One Second Left: Bell Hits Buzzer-Beater, Curry Drops 26 as Army Ends 35-Year Manhattan Drought

WEST POINT, NY – One second left, down three, the game is on the line.

Jaxson Bell rose from deep and buried the shot that sent Christl Arena into chaos, forcing overtime and igniting an 81-78 victory over Manhattan that snapped a 35-year losing streak to the Jaspers. But it was Ryan Curry who delivered the knockout punch, pouring in 26 points and sealing the win with ice-cold free throws in the final seconds of overtime.

This wasn’t just about ending a drought that dated back to 1989. This was about two leaders refusing to let their team fold, and a young squad learning that when you have each other’s backs, anything is possible.

Army improved to 3-6 on the season while Manhattan fell to 3-5, but the record doesn’t tell the story of what happened Saturday afternoon in front of 950 fans. This was a statement win for a young Black Knights team finding its identity at the perfect time.

Curry’s Masterclass

Ryan Curry has been here before. The senior guard from New Jersey has lived in these moments, and Saturday, he reminded everyone why he’s the unquestioned leader of this Black Knights squad.

Curry finished with a season-high 26 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and a blistering 60 percent from three-point range. He drained six triples, including a massive one in overtime, and then calmly stepped to the line four times in the final 35 seconds to seal the victory.

“It just put me in good spots for myself,” Curry said postgame, deflecting credit as always. “Our team made it so easy for my team and me. I mean, Jacksonville [Bell], a big shot in regulation, ascended to overtime. Tate Laczkowski, big minutes. I mean, we’ve been chasing this, and I’m so proud of the guys, and none of this would be possible without them.”

But Curry’s impact went beyond the stat sheet. He orchestrated the offense with seven assists, kept finding open shooters, and steadied a young team that could have crumbled when Manhattan took the lead with 14 seconds left in regulation.

“We know we’re a good shooting team. We’ve known that even though we haven’t shot well. I haven’t shot well. It’s all on me. And we know, we shoot every day. We have been shooting since July, and we make them. We know we’re a good shooting team, and it was just a matter of time until today was the day,” Curry said.

That confidence proved contagious. Army shot season-highs of 45.5 percent from the floor and 46.9 percent from three-point range, with the Black Knights dishing out 20 assists—their most in a single game this season.

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Bell’s Heroic Moment

With Army trailing 66-63 and just one second showing on the clock, Jaxson Bell caught the inbound pass, rose from beyond the arc, and let it fly.

Swish.

Game tied at 66-66. Overtime. Pandemonium.

“That last shot, we just had to make a play, and I felt like I had the opportunity to do that. So I just went out there, shot, and I made it. Thank God for my teammates who were able to find me all game and get me in that rhythm to make that last shot,” Bell said.

It was the signature moment in a career-high 19-point performance for Bell, who shot 60 percent from the floor and 63.5 percent from three-point range. The sophomore added four rebounds and one steal, but it was his clutch gene that shone brightest.

“I think I’m just playing the flow of the game. My teammates are finding me for great looks, and we’re playing unselfish basketball right now. We had plenty of assists. Our assist-to-field-goal made ratio was great today, and we’re just sharing the ball, and we’re starting to learn how to play with each other since we’re a young team. We’re just finding ways to score, and I love it. I love playing with these guys, and it’s been a great thing to progress.”

Bell’s buzzer-beater gave Army life. Curry’s clutch free throws delivered the knockout.

A Team That Has Each Other’s Backs

The win was about more than just Curry and Bell’s heroics. It was about a team learning to trust each other, support each other, and fight for each other.

Jackson Furman, who burst onto the scene with 20 points against Duke at West Point earlier this season, had struggled to find his rhythm in recent games. But his teammates never stopped believing in him, never stopped finding him for open looks, and never stopped encouraging him to keep shooting.

