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The Navy basketball team fell in the Patriot League Conference Championship, 74-52, to American on Wednesday. The Midshipmen fell one game shy of the NCAA Tournament.
They were forced to play essentially the entire game without one of their top scorers due to an early ejection. Jordan Pennick was tossed after punching a player below the belt.
The play came just 92 seconds in the game. Pennick got tangled up with an American player as his team advanced the ball up the floor.
Before attempting to separate himself, he issued a cheap shot that sent his opponent falling to the ground. After a review, the foul was upgraded to a flagrant II, resulting in his exit from the court.
Navy’s Jordan Pennick was ejected from the Patriot League title game after a Flagrant 2 was assessed on this play. pic.twitter.com/8KBWa5H6bE
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 12, 2025
The play was notable on many levels. First, it’s not often you see the emotions get the best of players at service academies, particularly this early in a contest. They’re often more composed given the strict daily schedule and grueling demands of balancing school, training, and sport.
Second, Jordan Pennick was the team’s second-leading scorer. At 10.7 points per night, he was one of just two players to average double figures. The Midshipmen were handcuffed offensively the moment he walked off the floor.
Pennick’s absence was evident as the Navy basketball squad barely managed 50 points. They’ll now have to watch a league rival advance to the Big Dance after failing to punch their March Madness ticket.