ANNAPOLIS, MD. – The Army West Point men’s basketball team fell to service-academy rival Navy, 79-68, in a Patriot League contest on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall.
Tommy Funk led the Black Knights (12-15, 7-7 Patriot League) on the scoring end with 20 points. The junior guard added seven assists, six rebounds and two steals to his stat line. Lonnie Grayson also scored in double figures against the Midshipmen (9-16, 6-8 Patriot League) after he finished with 13 points.
Matt Wilson was the top-rebounding cadet, coming away with a game-high 12 boards to pair with his eight points. Off the bench, Aaron Duhart tallied nine in the scoring column.
The battle between the two service-academy rivals went back-and-forth as both sides shot the ball at an efficient rate in the opening half. While shooting 50 percent from the field in the first eight minutes of action, the Black Knights grabbed a 20-16 advantage. However, the Midshipmen erased the deficit and took the lead following a 12-2 run.
Army responded with a 7-2 run that was capped by a Grayson 3-pointer to bring the Black Knights within one, 30-29, but Navy held the lead and went into the break with a two-point edge, 37-35.
With Army struggling to make shots in the early portion of the second half, the Midshipmen were able to build on their lead. By outscoring the Cadets, 13-6, over the first 5:48, Navy extended its advantage to nine, 50-41.
The Black Knights fought to trim down the deficit and the Navy lead sat at three, 54-51, following back-to-back 3-pointers by Grayson with 11 minutes remaining. Army got as close as two, 58-56, with 8:12 on the clock, but the Midshipmen were able to maintain their slim edge before eventually securing the 79-68 home win.
The Cadets will head to Bethlehem, Pa., on Wednesday night for a Patriot League meeting with Lehigh slated for 7 p.m.
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