West Point, N.Y. — This one wasn’t a win. It was a message. Army hasn’t stumbled much this season. But the Jan. 31 loss at Holy Cross gave the Black Knights a reference point — and they’ve answered it with four straight wins. Saturday, American caught the full response: an 86–56 wipeout at West Point.
Army shot the lights out — 47.8% from the field, 52.0% from three, and a perfect 9-for-9 at the line — and played with the kind of calm, ruthless rhythm that turns a conference game into a runway.
The result: Army improved to 20–5 overall, 11–3 in the Patriot League, and 10–1 at home.
“Surgical” is the right word
Some hot-shooting nights feel lucky.
This didn’t.
Army’s offense was clean, spaced, and patient — the ball moved, the shots came in rhythm, and when American tried to hang around, Army answered with another three, another paint touch, another stop that turned into points.
The Black Knights hit 13 threes and didn’t miss a free throw. That combination is devastating because it means you’re getting beaten in every way:
- You can’t sag, because they’ll bury you from deep.
- You can’t overplay the arc because they’ll punish you inside.
- You can’t foul to stop momentum, because they’ll cash it at the stripe.
Camryn Tade set the tone — and stole the air out of the building
Camryn Tade didn’t just lead the team. She controlled the feel of the game.
She finished with 22 points, 4 steals, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and her perimeter activity turned American possessions into Army runouts.
Those steals weren’t empty stats — they were momentum killers. Every time AU tried to settle, Tade got a hand in, got a deflection, got a takeaway, and Army turned it into another wave.
Afterward, Tade made it clear this wasn’t a one-player night — it was an everyone-night.
“Overall, we all played really well. I think Reese got hot early. That’s hard to guard. Kai had a double-double. I mean, Fiona had late points. So I think everyone contributed.”
And when the game started to tilt, she said the group’s energy did the rest.
“Once we kind of fed off each other’s energy, once one person got going, like we all got going.”
Tade pointed to the identity Army keeps leaning on — unselfish basketball, extra passes, and a group that genuinely likes sharing the court.
“I think everyone’s really unselfish. We play for each other. Everyone makes the extra pass. So I think it’s easy to play together and it’s easy to have fun and do well.”
With four games left, Tade didn’t make it complicated.
“I think we just got to play together and play for each other. I think that’s a strength of ours… just like digging into who we are.”
Reese Ericson was the dagger from deep
If Tade was the tone, Reese Ericson was the warning siren.
Ericson poured in 21 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, and she’s doing it with a kind of shot-making that breaks a defense’s spirit.
When a guard is hitting from outside and making the right reads, you’re not just guarding a player — you’re guarding a decision tree. American never found the right answer.
Ericson said the win streak has less to do with avoiding February fatigue and more to do with the way this group enjoys the grind together.
“You hear the lulls of February, you know, you get tired, but this team just has so much joy being around each other. We love practice.”
She also credited the trust inside the program — from coaches to players — as a real separator when the season tightens.
“We feel the trust from our coaches, trust from each other. Every time we’re on the court, we’re having fun, and this is just another day to play basketball with my friends.”
With key games ahead, Ericson kept the focus narrow.
“We have everything we need… just staying focused, one game at a time. We talk all the time about not taking anything for granted, living in the moment, being present.”
Kya Smith owned the paint — and the glass
And then there was Kya Smith, who made sure Army didn’t become a jump-shooting-only story.
In addition to these team efforts, Smith posted a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, plus 4 assists, and a steal. She was the anchor inside — finishing, cleaning up misses, and making American feel every possession in the lane.
Head coach Katie Kuester didn’t just praise the points and boards — she highlighted the skill that turns Smith into a matchup problem.
“The most impressive part is the fact that we have a post player who had four assists today… She’s like a point forward out there. She sees the whole floor.”
Kuester also pointed to Smith’s footwork and patience as a big reason Army was able to punish American inside when the defense tried to chase shooters.
“I thought she did a great job with her counter moves, like her up and unders. Her shot fakes to get people in the air and then step through, creating a better finish for herself.”
The run that flipped it from “game” to “blowout”
American’s box score shows a team that had moments — they shot 48.9% overall — but they couldn’t sustain them.
Army did.
Building on those adjustments, the Black Knights’ ability to keep scoring without getting sloppy was what separated this from a normal win. They finished with 18 assists, forced 19 turnovers, and turned those mistakes into 27 points.
That’s how you end up with a 30-point final.
Kuester: February wins matter — and Army hasn’t hit “the dog days” yet
Kuester called Saturday’s win exactly what it looked like: a February statement.
“Every win in February is so important… you sometimes hit the dog days… and we haven’t really hit it.”
She also said Army’s defensive adjustments were a major difference from the first meeting with American.
“I loved our adjustments we made with these guys because they got close to us last time we played them. And I thought we did a phenomenal job on Tuohy and Driscoll and just really set the tone with our defense.”
And when Army’s offense is hitting from everywhere, Kuester said the scoreboard starts to make sense.
“We have so many options offensively, and to see them operating on all cylinders a day like today, you see why the outcome is 86 points.”
What it means: Army is rolling at the right time
Four straight wins in league play don’t happen by accident.
Army is playing with confidence, and the numbers match the eye test: the Black Knights are defending with purpose, sharing the ball, and getting production from their leaders in ways that travel.
This was the kind of performance that tells the Patriot League: if you want to beat Army right now, you’re going to have to do more than “play well.”
You’re going to have to survive a team that’s hitting from deep, finishing inside, and taking the ball from you before you can even run your set.
If you ask Kuester what the closeout looks like, she’s not letting the team get ahead of itself.
“One at a time… one day at a time, one rep at a time, one possession at a time, one media timeout at a time.”
Game leaders (Army)
- Camryn Tade: 22 points, 4 steals, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
- Reese Ericson: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
- Kya Smith: 17 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Team shooting (Army)
- FG: 32-for-67 (47.8%)
- 3PT: 13-for-25 (52.0%)
- FT: 9-for-9 (100.0%)
Records
- Army: 20–5 overall, 11–3 Patriot League, 10–1 home
- Streak: 4 straight wins since Jan. 31 loss at Holy Cross
Bad Dawg Sports — Real reporting. Real access. No fluff.
At West Point, it’s never just points—it’s standards. Army played to theirs.
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