Gampel Shockwaves and a Second-Half Stand: Inside Army’s Feisty Exhibition Battle at No. 2 UConn

By: J.J. Pavlick | Elmont, NY | October 25, 2026 |

The Black Knights flashed championship-caliber perimeter firepower and baseline grit in Storrs, but a devastating second-quarter blitz by the Huskies proved to be a masterclass reminder of what it takes to crash the elite tier.

STORRS, CT — For a glorious seven-minute stretch in the first quarter on Sunday afternoon, the United States Military Academy didn’t look like a mid-major program walking into a preseason buzzsaw. They looked like a team ready to completely disrupt the college basketball landscape.

Facing off against national powerhouse No. 2 UConn in front of 10,244 roaring fans at Gampel Pavilion, head coach Katie Kuester’s squad came out with absolute zero fear, racing to an early eight-point lead and throwing the Huskies completely out of rhythm.

While the final buzzer read 86-50 in favor of UConn to close out a perfect 3-0 preseason for Geno Auriemma’s team, the story of this game was far from a standard blue-blood blowout. Entering the year with sky-high expectations following a brilliant 26-8 campaign and a deep WNIT run last season, the Black Knights used the exhibition to send a clear message to the Patriot League: their system works, their depth is real, and they can play with anyone in the country when clicking.

The First-Quarter Ambush

Army’s elite defensive foundation—which surrendered just 55.9 points per game last winter—set an incredibly physical tone right from the opening tip. They contested every entry pass, active-handed the driving lanes, and forced UConn into a miserable 6-of-17 (35.3%) shooting performance in the opening frame.

But it was the offensive execution that left Gampel Pavilion completely stunned. Camryn Tade opened the scoring with an aggressive baseline drive, followed immediately by a smooth Fiona Hastick transition triple to put Army up 5-1. When sophomore forward Reganne Reardon checked in off the bench, she turned the burner up, drilling back-to-back deep three-pointers. When Hastick drained another from the wing with 2:59 remaining in the first quarter, the Black Knights held a shocking 18-10 lead over the No. 2 team in the nation.

Predictably, the Huskies woke up. Capitalizing on a few late-quarter transitions and capped by three Ashlynn Shade free throws with just two seconds left, UConn closed the frame on a swift 11-0 run to sneak away with a 21-18 lead.

The Second-Quarter Avalanche

If the first quarter belonged to Kuester’s fearless game plan, the second quarter was a harsh reminder of why UConn operates on a different stratosphere. The Huskies unleashed an absolute avalanche, weaponizing their length and elite defensive pressure to trigger transition opportunities at will.

UConn blew the game wide open with a staggering 32-7 scoring blitz in the period, going into the locker room with a commanding 53-25 halftime advantage. Junior forward Sarah Strong was the catalyst, pouring in 10 of her game-high 19 points in the second quarter alone, punishing the Black Knights on the low block and out-running Army’s trailing defense.

The primary culprit for the Black Knights’ sudden drop-off wasn’t their half-court execution, but ball security. Army coughed up 22 total turnovers on the afternoon, which the hyper-athletic Huskies converted directly into a punishing 31 points off turnovers. Combined with a massive 42-8 disparity in points in the paint, UConn’s ability to maximize interior size during that second-quarter stretch ultimately decided the game.

Patriot League Notice: The Second-Half Response

A lesser team would have folded at halftime, letting a 28-point deficit spiral into a 50-point rout. Instead, Army marched back onto the floor and completely stabilized the ship, playing UConn virtually even across the final 20 minutes (outscored just 33-25 in the second half).

Tade came out firing to open the third quarter with five quick points, and star forward Kya Smith drilled a long-range bomb of her own to spearhead an immediate 8-2 Army run. In the fourth, the Black Knights repeated the formula, opening the frame with back-to-back triples from Audrey Annee and Tade to log a 6-0 run. Defensively, Army completely locked down the perimeter, holding the Huskies to an icy 0-of-5 from beyond the arc in the final period.

Reardon finished the afternoon as Army’s leading scorer, showcasing her elite floor-spacing potential with 15 points off the bench on 3-of-8 shooting from deep and a perfect 4-of-4 mark at the stripe. Tade was spectacular all-around, logging 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Smith orchestrated the half-court offense beautifully with seven points, six boards, and four assists.

The Blueprint for a Championship Run

Despite the lopsided final score, the analytical spreadsheet yields a treasure trove of optimistic data for Coach Kuester as the regular season arrives.

First, Army fought the elite size of UConn to a virtual stalemate on the glass, losing the overall rebounding battle by a mere 37-35 margin and matching the Huskies exactly with 29 defensive boards. Second, the Black Knights showcased lethal perimeter depth, matching UConn’s team total of nine 3-pointers. Finally, the team’s discipline shone through at the charity stripe, going a flawless 7-for-7.

Kuester utilized a deep rotation, getting 16 players onto the floor and handing highly encouraging collegiate debuts to freshmen Daniela Maletsky (four rebounds in seven minutes), Julia Sedora, Nakia Ollivierre, and Lilly Thoman.

Up Next: The Real Campaign Begins

Exhibitions are designed to expose flaws under the bright lights, and Army now knows exactly what they need to clean up—primarily live-ball turnovers and interior help-side rotations—before the games start counting.

High expectations remain completely justified at West Point. The Black Knights return to the banks of the Hudson to officially open their regular season tonight, Monday, November 2, hosting St. Thomas Aquinas at 6:00 p.m. inside Christl Arena for the annual Maggie Dixon Day. If the grit they displayed in the first and second halves at Gampel Pavilion is any indication, the rest of the Patriot League is in serious trouble.