WEST POINT, N.Y — Army West Point men’s basketball (16-11, 10-5) shocked the top team in the Patriot League, the American Eagles (17-11, 11-4), in a 76-69.
With the win, the Black Knights earned their tenth win in league play, tying the record for most games won in Patriot League play in a singular season. With one more win, Army will claim the record for most wins in league play in a single season.
The Black Knights outmatched the Eagles in several categories. Army finished the day shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 47.1 percent from the three-point line while American shot 46.2 percent and 34.6 respectively. The Black Knights held a 36-28 rebounding advantage and also finished shooting 18-20 from the free throw line while American shot 8-13 from the charity stripe.
Ryan Curry led all scorers with 25 points, shooting 10-13 from the floor and 4-6 from the three-point line. Curry scored 15 of his points in the first half and also finished the game with a team-high seven rebounds.
AJ Allenspach also had a strong showing, finishing the game with 16 points on perfect shooting from the field (6-6) and the free throw line (4-4). Allenspach also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Josh Scovens added 14 points alongside six rebounds and a career-high six blocks. Scovens six blocked shots also tied the program record for most blocks in a single game.
Jalen Rucker neared a double-double, scoring 10 points with seven rebounds, tying the team-high, as well as dishing a team-high seven assists. Kevin McCarthy also added nine points off the bench shooting 3-3 from the three-point line.
How It Happened
In the first four minutes, the Black Knights were outscored 12-7. AJ Allenspach scored the first bucket for the Black Knights, then Ryan Curry scored the following five points.
Over the next three minutes, the Eagles went on an 8-2 run, growing a 20-9 lead with 13:39 left in the first half, their biggest lead of the game. Then, Army came storming back.
The Black Knights went on a 14-0 run to take their first lead of the at 23-20 with 8:22 left on the clock. Ryan Curryspearheaded the run with jumpers on back-to-back possessions. Kevin McCarthy made his first three-pointer of the game, then AJ Allenspach scored two layups in back-to-back possessions. Ryan Curry capped off the run with his second three-pointer of the game.
The Eagles responded with a 10-3 run, taking back the lead and stretching it to a 30-26 lead with 3:20 left in the first half. In the final three minutes, the Black Knights were outscored 11-8, with Josh Scovens having six points and AJ Allenspach adding two points. At the end of the half, Army trailed American 34-41.
The second half began similarly to the first half, with the two teams exchanging buckets. The Black Knights scored six points, with AJ Allenspach starting the scoring again, and then Ryan Curry scored four points over two consecutive possessions.
Army continued to narrow the lead, with Ryan Curry adding a three-pointer and Jalen Rucker scoring on a driving layup, helping make it a 49-45 game in Americans favor with 13:55 left.
The Black Knights would then have a 10-3 run in their favor to claim a 55-52 lead with 9:39 left to play. Josh Scovensscored four points, then Kevin McCarthy scored two game-changing three-pointers to help give Army the lead and momentum.
Over the next five minutes, the Black Knights held a slight 10-7 scoring edge to keep American out of reach. Josh Scovens and AJ Allenspach each added four points and Ryan Curry added two more points to make it a 65-59 game with 3:59 left on the clock.
In the final four minutes, Jalen Rucker led the Black Knights with six points, AJ Allenspach added four points and Ryan Curry added a free throw to outscore American 11-10. Josh Scovens also had two of his six blocked shots in the final four minutes to stop the Eagles from scoring.
The final buzzer sounded, and Army gained one of its biggest wins of the season, its sixteenth win of the season overall, and its tenth win in Patriot League play.
Up Next
The Black Knights hit the road as they head to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania for a rematch with the Bucknell Bison, but this time on the national stage.
In their last matchup, Army took home a 116-110 victory over Bucknell in a double-overtime thriller. Ryan Curry led all scorers with a career-high 30 points, with Jalen Rucker and Josh Scovens also adding 20-point performances.
The game is slated for a 12 p.m. Sunday tip-off, with the matchup streaming on the CBS Sports Network and the Varsity Network.
