Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
1-1,0-0Patriot
Duke
2-0,0-0ACC
Men’s Basketball Falls to No. 7 Duke
November 08, 2024 | Men's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. – The Army West Point Men's Basketball team (1-1, 0-0) fell to No. 7 Duke (2-0, 0-0) on the road, losing 100-58 in front of a rowdy, sold out crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
COACH KUWIK QUOTES || DUKE QUOTES
Senior Jalen Rucker led the Black Knights with 17 points, hitting five of nine attempts from beyond the arc. Sophomore Josh Scovens contributed 16 points and tied for the team-high with seven rebounds.
The Blue Devils opened the scoring with a dunk in the first 15 seconds of the game. Scovens quickly answered, drawing a foul on a three-point attempt and sinking all three free throws to give Army an early 3-2 lead.
Duke regained control with a quick 5-0 run, but Rucker kept Army close by sinking a deep three-pointer, narrowing the deficit to one. Duke responded by extending their lead, highlighted by a fast-break dunk from NBA Draft prospect Cooper Flagg. In response, Ryan Curry connected with AJ Allenspach for a layup, bringing Army back within one.
However, Duke surged ahead with a 27-5 run over the next 11 minutes, creating a significant 36-13 gap with two minutes remaining in the half. Scovens provided a late spark, scoring seven points in the final moments to send Army into halftime trailing 43-20.
The second half began with Duke draining a three-pointer, but Rucker responded with back-to-back threes, trading baskets with the Blue Devils. Army mounted a 12-2 run midway through the second half, cutting the deficit to 65-43 and prompting a Duke timeout.
Following the break, Duke responded with a 13-0 run, extending their lead to 80-43 with six minutes remaining. Blake Barker ended the Blue Devils' scoring streak with a mid-range jumper, followed by a layup from Allenspach with five and a half minutes left.
Despite their efforts, the Black Knights could not close the gap, ultimately falling 100-58.
NEXT UP
Army returns home on Tuesday, November 12, to face Mount Saint Mary (NY) in an 11:00 AM tip-off.
