ST. PAUL, MINN. – Army West Point men’s basketball (1-1) saw its first loss of the 205-26 season on Saturday night, falling to the University of St. Thomas Tommies (1-1), 76-83.
The game marked the first time the two teams had faced off, with the Tommies now holding a 1-0 series lead.
Five Black Knights finished the game in double digits. Jacen Holloway and Jorn Everson finished with 16 points each. Jackson Furman added 15 points off the bench, Kevin McCarthy added 14 and Ryan Curry finished with 10 points in his first game of the season.
Army opened the game with early baskets from Jorn Everson and Kevin McCarthy, with Jacen Holloway facilitating and attacking the rim to set the tone offensively.
However, St. Thomas quickly established control with sharp execution on both ends. The Tommies built early momentum, creating a 10-point cushion midway through the first half.
The Black Knights responded with patience and poise on offense. Ryan Curry orchestrated the half-court sets effectively, setting up McCarthy and Furman for open looks from beyond the arc.
Around the eight-minute mark, McCarthy’s pull-up three and Holloway’s made free throws gave Army a spark that cut the deficit to single digits.
Despite Army’s offensive rhythm improving, St. Thomas’ inside attack proved difficult to contain. Everson battled in the paint, scoring on a hook shot and finding Tate Laczkowski on an alley-oop to keep Army within range.
In the closing minutes of the half, Furman and McCarthy buried back-to-back three-pointers to momentarily shift momentum, but St. Thomas closed the half strong with a quick 6–0 run. Army trailed 44–29 at halftime, but showed glimpses of offensive cohesion that would carry into the second half.
Army came out of the locker room determined to close the gap, and its renewed intensity was immediately evident.
Holloway sparked the offense with back-to-back drives, while Everson scored on a pair of hook shots inside to ignite a 10–4 Army run early in the half.
Curry’s steady ball movement led to open looks for teammates, and his assist to McCarthy for a corner three trimmed the deficit to 64–55 at the midpoint of the half.
The Black Knights’ offense found balance during this stretch, Everson was effective in the post, Holloway attacked the lane with confidence, and Furman added scoring from midrange and beyond the arc.
McCarthy drilled another three from the wing to keep the Tommies’ defense honest, and Army’s defensive pressure began to force St. Thomas into late-clock possessions.
However, each Army run was met by an answer from St. Thomas, and proved to halt Army’s momentum each time the deficit narrowed to single digits.
In the final four minutes, Army refused to go quietly. Everson connected on a deep three, followed by Curry’s pull-up triple to make it 77–70. Moments later, McCarthy hit another clutch three off a Curry assist, bringing the Black Knights within six points.
Down the stretch, Furman went a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line to keep Army alive. Despite Army closing the final two minutes of the game on an 17-8 run St. Thomas executed at the stripe in the final seconds to close out the game.
