Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
1-6,0-0Patriot
East Texas A&M
4-3,0-0Southland
Men's Basketball Drops First Game of FDU Thanksgiving Classic Against East Texas A&M
November 25, 2025 | Men's Basketball
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Army West Point men's basketball (1-6) opened its appearance at the FDU Thanksgiving Classic on Tuesday against the East Texas A&M Lions (4-3), ultimately facing a 67-84 loss.
The game marked the first time Army has taken on East Texas A&M in program history. With the loss, the Black Knights now hold a 0-1 record against the Lions.
Kevin McCarthy led the Black Knights in scoring with a team-high 12 points, all of his points coming in the first half. Ryan Curry also added a double-digit scoring performance with 10 points.
How It Happened
Army opened the game trading baskets, with Jackson Furman scoring at the rim and Kevin McCarthy knocking down his first of several threes to keep the Black Knights within a single possession.
After East Texas A&M surged ahead briefly, Holloway responded with back-to-back driving layups, and Eli added a finish inside to pull Army back to 28–27.
Curry followed with a free throw and a transition layup, and McCarthy's second and third threes of the half continued to steady Army's offense as the teams traded blows.
However, the first half turned midway through the period when the Lions used a sequence of perimeter makes to swing momentum.
Army continued to answer with buckets from Holloway, Bell and Furman, but East Texas A&M's outside shooting and paint scoring kept the pressure on.
The Black Knights briefly cut the deficit again when McCarthy buried his third triple and Eli converted another strong take inside, but East Texas A&M responded with a pair of Harrison and Taylor drives and another Garcia three that pushed the margin to double digits. Laczkowski closed the half with a layup, but Army went into halftime trailing 46–36.
Army made an early push in the second half as Jackson Mayo drilled a three, Murans scored on a hard finish, and Dillon Watt supplied a lift with a layup and four straight free throws. Jaxson Bell and Ryan Curry each knocked down threes to keep Army within range.
But every time the Black Knights cut into the deficit, East Texas A&M countered with efficient scoring, including extended trips to the free-throw line and timely makes from Harrison, Hunt, and Pagotto.
Eli continued attacking the rim with a layup and free throw, and Tate Laczkowski added two late finishes. Despite these efforts, East Texas A&M's combination of second-chance scoring, perimeter efficiency, and steady free-throw shooting kept Army from mounting a full comeback.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Kevin McCarthy led Army with 12 points, shooting 4-for-9 from the field and 4-for-8 from three while adding a team-high four rebounds.
- Ryan Curry scored 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting and knocked down two threes while contributing a team-high three assists and three rebounds.
- Joshua Eli provided an efficient spark off the bench, scoring a career-high nine points on 3-for-3 shooting while adding two rebounds.
- Dillon Watt added six points in seven minutes, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and hitting a layup.
- Jaxson Bell scored five points, including a three, while securing three rebounds and playing strong minutes on the wing.
- Jackson Furman added five points with a three-pointer and recorded one steal to help fuel Army's ball movement.
- Jacen Holloway contributed five points with three rebounds and one steal while attacking the paint throughout his 31 minutes.
- Tate Laczkowski scored four points and grabbed three rebounds while providing physicality in the frontcourt. Jackson Mayo also chipped in four points, hitting a three and adding a free throw in his five minutes of action.
- Alex Engro, Dylan Murans, Jorn Everson and Dylan Benner also added points for the Black Knights.
- Army shot 39.3% from the field (22-for-56), showing strong early efficiency (56% first-half percentage) before a tough-shooting second half.
- The Black Knights made nine of 30 three-pointers, finishing at 30% from beyond the arc. Army converted 14 of 20 free-throw attempts, shooting 70% at the line.
- Army won the rebounding battle 35–34, including 11 offensive rebounds that created nine second-chance points. The Black Knights scored 26 points in the paint, finding success with downhill drives and post touches.
- Army's bench produced 34 points, giving the team a major boost throughout both halves. Army recorded 10 points off turnovers but committed 13 turnovers of its own.
Up Next
The Black Knights play their second game in the FDU Thanksgiving Classic on Wednesday, November 26, at 2 p.m. ET, playing the tournament host, Fairleigh Dickinson.
The two teams have a long history with each other, with Army holding a 9-5 all-time series record against the Knights. The two programs most recently faced off last season, with Army earning an 84-70 win inside Christl Arena.
The game inside the Bogota Savings Bank Center will tip off at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with the game streaming live on NEC Front Row and the YES Network.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point men's basketball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_MBB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