Saturday, Furman responded with 10 points off the bench—his first double-digit performance since the Duke game. More importantly, he played with confidence and aggression, contributing on both ends and showing flashes of the player who lit up Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“Well, we know Furman, what he’s capable of. He’s capable of scoring, he’s capable of shooting, and he’s gotta keep his confidence. We’re encouraging him to shoot. We don’t want him to lose his confidence because we need him ultimately,” Bell said. “He’s a great player, great decision maker, great facilitator, so we want him to keep his confidence, keep level-headed, and keep shooting ultimately because we need him; we’ll need him for sure.”

Jorn Everson added 11 points, and Tate Laczkowski provided crucial minutes and big plays in overtime. This was a complete team effort, orchestrated by two leaders who made sure everyone knew their role and felt the trust.

First Half: Setting the Tone

The Black Knights came out aggressively, jumping to an early 4-0 lead on layups from Everson and Laczkowski. Curry immediately took control, drilling four first-half three-pointers that kept Manhattan on its heels and gave Army a 33-30 halftime lead.

The ball movement was crisp, the shots were falling, and the Black Knights were playing with the kind of confidence that had been missing in earlier games. Joshua Eli delivered early assists, Bell and Laczkowski hit back-to-back triples, and Furman got his touches and started finding his rhythm.

The Black Knights were starting to look like the team they knew they could be.

Second Half: Answering Every Run

Manhattan came out firing in the second half, erasing Army’s lead with a decisive scoring run. Jaden Winston hit a deep three at 16:53, and Fraser Roxburgh followed with a layup that gave the Jaspers momentum.

But Army didn’t fold. Bell answered with back-to-back threes. Furman buried a triple at 15:20 off a Curry feed to regain the lead at 42-40. Curry drilled another at 14:43, and the Black Knights kept finding ways to respond.

Everson provided steady inside scoring, finishing layups, and keeping Army in front through the middle stretch. But Manhattan kept clawing back, and with 0:14 left in regulation, the Jaspers hit a three to take a 66-63 lead.

That’s when Bell delivered the shot of the season.

Overtime: Ice in Their Veins

Bell opened overtime at the free-throw line, calmly sinking four straight to give Army a 68-66 lead. Laczkowski finished through contact off a Curry feed at 4:01, pushing the lead to 70-66.

Manhattan responded with mid-range jumpers, but Curry answered at 3:19 with a deep three off a Jacen Holloway assist to stretch the margin to 73-68. The Jaspers tied it at 73-73 on a Terrance Jones three at 2:24, but Army kept its composure.

Laczkowski drove again at 1:30, set up by Curry, to reclaim a 75-73 lead. Holloway added a driving layup at 0:49 to make it 77-74, and then Curry took over.

Two free throws at 0:35 pushed the lead to 78-74. Manhattan cut it to 79-78 with under 12 seconds left, but Curry stepped to the line twice more and calmly drained four straight free throws to seal the 81-78 victory.

No panic. No doubt. Just execution.

A Young Team Growing Up

Head coach Kevin Kuwik praised his team’s resilience and maturity in a game that tested their poise at every turn.

” We have a young team, an inexperienced team. They’re kind of doing a lot of things for the first time, for the good and for the bad. I keep telling you got to stay focused on the results or the process. You can’t let what the scoreboard says, if they’re on a run, if we’re on a run, if we’re up, if we’re down. Each play, we just got to do the right thing, and it’s just for a young team; it takes a while to do that,” Kuwik said.

“But what I was proud of is they’re a talented team. They made a lot of big plays today, and we didn’t get down. We kept playing, we kept coming back for the next play. We stayed in the center of the ring, and we outlasted them at the end. Now I’m really happy for those guys, those young guys, that they had that experience.”

Kuwik also addressed the team’s offensive breakthrough, crediting a shift in mentality.

“Well, I think it’s two things. JJ, one with a young team, you’ve got to see it go in. You know you’ve got to see those first couple and start feeling good and believing. But honestly, the biggest difference in our team from the start of the year till now is that we’re physically starting to attack the paint. Our guards are, and it’s put more pressure on the defense. Early in the year, we were just passing around the arc, and we’re kind of playing finesse, and now we’re just playing more physical. We’re taking the fight to them. Defenses are collapsing, and we have a lot of shooters out there. Good things are happening.”

