Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
2-6,0-0Patriot
FDU
1-6,0-0NEC
Men's Basketball Finishes FDU Thanksgiving Classic with Victory over FDU
November 26, 2025 | Men's Basketball
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Army West Point men's basketball (2-6) closed its appearance at the FDU Thanksgiving Classic with a win on Wednesday, defeating tournament host Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (1-6), 81-73.
With the win, the Black Knights now hold a 10-5 overall series record over the Knights, stretching their win streak to two straight wins in the series. Army also snaps a six-game losing streak, earning its first win over a Div. I team in the 2025-26 season.
Four Black Knights finished the game in double-digits with Jaxson Bell leading the way with 16 points alongside seven rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block.
Joshua Eli also added 12 points alongside a team-high 11 rebounds, marking not only his first career double-digit performance, but also his first career double-double. Eli is also the first Black Knight to earn a double-double for Army this season.
Ryan Curry also earned his fifth-straight double-digit performance, scoring 14 points alongside a team-high four assists and two rebounds.
Jacen Holloway rounded out the top performers for Army, finishing the game with 12 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor and three rebounds.
How It Happened
Army endured an early punch when FDU opened the game with a three-pointer, but the Black Knights answered quickly. Ryan Curry buried a transition three to tie the score at 3–3.
Moments later, Jorn Everson finished through contact to give Army its first lead at 5–4 off a feed from Tate Laczkowski. Army's energy forced an early FDU timeout, and the Knights kept building momentum when Kevin McCarthy knocked down a three, and Laczkowski converted a driving layup to extend the lead to 10–7.
Army continued to control tempo defensively, with Laczkowski grabbing multiple rebounds and the Knights forcing several FDU misses from deep. After a scoring lull on both sides, FDU strung together a small run to move ahead 15–12, but Jackson Furman steadied Army at the line and followed with a deep three from the right wing to tie the game again at 15–15. Another Curry triple pushed Army ahead 18–17 entering the middle stretch of the half.
Jacen Holloway added two free throws as Army's pressure defense continued generating stops, highlighted by strong interior work from Jaxson Bell, who pulled down multiple boards and later assisted Curry for a deep wing three that pushed the margin to 23–19.
Everson then drilled another three off a skip pass from McCarthy, giving Army its largest lead to that point at 26–21.
Army's defense remained active, with Bell blocking a layup, Eli controlling the glass, and the Knights forcing repeated FDU misses around the rim. The Black Knights pushed the lead to 29–21 when Bell stepped into a three after an offensive rebound by Everson, and Holloway extended the margin with a strong cut and finish to make it 31–22.
FDU chipped back to within six on late free throws, but Curry delivered another key basket, slashing through traffic for a layup that restored a 33–25 advantage entering the final minute.
Army's defense forced turnovers on back-to-back FDU possessions before the Knights missed a three at the horn, sending Army into halftime with a 33–27 lead.
Army opened the second half protecting a 33–27 lead, but FDU quickly closed the gap with a pair of drives. After FDU trimmed it to 33–32, the Black Knights responded when Kevin McCarthy buried a right-wing three off a kick-out from Jacen Holloway to restore a four-point cushion.
Moments later, Army turned to its bench, bringing in Jackson Furman and Joshua Eli, who would soon become the anchor of the half. FDU briefly moved in front at 37–36 after a turnover and two free throws, but the Black Knights immediately shifted momentum.
Joshua Eli slipped behind the defense for a layup on a feed from Ryan Curry, then followed with another strong finish through traffic to put Army back ahead 40–37. After FDU answered with a three, Eli continued his emerging dominance, collecting rebounds on both ends and scoring again off a Curry assist to keep Army in rhythm as the pace quickened.
Army's frontcourt became the story of the half. When FDU tied the game at 42–42, Eli again delivered, finishing at the rim for his fourth field goal in the span of three minutes. That sequence set the tone for the rest of the period, with the Black Knights' front line dictating the interior battle.
With 15 minutes left, Jaxson Bell checked back into the game and immediately made an impact. Bell calmly knocked down a free throw, then helped stabilize Army defensively as the game tightened.
Minutes later, Bell splashed a corner three off a swing pass from Furman to bring Army within 51–48, then delivered again with a hard cut and finish that pulled Army to 55–54 during a back-and-forth stretch.
Army regained control when Holloway and Bell sparked a surge. Holloway powered through contact for a layup to make it 53–54, and moments later, Bell scored again in transition off an outlet from Furman. By the under-eight timeout, Eli reentered and picked up where he left off, hauling down rebounds, keeping possessions alive, and scoring another bucket inside to push Army ahead 57–54.
The decisive sequence came in the final four minutes. After FDU cut it to 63–62, Eli stepped out and drilled a clutch three from the top of the arc, assisted once more by Curry, giving Army a 66–62 lead.
On the next trip, Eli secured another defensive board and scored again at the rim to make it 68–62, completing a stretch where he scored seven straight Army points.
FDU kept firing threes, but the Army defense, led by Bell's energy and Eli's rebounding, held firm. Bell sank two more free throws at 3:53 and later added another pair at 1:11, each time protecting a narrow lead as FDU threatened. Holloway chipped in with steady scoring on drives, while Furman and Curry controlled tempo and delivered timely assists.
In the closing minute, Army sealed the win at the line. Curry converted four straight technical free throws with 18 seconds left to stretch the lead to 78–70, Eli added another, and Bell and McCarthy each hit late foul shots to close it out. Even as FDU hit a late three, the Black Knights calmly handled the ball, absorbed pressure, and finished an authoritative second half and took the 81-73 road win.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Jaxson Bell scored 16 points on 3-of-6 shooting and added seven rebounds, two steals and a block off the bench, giving Army a major spark.
- Joshua Eli delivered a double-figure effort with 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, shooting 5-for-7 from the field. Those numbers marked Eli's first career double-digit performance and first career double-double.
- Ryan Curry finished with 14 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line, while adding four assists and two rebounds in 32 minutes.
- Jacen Holloway posted 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, grabbing three boards and providing steady scoring in both halves.
- Kevin McCarthy added nine points and three assists, going 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.
- Jackson Furman supplied eight points and two assists off the bench, shooting 2-for-4 from deep in 21 minutes.
- Jorn Everson chipped in five points, including a three-pointer, while adding a pair of rebounds.
- Army shot 43.4 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from 3-point range, knocking down 11 three-pointers in the win.
- The Black Knights converted 24 of 33 free throws (72.7 percent), including a strong 20-for-26 effort after halftime.
- Army's bench produced 39 points, outscoring FDU's reserves, who finished with 19 points.
- The Black Knights held FDU to 25 percent shooting from three-point range, limiting the Knights to an 8-for-32 mark on the perimeter.
- Army's largest lead reached nine points in the second half, preserving control down the stretch at the foul line.
Up Next
The Black Knights return to Christl Arena after four straight games on the road on Saturday, Nov. 29, taking on the Manhattan University Jaspers.
The two teams have a long history dating back to 1905, with Army holding a 44-29 series history record over the Jaspers. The two teams faced off most recently just last season, with Manhattan claiming a narrow 80-79 win in Riverdale, N.Y., on Nov. 22, 2024.
The game inside Christl Arena is set for a 1 p.m. ET first tip, with the game also streaming live on ESPN+ and the Army Sports 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.
