Army Survives Scare in D.C., Outlasts American 63-56

Black Knights Grind Out Win Despite Shooting Woes

Washington, D.C. – The Army Black Knights escaped the nation’s capital with a 63–56 win over American University, but it wasn’t pretty. Coming in as heavy favorites, Army had to battle through poor free-throw shooting, cold stretches from deep, and a late Eagles run before finally sealing the deal. Capturing their fifth straight win in a row in conference play.

First Quarter: Strong Start, Early Edge

Army opened with aggressive rebounding and quick ball movement, setting the tone early. “A win’s a win, especially a road win is even better,” said Army head coach Katie Kuester. “A ton of credit to American. They definitely could have wilted away… and they just kept coming.”

Reese Ericson dropped 7 points in the opening quarter as Army jumped on American’s mistakes, scoring 8 points off turnovers and dominating the paint. Taylor Wilson and Kya Smith each grabbed 3 boards, helping Army to a 17–10 lead after one.

Second Quarter: Eagles Claw Back

Army’s shooting woes continued, going 0% from three and just 37.5% from the field. American’s defensive intensity and Army’s missed opportunities let the Eagles claw back and eventually take a one-point lead into halftime. 

“Our undisciplined nature is what caused us to struggle with… and they put us in those positions because they guarded us hard and they put the pain pressure on us.” said American coach Kelly Killion. Ericson’s clutch three in the final minute briefly gave Army the lead, but Driscoll answered, sending Army into the locker room down by one. “We went down 15, and we never wavered. This team has the utmost respect for each other, and I think that’s what’s causing them to compete at the highest level every time.”

But the real drama came from Killion’s postgame comments about the officiating: “I hate that last four or five minutes ended the way it did. To call a technical at that point… is Bush League and, quite frankly, it was a terrible call. Now, should she have celebrated like that? Hell no. And we talk about discipline. But if you’re not going to call consistently the whole game, it put us really in a bad position.”

The American University coach would go on to highlight other calls she felt should’ve been made by the officials and weren’t like calling Brooke Wilson for a flop when she hit the floor in the second half, despite contact being made by a player from the Eagles. The coach did state she warned her team about Wilson and her willingness to take a charge anywhere on the floor and being a gritty and tough player, but she felt she embelished a time or two in this game and the officials didn’t do their jobs.

Patriot League Standings (as of Jan. 17)

Army now sits alone in first place as they head home to face Bucknell.

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Third Quarter: Missed Chances, Gritty Response

The second half opened with Reese Ericson hitting a quick three to help Army reclaim the lead, but American’s Molly Driscoll immediately answered. Army’s struggles at the stripe persisted, but timely baskets from Tade and Smith, plus a key layup from Brooke Wilson, helped Army build a 9-point cushion. “Taylor [Wilson] was unbelievable on the boards, and I challenged them a lot… Reese and Cam just hitting big shots when we needed it—just to kind of deflate their runs as much as we could.” said Kuester.

Fourth Quarter: Tade Takes Over, Army Holds On

Army pushed the lead to 17 after a Reganne Reardon jumper, but American refused to quit—Madisyn Moore-Nicholson and Laura Nogues chipped away at the deficit, and Anna Rescifina’s three-pointer capped a furious Eagles run that pulled them within ten. Army’s offense cooled, and American capitalized, with Driscoll’s deep three making it a two-point game at 58–56 with under two minutes to play.

The turning point came when Driscoll was hit with a technical foul after her three. Tade calmly sank both free throws, then added two more at the line after a foul, giving the Black Knights breathing room. In the closing moments, Smith and Ericson each contributed key free throws, and Army’s defense forced misses on American’s final possessions.

Despite a late scare, Army’s poise at the line and defensive stops in the clutch secured the 63–56 win an “ugly” victory, but the kind that builds resilience for the heart of conference play.

Game 17 Notables

• Army moves to 14-0 this season when holding its opponents to under 70 points and 10-0 when allowing less than 60.
• Camryn Tade led Army in scoring with 20 points and was a game-best plus-26. Also, scoring in double-digits was Reese Ericson (17) and Kya Smith (13).
• Army finished the afternoon shooting 40.7 percent from the field, while holding American to 39.2 percent.
• Army had a season-low six turnovers. The last time the Black Knights had six or fewer turnovers was in their win over Lafayette on Feb. 26, 2025.
• Taylor Wilson had a team-high 11 rebounds. It ties her career high and is just the second time in her career that she has reached double-digit rebounds in a game.
• Army held the lead for 31:57, while American led for 6:14.
• The Black Knights five-game winning streak is its longest this season and the longest since last season when they won nine in a row.
• Army moves to 25-28 all-time against American and has won each of the last three meetings.

By the Numbers

• Army Leaders:
  • Cam Tade: 20 pts (7-13 FG, 5-6 FT), 3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl 
  • Reese Ericson: 17 pts (5-11 FG, 3-8 3PT), 2 ast, 1 stl 
  • Kya Smith: 13 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast 
  • Taylor Wilson: 11 reb, 1 blk
• Team Stats:
  • FG: 22-54 (40.7%) 
  • 3PT: 5-23 (21.7%) 
  • FT: 14-25 (56%) 
  • Rebounds: 33 
  • Assists: 13 
  • Turnovers: 6
• American Leaders:
  • Molly Driscoll: 20 pts 
  • Madisyn Moore-Nicholson: 10 pts, 5 reb 
  • Charlotte Tuhy: 12 reb

Black Knights News

• Unlike Verizon Wireless, Army Women’s Basketball Delivers: Black Knights Dominate Holy Cross at Christl Arena
• Army West Point Football Promotes Daryl Dixon to Defensive Coordinator
• Curry Joins 1,000-Point Club as Army Battles Holy Cross in Worcester
• Army’s Brigid Duffy Makes History with U.S. Women’s National Lacrosse Team Selection
• Army Outlasts Robert Morris in Overtime To Earn Extra Point

Editorial Take

It wasn’t pretty, but it counts. Army’s shooting struggles (especially at the free-throw line) nearly cost them against an Eagles team that’s struggled all season. But clutch performances from Cam Tade and key defensive stops were enough to escape with a win. Coach Kuester will want to see sharper execution before returning home to face Bucknell and then heading to Annapolis for a rivalry clash with Navy.

Sometimes you need the ugly wins to remind you what needs fixing. For Army, the lesson is clear: tighten up at the line, stay aggressive, and don’t let up—even against underdogs.

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