Army Men’s Basketball Battles to Gritty 63-60 Road Win at UMBC

Baltimore, MD — Army West Point men’s basketball (5-7) showcased its trademark grit and defensive toughness on Friday night, grinding out a 63-60 victory over UMBC (6-5) at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. The win marks Army’s second straight and their fourth in the last five outings, pushing the Black Knights to a perfect 2-0 all-time against the Retrievers.

Double-Digit Trio Leads the Way

Army’s balanced attack featured three players in double figures. Jaxson Bell delivered a breakout performance with his first career double-double, tallying 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench. Jacen Holloway matched Bell with 12 points, adding four boards, two assists, and a pair of clutch free throws. Jorn Everson chipped in 11 points and three assists in another steady effort.

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How It Happened

The Black Knights came out firing, jumping to an early 5-0 lead on a Kevin McCarthy three-pointer and a Holloway layup. After a back-and-forth first half, Army surged ahead with a 13-3 run, highlighted by threes from Jackson Furman and Ryan Curry. The Black Knights took a 36-30 lead into halftime.

UMBC battled back in the second half, trimming the deficit to three with just over 12 minutes left. But the Black Knights responded with an 11-0 run, including two triples from Furman, to seize a double-digit advantage. The Retrievers made one final push, narrowing the gap to 60-59 in the final two minutes, but Army sealed the win at the free-throw line with clutch shots from Bell and Curry.

Black Knights News:

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• Army Women’s Basketball Dominates Cornell, Ericson Hits 1,000-Point Milestone
• Army Sophomore Jack Ivey Named Atlantic Hockey Forward of the Week

By the Numbers

• Holloway: 12 pts (4-9 FG), 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl (34 min)
• Bell: 12 pts (7-8 FT), 10 reb, first career double-double (30 min)
• Everson: 11 pts (4-9 FG), 3 ast
• Furman: 9 pts (3-6 3PT), 6 reb, 2 ast
• Curry: 8 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast (3-3 FT)

Army shot 35.1% from the field and 80% from the line, while out-rebounding UMBC 43-37 and holding the Retrievers to just 37.5% at the stripe.

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