Regardless of how both teams are in the standings, one
thing that can be counted on is a fierce contest
between the archrivals. In this case, both teams are
obviously significantly improved over recent seasons'
editions. At the start, both teams were feeling each
other out like championship prize fighters. 6 minutes
into the game, the score was only 6-2 Army. Marcus
Nelson, who continues to wow the crowds with his
athletic ability, followed a missed shot with a tip in
to make it 8-2. Doug Williams, who may have been the
MVP of the game, followed shortly thereafter with a
thundering dunk off a pass from Nelson. Navy would not
quit, though, and it took a nice move by Marshall Jackson with about 8 minutes left to make it 14-10
Army.
Navy then went on a 7-0 tear, led primarily by
freshman TJ Topercer, to take a 17-14 lead. A nice
3-point goal from Matt Bell tied it, and a 15-ft
jumper from Jarell Brown gave Army the lead. The teams
traded baskets for the rest of the first half, with
the Black Knights clinging to a slim 25-23 lead.
If there is a recent pattern, it is that Army seems to
be playing rather well at the start of the second
half. Sunday's match was no exception. Matt Bell sank
another 3-pt field goal and Marcus Nelson fed Corban Bates for a nice layup to give Army a 34-25 lead with
about 16 minutes left. Bell once again gave Navy fits
by connecting on a traditional 3-pter, hitting his
foul shot after a nice layup. This gave the Cadets a
37-27 lead, and the crowd was sensing a relatively
easy Army victory.
Navy, however, was looking to give Army a run for
their money. In fact, they went on a 11-0 run to take
a 38-37 lead with less than 10 minutes left. From
here, both teams really stepped up the defense, with
both squads taking the 35-second clock to practically
0 (result of tough defense and deliberate offense).
It was nip and tuck for awhile. Then, Corban Bates hit
probably the biggest shot in his career to now, a
3-pter from the corner to give Army a 47-43 lead. Navy
began to send Army to the foul line, and it seems this
strategy worked. Army missed several free throws down
the stretch, and Navy closed it to 49-47 after being
down 10 earlier in the half. Jarell Brown then hit a
huge shot from the corner to make it 51-47. Army did
manage a couple of free throws to make it 53-47 in the
waning seconds. Greg Sprink then hit a long 3 to close
the gap, and after another Army miss at the line, Navy
came up with a good shot at the basket, but it would
not fall, preserving the Black Knights' victory.
This is the best record the Black Knights within the
Patriot League this late in the season since the
1990s. Could a postseason bid become a reality this
year? Army now embarks on a tough 2-game road trip,
facing a beatable Lafayette squad in Easton Wednesday
night, and then going farther west in Pennsylvania, to
face a tough Bucknell squad next Saturday. The next
home game is on Saturday, Feb 3rd, where the Black
Knights will be looking to avenge an opening night
overtime loss to Colgate.