Army Scores Road Win At Brown

Tuesday, December 21

Providence, R.I.

7 PM

Army West Point

Brown

Army Scores Road Win At Brown

December 22, 2010 | Men's Basketball

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior G Mitch McDonald scored two baskets in the final 1:14, including a layup with 20.1 seconds remaining, to propel the Army men’s basketball team to an 88-86 win over Brown at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Tuesday night. Army trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half and was down by five points with 4:03 left in the game.

The win snapped the Black Knights’ two-game losing streak and evened their mark at 6-6 on the season. The Bears fell to 4-5.

Army trailed 82-77 with 4:03 on the game clock, but cut the lead to two on a three-point play by sophomore Ella Ellis with 3:32 left. Senior Nathan Hedgecock’s jumper with 2:44 left knotted the game at 82-82, but a pair of foul shots by Sean McGonagill put the Bears back up by two. The teams traded misses before McDonald banked in a jumper in the lane to tie the game at 84-84 with 1:14 to go. After a missed three-pointer by Peter Sullivan, McDonald snared the rebound and the Black Knights called timeout.

Army took its time coming out of the break before McDonald broke down the defense and knifed through the middle of the lane for the go-ahead layup with 20.1 seconds left. Brown had a chance to take the lead, but Sullivan missed another three-pointer and Hedgecock corralled the rebound. He was immediately fouled and knocked down both foul shots with 6.4 seconds left to put Army on top 88-84. Sullivan went coast-to-coast for an uncontested layup, but the Black Knights inbounded the ball and time ran out giving Army its fourth road win of the season (4-3).

Four Army players scored in double figures as the Black Knights recorded a season-best offensive output. Senior F Jeremy Hence scored a team-high 21 points and led the Black Knights with eight rebounds. Junior G Julian Simmons added 17 points off the bench, including a 3-for-4 night from long range. Ellis scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half, while Hedgecock added a season-best 12 points and seven rebounds.

McDonald finished the game with eight points and seven assists. In his three starts, the Houston native has 25 assists and just four turnovers.

Sullivan led all scorers with 24 points. McGonagill added 18 points, while Garrett Leffelman chipped in 17 to round out Brown’s top scorers.

Army hit 12 of 20 three-pointers. The 60.0-percent accuracy rate tied the program’s highest in a game in which it took at least 20 attempts. The Black Knights shot 55.6 percent overall.

Brown held a distinct advantage at the free throw line, outscoring the Black Knights 24-6, but Army made eight more field goals, including four more three-pointers. The Black Knights also held a decisive 37-26 edge on the glass.

Brown scored the first basket of the game, but Army answered with 15-4 run to take a 15-6 edge on a three-pointer by Alex Godette with 15:38 left. The Bears responded with eight straight points as part of a 12-3 run to tie the game at 18-18 with 11:57 to go. Army scored the next five points on a jumper by Simmons and a three-pointer by Hence, but Brown again had the answer, tying the game at 23-23 with 8:35 left on the first-half clock.

Army scored the next four points, but the Bears roared back with 12 of the next 15 points to take a 35-30 edge with 4:21 to go. Tucker Halpern scored eight straight during the run, including two three-pointers.  The Black Knights cut the lead to two on a triple by Hence, but Brown outscored Army 11-5 over the final 4:02 to take a 46-38 lead into halftime. Brown led by as many as 10 during the run.

Both teams shot 50.0 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. Army hit six of its 11 three-point tries, but the Bears owned a 9-2 edge at the foul line. Hence led all scorers with 14 points, while Sullivan paced the Bears with 11 first-half markers.

The Bears scored the first basket of the second half to take a 10-point lead, but the Black Knights fought their way back into the contest with a 16-7 run thanks to three-pointers from Herbeck, Simmons and Welker to trim the deficit to 55-54 with 15:46 left.

Brown extended back to a 57-54 lead, but the Black Knights scored the next 10 points to take a 64-57 advantage on a basket by Hence with 12:49 left. Simmons and Hedgecock hit three-pointers during the spurt.

The Bears ripped off 11 straight to regain a 68-64 edge with 10:00 to go. The Black Knights tied the game on a jumper by McDonald with 8:39 to go, but the Bears scored the next five to take a 73-68 edge with 7:56 remaining.

The Bears were able to maintain their five-point edge until Ellis’ three-point play started the Black Knights’ comeback.

The win stopped the Black Knights’ four-game losing streak versus Ivy League opponents. Army’s four road wins this season matches its total from all of 2009-10 (4-11).

Army takes a week-long break from competition before reconvening at the University of Texas-Pan American on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Tipoff in Edinburg is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Game Notes: Josh Herbeck made his first career start and became the first plebe to start a game this season … Brian Hornstein saw his first action of the season … Jeremy Hence registered his third 20-point game of the season … Army has had four players in double figures in back-to-back games … Simmons’ 17 points were the most by a Black Knight off the bench … Army scored its first win of the season when trailing at the half (1-4) … the win snapped Army’s 22-game losing streak when allowing 80-or-more points in a game … Army’s 88 points were its most since a 95-89 loss to Navy on Jan. 24, 2001 … the Black Knights have made at least 10 three-pointers in a game six times this season …  Alex Godette scored a career-high six points on a pair of three-pointers in the first half … Twelve of the 17 players dressed saw action in the first half … Army head coach Zach Spiker earned his 20th win in his 41st game, becoming the fastest Army coach to reach the 20-win mark since Mike Krzyzewski (36).