

OMG BOSTON U AT THE BUZZER 😱

ARE YOU KIDDING!!!

(via @CBSSportsCBB)pic.twitter.com/pSJO8yqGlj
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 8, 2026

Gladden totaled 26 points alongside four assists to lead the Terriers, while junior Michael McNair recorded 22 points with the help of five 3-pointers and a team-high seven rebounds. Limited to 25 minutes of play due to foul trouble, sophomore Ben Defty added 14 points and seven boards to help set up BU's trip to second-seeded Lehigh on Wednesday (March 11) at 7 p.m.

Named the PL Defensive Player of the Year earlier in the week, Aidan Kehoe claimed a double-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and two blocks. PL Player of the Year Austin Benigni added 17 points alongside six assists and three steals but was held to 7-for-24 (.292) shooting in the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Navy opened the game on a 14-5 run but the fourth-seeded Terriers scored the next eight points and neither team led by more than six the rest of the way in a contest that featured seven lead changes and eight ties.
McNair flushed three 3-pointers over the final 2:37 of the first half to give BU its first lead entering the locker room, 36-35.
Limited to 38.7 FG% during the first 20 minutes of action, Navy quickly retook the lead on back-to-back buckets from Kehoe to start the second half.
Kehoe added another at 14:00 for a 47-41 advantage, but sophomore Azmar Abdullah responded with a 3-pointer and Gladden added a jumper following a defensive stop.
Gladden tied the game at 10:53 (48-48) on a jumper and added two free throws 40 seconds later to put the score at 50-50.
Kehoe again stepped up for the Mids with a pair of putbacks plus bonus free throw at 9:03 for 54-50 lead.
After BU got within two at 59-57 with 6:32 to play, the score margin was within two points for the remainder of regulation.
Gladden scored from behind the arc at 5:06 for the 60-59 lead, and Benigni came right back with a drive to the hoop to pull back ahead, 61-60.
Once Defty fouled out at 2:56, Gladden took over the offense, scoring the Terriers' final 10 points with a 3-pointer at 2:40 for 66-64 lead and pair of free throws a minute later to tie the game, 68-68.
Facing a 70-68 deficit, BU and Navy exchanged empty possessions, and Gladden tied the game on a jumper at 8 seconds.
Benigni then drove across the court to retake the lead on a layup, and Gladden finished the contest on his third 3-pointer.

GAME NOTES

BU is now 2-for-3 all-time in reaching a conference title game as the No. 4 seed after last accomplishing the feat in 2010 by stunning No. 1 Stony Brook in the America East semifinals.
The Terriers will participate in their third PL title game and first since winning the 2020 trophy at No. 1 Colgate as the No. 3 seed. The 2014 squad came up short as the regular season champion to No. 2 American.
Gladden earned his eighth 20+ point performance of the season and third 26-point game with his season-best 34 points occurring at Bucknell back on Jan. 31. He tied a season high with three 3-pointers after last reaching that total against Army and American over the first two weeks of January.
McNair tallied 20+ points for the 11th time this season and 13th overall by hitting at least five 3-pointers for the ninth time.
BU improved to 2-10 on the season when dealt a deficit in rebounds after defeating American in the quarterfinal with the Eagles finishing ahead in the battle at the boards, 27-24. Navy out-rebounded the Terriers, 33-28, and converted 16 offensive rebounds into a 21-6 advantage in points off second-chance opportunities.
Navy outscored BU in the paint (46-24) and in points off turnovers (17-4) while also posting a 16-10 advantage in made free throws.
The Terriers snapped a six-game losing streak at Alumni Hall with the 2019-20 squad the last to win in Annapolis and broke the 15-15 series deadlock by improving to 3-2 all-time in PL tournament action. BU previously won quarterfinal clashes in 2020 and 2024 with Navy winning in OT the only other semifinal matchup back in 2022 at home.

UP NEXT

No. 4 seeded BU will visit No. 2 Lehigh Wednesday (March 11) for a 7 p.m. tip on CBS Sports Network.
The teams are tied, 2-2, in PL tournament history with BU winning a quarterfinal matchup on the road (2018) and a first round home matchup (2021).
The Mountain Hawks won both semifinal contests in overtime at BU with wins in 2017 (91-88 2OT) and 2024 (84-79 OT).