ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Brandon Venturini scored 28 points and drilled 8 of 9 3-pointers as Navy defeated Lafayette 79-71 Sunday.

Navy (6-7, 1-1 Patriot League) shot 51.1 percent from the field and was 11 of 14 from beyond the arc. Thurgood Wynn scored 15 points and Worth Smith added 14 with six rebounds.

The Midshipmen overcame a 33-29 halftime deficit and opened the second half on a 17-6 run, with Venturini hitting two 3-pointers and Smith adding two jumpers and a three-point play.

Lafayette (4-9, 0-2) crawled back and trailed by two after a Bryce Scott layup, but Navy used a quick 8-0 surge to increase their lead to 10 with 34 seconds left.

The Leopards shot 20 of 49 (40.8 percent). Scott led Lafayette with 20 points, while Alan Flannigan and Dan Trist each chipped in 14.