Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
5-0
Binghamton
1-5
Men's Basketball Handles Binghamton
November 25, 2014 | Men's Basketball
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army men's basketball team built a 15-point halftime lead and cruised to a 80-54 victory over Binghamton on Tuesday evening at Christl Arena.
Kyle Wilson led all scorers with 25 points on the strength of a 9-of-15 shooting performance as the Black Knights improved to 5-0 on the season. Binghamton fell to 1-5 with the loss.
Wilson was Army's lone scorer in double figures, while Tanner Omlid and Tanner Plomb added nine and eight points, respectively. Willie Rodriguez was the top scorer for Binghamton as he finished with 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
Army raced out of the gate and held a 9-4 lead at the first media timeout when Omlid's layup attempt off a bounce pass from Max Lenox was called for goaltending. Over the next four minutes Army used the three-point line to extend its advantage to 21-7. Wilson ignited Army's 12-3 run by rattling home a three, then hit twice more from downtown to send Army to an 18-7 advantage. After a Bearcats' miss, Omlid drove into the lane and kicked to a wide open Mo Williams in the wing, where he drilled a three that prompted a Binghamton timeout.
Army' defense forced Binghamton into 12 first-half turnovers and the Black Knights took a 38-23 lead into the halftime break. The 15-point cushion was Army's largest of the young season. Wilson put in 14 of his 25 points and Omlid had nine in the period.
Binghamton pulled within 12 two minutes into the second half on Dusan Perovic''s triple that made it 41-29, before the Black Knights ripped off a 13-2 spurt to put them ahead 54-31. Plomb's three-point play started the run, Wilson connected from deep and Luke Morrison converted a four-point play for Army.
A little more than five minutes into the half, Plomb drained a straightaway three that extended the lead to 59-33 and Army maintained at least a 20-point cushion the rest of the way.
The Black Knights led by as many as 28 points before coming away with the eventual 26-point triumph.
Army returns to the road following the Thanksgiving holiday and takes on No. 4/2 Duke on Sunday, Nov. 30. Opening tip is scheduled for 12 noon and the game will air nationally on ESPNU.
Game Notes
Prior to the game Kyle Wilson was recognized for scoring his 1,000th career point in Army's win over VMI on Nov. 15. Wilson now has 1,080 career points.
The win marks Army's first 5-0 start since the 1976-77 campaign. That year, Army started 7-0 under second-year head coach Mike Krzyzewski when the team was captained by Army Sports Hall of Famer Gary Winton.
It is the first time Army has opened the season with five straight wins versus current Division I opponents since 1939. The team was directed to a 5-0 start by head coach Leo Novak with wins over Brown, Maryland, Columbia, Cornell and Lafayette.
Zach Spiker earned his 73rd career victory, which ties him with Mike Krzyzewski for fourth in Academy history.
Army won its fourth straight game over Binghamton and the team improved to 4-0 against the Bearcats under Spiker. Army remains one of two Patriot League teams without a loss. Holy Cross is 3-0 and plays at Syracuse on Nov. 28.
Army improved to 24-3 under Spiker when leading by double-digits at halftime.
Nathan Dodge and Jacob Kessler each made their collegiate debuts for Army.
