Army Men See First Home Loss Against Cornell

WEST POINT – Army West Point men’s basketball (5-4) saw its first loss in Christl Arena, falling to Cornell (6-3), 103-84.

The matchup between Army and Cornell stayed as a two-possession game for the majority of the first half. Cornell first extended its lead in the final three minutes of the first half with an 11-0 run. Then, the Big Red shot 61 percent from the floor and 63 percent from the three-point line to help extend their lead, at one time holding a 99-68 lead. The Black Knights were able to cut into the lead in the final seven minutes, going on a 16-4 run to end the game, but they could not catch up with Cornell.

Jalen Rucker and Josh Scovens led the way for Army, both scoring 17 points in the shootout against Cornell. Ryan Curry added 13 points and a team-best six assists. AJ Allenspach earned his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Black Knights drew first blood with Ryan Curry hitting a three-pointer in the team’s first possession. Army and Cornell then exchanged baskets and were able to keep a small lead thanks to Jalen Rucker’s four points and a three-pointer by Josh Scovens. Army was able to keep the lead until the 14:20 mark in the first half.

A quick 5-0 burst from Cornell gave them their first lead of the game. The Black Knights were able to keep the game close, but with 2:21 left in the first half, Cornell scored five points in 20 seconds, then an additional six points in the final 90 seconds of the half to take a 49-32 lead into the locker room.

Cornell quickly extended its lead in the second half, but the Black Knight would go on to cut the lead. A layup by Josh Scovens, a free throw by Jacen Holloway and a tip-in dunk by AJ Allenspach helped cut the lead down to 15 point margin.

Once the Black Knights cut down the lead, Cornell struck back, growing its lead over three minutes to take a 99-68 lead with 6:45 left in the game. Despite the deficit, Army kept fighting and was able to cut down the lead in the final minutes of the game.

Spearheaded by seven points by Jorn Everson, the Black Knights finished the game on a 16-4 run to cut the lead from 31 to only 19 points. The run also featured four points from both Jalen Rucker and Josh Scovens, as well as point contributions from Kendall Hailey.

Up next, Army hits the road once again this week as they head to Washington D.C. to take on George Washington on Friday, December 13. This will be the first matchup between the two programs since 2015.