Army Road Winning Streak Ends At American

Wednesday, January 19

Washington, D.C.

7 PM

Army West Point

American

Army Road Winning Streak Ends At American

January 20, 2011 | Men's Basketball

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Army fought back from a seven-point deficit to take a 58-56 lead with 2:40 remaining, but a 7-0 run by American propelled the Eagles to a 65-62 win in Patriot League men’s basketball action at Bender Arena on Wednesday night.

The loss snapped Army’s two game road winning streak and dropped its record to 10-9 overall and 2-2 in league play. American improved to 13-6 overall and 3-1 in the league.

Sophomore F Ella Ellis tied career highs with a team-high 21 points and three three-pointers. Senior F Jeremy Hence added 18 points, while junior G Julian Simmons netted 10 markers, his 16th straight game in double figures.

Army shot only 36.5 percent for the game (19-52), while the Eagles knocked down 47.8 percent of their shots and held a 37-27 edge on the glass. The Black Knights were 6-17 from three-point range, nearly four triples below their season average.

Vlad Moldoveanu led three AU players in double figures with 21 points and completed the double-double with 11 rebounds. Stephen Lumpkins added 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Nick Hendra tallied 12 points.

Army has now lost 12 straight games at Bender Arena since the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001-02.

The Eagles made their first two shots and jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first 46 seconds of the game. A three-pointer by Luptak extended their lead to 8-2, but Army reeled off the next five points to close the gap to 8-7 on a layup by senior G Mitch McDonald with 16:19 left in the opening half.

The Eagles led 13-11 before the Black Knights ripped off seven straight points to take an 18-13 lead with 11:11 left in the first half. A three-pointer by freshman F Chris Welker gave the Black Knights their first lead during the spurt.

Army stretched its lead to seven points at 29-22 after a pair of free throws by Simmons with 5:10 left, but the Black Knights could not find the basket for the remainder of the half. The Eagles scored the final 10 points, punctuated by a steal and dunk by Hendra, to take a 32-29 lead into halftime.

Hence led the Black Knights with nine first-half points, while Hendra had 10, including five free throws, to pace the Eagles. Army shot just 37.0 percent in the opening half, missing seven of its last eight field goal tries. The Eagles hit 45.8 percent from the floor.

Army opened the second half ice cold from the floor, hitting only one of its first 11 shot attempts. The Black Knights stayed in the game at the free throw line, however, hitting seven foul shots in the first 8:29. Despite Army’s offensive struggles, the Eagles could only maintain their three-point edge at 42-39 with 11:31 left.

A layup by sophomore C Jordan Springer ended a six-minute, one second field goal drought and pulled the Black Knights within three at 44-41, but the Eagles scored the next four points to take a 48-41 lead with 8:44 left on the second-half clock. Simmons knocked down a three-pointer, his second of the game, but Moldoveanu answered with a three of his own to keep the Eagles margin at seven points with 7:56 left.

Ellis jumpstarted the Army offense with back-to-back three-pointers that were part of a 14-5 run that gave the Black Knights a 58-56 lead with 2:40 left. Hence tied the game with a pair of free throws and then put Army on top for the first time in the second half, 58-56, with a driving layup.

The Eagles answered with a three-pointer by Troy Brewer and four straight points by Moldoveanu to retake the lead for good at 62-58. Army went two minutes, 22 seconds without a point during AU’s deciding run. Ellis scored to pull Army within three at 63-60, but the Eagles made two foul shots to push their lead back to five before an Ellis jumper at the buzzer set the final margin.

The defeat marked the third straight time at Bender Arena the Black Knights have lost by three points or less.

Army opens a four-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 22 versus arch-rival Navy. Tip-off at a sold out Christl Arena is set for 6 p.m. The game will be televised nationally by CBS College Sports Network.

Game Notes: American head coach Jeff Jones coached the game barefoot to show his support for the organization Samaritan’s Feet, a humanitarian aid organization that shares a message of hope and love through washing the feet of impoverished children around the world and adorning them with new shoes … During the holiday season, the Army men’s basketball team and staff donated holiday shoe boxes to Operation Christmas Child of Samaritan’s Purse International and Local Relief … the Shoe Boxes were full of gifts, hygiene needs and toys that were distributed to many children in need all over the world … In 2009, Samaritan’s Purse donated shoe boxes to more than 8 million children in over 130 countries ... Ella Ellis and Jeremy Hence combined to shoot 14-for-21 (.667), while the rest of the team was 5-for-31 (.161) … Army dropped to 1-9 when its opponent has a higher shooting percentage and 1-5 when shooting less than 40 percent … Hence, Ellis and Simmons are the only three players to lead Army in scoring this season … Army has made 180 three-pointers in the first 19 games, only eight shy of tying the Academy season record.