Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
6-6,0-0Patriot
UTSA
6-6,0-0AAC
Men’s Basketball Survives Thriller Against UTSA to Close Non-League Play
December 29, 2024 | Men's Basketball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point men's basketball (6-6) finished out 2024 on a high note, taking down their final nonconference opponent, the UTSA Roadrunners (6-6), 78-75.
The Black Knights finished the afternoon shooting 58.3 percent from the floors and 39.3 percent from the three-point line. Army was able to hold Roadrunners to shooting 41.7 from the floor and 28 percent from the three-point line. The Black Knights were also able to outbound the Roadrunners, 34-32.
Jalen Rucker led the way for the Black Knights, scoring 27 points shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arch. Rucker also added six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Rucker's 27 points were the second most he scored all season, seven points short of passing his season high of 34 points that he set against Le Moyne on Dec. 3.
Ryan Curry also had another double-digit performance with 15 points, while also boasting a team-best five assists in the game. AJ Allenspach nearly earned his fifth double-double of the season, finishing the game with 12 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
How It Happened
The Black Knights threw the first punch in the first half, getting out to an early 7-2 lead. Ryan Curry scored the first three points for Army followed by two from both Jalen Rucker and Josh Scovens.
Then over the next four minutes, the Roadrunners punched back with an 11-2 run to take a 13-9 lead with 13:28 left in the first half. UTSA kept that lead for the majority of the half.
Army would take back control of the game with a 13-3 run. The run started with back-to-back three-pointers from Jalen Rucker and a three-pointer from Kevin McCarthy. A dunk from Jorn Everson and another bucket from Jalen Rucker gave Army a four-point lead, which they kept going into the locker room.
Initially, out of the locker room, UTSA started hot, outscoring Army 10-5 to gain a small lead. But that did not last long with the Black Knights going on a 14-3 run over four minutes, highlighted by a putback slam by Isaiah Caldwell in his first in-game appearance since December 3, to help Army go up double-digits on the Roadrunners.
The Black Knights took a 13-point lead with 10 minutes left, gaining a 65-52 lead after a solo 5-0 run by Jalen Rucker. Both teams held each other scoreless for nearly four minutes, with Jalen Rucker breaking both teams' dry spells. This ultimately gave Army their biggest lead of the game at 67-52 with 6:31 left in the second half
UTSA cut into the Black Knights lead, going on a 12-3 run to cut Army's lead to 70-63 with 2:28 left. The Roadrunners would cut the lead even more, with Roadrunners cutting the lead to four points with 40 seconds left. After free throws back and forth, UTSA would cut the game to three points with 13 seconds left. They would miss the game-tying three-pointer, and Army would hold on to take the 78-75 win.
Up Next
Army rings in the new year with the start of Patriot League play. The Black Knights' first challenge will be on the road on Thursday, where they will head to Hamilton, New York, to take on reigning Patriot League champion Colgate.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game will stream live on ESPN+ and The Varsity Network.