Furman’s Confidence Restored

After Furman’s struggles following his breakout Duke performance, Kuwik took a unique approach to help his freshman regain confidence.

“You know the funny thing is, JJ, after the Duke game, I brought him in, and I showed him [Ryan Curry] had 20 against Indiana when Ryan was a freshman. He had 20 against in his third game, and I just showed him the rest of Ryan’s season, and there were some really good games, and there were some like goose eggs, and some three-pointers, and some five points, and whatever,” Kuwik explained.

“I’m like, Jackson, you’re the same player, you’re gonna have your ups and downs, you’re a freshman, just realize it’s coming and don’t let it affect your confidence one way or the other. And he’s been going, he’s moved up in the scouting report as a result of that game, and it’s a little bit tougher. And he’s just, he’s a freshman playing through it and figuring out, and he’s fearless. I mean, he’s not afraid, he’s gonna keep attacking and shooting, he’s doing some great stuff.”

Saturday proved the coaching staff and teammates’ faith in Furman was well-placed. With his confidence restored and his teammates’ support unwavering, the freshman showed flashes of the player who can be a difference-maker for this Army squad.

Building Momentum

The victory marked Army’s second consecutive win and provided a crucial confidence boost heading into the heart of the season.

“I think this is gonna give us the big boost that we needed. We ultimately, we’ve been struggling. We’re a young team, like you said, so we’re ultimately just figuring out how to play with each other, and I feel like now that we’re getting in that rhythm, building that chemistry, it’s only up from here. We’re gonna keep that going into conference play and keep out our non-conference schedule, keep stacking wins, keep stacking days, and keep getting better,” Bell said.

Curry emphasized the significance of the win for the program and what it means moving forward.

“It just shows that we’re in anything. We can do anything. We’re prepared, and the coach prepared us well. Our team’s ready. We’re tenacious, we’re gritty, we’re a team—not a lot of teams—are going to see in March, and I’m happy for us, and it’s going to be a good win.”

By the Numbers

Army West Point 81, Manhattan 78 (OT)

Army Leaders:

• Ryan Curry: 26 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals (6-10 3FG, 4-4 FT)
• Jaxson Bell: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal (6-10 FG, 7-11 3FG)
• Jorn Everson: 11 points
• Jackson Furman: 10 points (first double-digit game since Duke)

Manhattan Leaders:

• Devin Dinkins: 18 points
• Jaden Winston: 18 points
• Fraser Roxburgh: 18 points
• Anthony Isaac: 11 points
• Terrance Jones: 11 points

Key Stats:

• Army: 45.5% FG, 46.9% 3PT, 100% FT (6-6), 20 assists (season-high)
• Army out-rebounded Manhattan 41-34
• Attendance: 950 at Christl Arena

Historic Victory

The win snapped Manhattan’s seven-game winning streak over Army and marked the Black Knights’ first victory over the Jaspers since 1989. Army now holds a 45-29 all-time series lead over Manhattan.

For a young team still finding its identity, ending a 35-year drought with a buzzer-beater and overtime heroics is the kind of moment that can define a season.

Looking Ahead

Army returns to Christl Arena on December 2 for Education Day, hosting George Washington at 11 a.m. ET. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and the Army Sports Network.

The Revolutionaries defeated Army 75-60 last season in Washington, D.C., but this Black Knights team is finding its rhythm at the perfect time. With Curry and Bell leading the way and the entire roster buying into the team-first mentality, Army is becoming a dangerous opponent.

Black Knights News

• Eastern Kentucky Dominates Paint, Defeats Army West Point 74-64
• Army Football Preview: One More Opportunity to Become Bowl Eligible Against UTSA
• Army West Point Ends Six-Game Skid with 81-73 Victory over FDU in Thanksgiving Classic

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Final Score: Army West Point 81, Manhattan 78 (OT)

Location: Christl Arena, West Point, NY

Attendance: 950

GO ARMY!! ⚫🟡⚫