Army Basketball Grinds Out Win Over Lafayette

Feb 2, 2022

Aaron Duhart led all scorers with 18 points including a career-high four 3-pointers. He grabbed seven rebounds and added three assists.

WEST POINT – Aaron Duhart’s go-ahead layup with 46 seconds remaining lifted the Army Black Knights to a 60-56 victory over the Lafayette Leopards on Saturday.

The Black Knights scored the final seven points to slip past Lafayette in a game that featured 15 lead changes and eight ties.

The Leopards led 56-53 with 2:54 left but Army held Lafayette scoreless for the rest of the game. Army scored with 2:25 on the clock with a layup by Chris Mann, but the score remained a one-point game heading into the final minute with the Black Knights having possession.

Duhart drove into the lane, created space with a pump fake, and banked in a floater to give the Black Knights a 57-56 lead with 46 seconds left for the 15th and final lead change of the game. Lafayette turned over the ball on its next possession and the Black Knights added to their lead with a pair of free throws by Duhart.

The Leopards had chances to tie the game on their final possession but missed two 3-point attempts. Josh Caldwell sealed the game at the free-throw line with two seconds left.

The first half was played in a four-point window and neither team led by more than eight points in the entire game. Duhart drained consecutive 3-pointers to take a 19-16 lead with six minutes left in the first half. The Leopards answered with a 5-0 run, followed by four straight points by the Black Knights. After Lafayette went back in front, Duhart connected on another triple and was followed by a Caldwell layup for a 28-24 lead. The Black Knights went into halftime with a 28-24 lead.

The Leopards started the second half 0-for-8 and the Black Knights capitalized by taking 34-26 lead after the opening four minutes. Army led 42-35 with 11 minutes remaining before the Leopards outscored the Black Knights, 11-3, in the next 2:52 to regain the lead.

A 3-pointer by Jalen Rucker immediately put Army back in the lead, but the Leopards took a 51-50 lead behind a 5-2 spurt. Duhart made his fourth 3-pointer of the game for a 53-51 lead with 3:55 on the clock before the Leopards scored five straight to take a 56-53 lead.