WEST POINT – The Army West Point men’s basketball team improved to 3-0 in Patriot League play after a convincing, 77-55, victory over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Friday night.
Army West Point left little doubt in tonight’s outcome, leading for 99.5 percent of the game and as much as 28 points.
The Black Knights accelerated to a 16-2 lead and never looked back. Jalen Rucker set the pace with a 7-0 run to start the game, and his 3-pointer at the 13:18 mark gave the Black Knights a 16-2 lead as he was in double figures for the 10th time in the last 11 games.
The Mountain Hawks quickly found themselves trailing 21-4 after a 3-pointer by TJ Small with 10 minutes left to play in the first half. A layup by Rucker increased Army’s lead to 25-8 with six minutes on the clock before Lehigh got into double figures on its next possession. The Black Knights closed the final five minutes of the first half on a 14-2 run to head into halftime with a commanding 39-13 lead.
A Charlie Peterson dunk 15 seconds into the second half gave the Black Knights their largest lead of the game, 41-13. Army maintained a 20-point lead throughout the second half until the 1:25 left in the game. However, the Black Knights made four straight free throws to end the game for a 22-point win margin.
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