Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
6-1
Delaware
0-6
Wilson Leads Army Past Delaware
December 03, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Wilson's 31-point performance set a new career high and came on the strength of six three-pointers, propelling Army to a 6-1 start. The result dropped the Blue Hens to 0-6 on the year.
Wilson was one of three Army players to reach double figures in the scoring column, as Kennedy Edwards and Kevin Ferguson added 13 and 12, respectively. Ferguson added three blocks, while Dylan Cox handed out four assists to go along with his eight points.
"Kyle got us off to a good start tonight when I thought we didn't have the execution and energy level we needed to be successful," head coach Zach Spiker said. "He was consistent and I thought he did a good job on defense too."
Delaware had three players in double digits, with Cazmon Hayes leading the way with 14, Kory Holden adding 13 and Chivarski Corbett putting in 11.
Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the opening 10 minutes prior to Delaware putting together the game's first run with a 9-2 spurt. The stretch gave the Blue Hens an 18-11 edge, but a pair of Wilson three-pointers and Ferguson's turnaround in the low post erased the deficit and put the Black Knights in front, 19-18.
Delaware scored the next six points, all in the paint, before Army's 16-2 run that included four points from Edwards and a pair of threes by Wilson. The reigning Patriot League Player of the Week went 5-for-5 from beyond the arc in the period and Army took a 35-28 lead into halftime after forcing Delaware into eight turnovers.
The Blue Hens scored seven straight points early in the second half and went ahead 40-38 as part of a 12-3 run after intermission. Maurice Jeffers contributed four points and Hayes drilled a three to cap the stretch.
Playing in his first collegiate game, Edwards tied the score at 42 with a pair at the line, before drilling a wing triple that made it 45-42 in favor of the Black Knights. Corbett had a bucket on the other end, before Ferguson came up with a loose ball and turned it into two on Army's ensuring possession. The Black Knights' center then found Edwards cutting to the basket after an empty Delaware trip and his layup capped Army's 9-2 run with the Black Knights in front 49-45.
Delaware refused to go away, however, as Corbett connected on an open three (51-50) and Holden tied the game with a free throw with 8:51 to play.
"It was very tough to overcome their zone defense," Edwards said following the game. "They are very long and athletic and sometimes that can bother you as a player. We just stayed patient, swung the ball and Kyle had a great game."
Both teams were in the double bonus by the 5:25 mark and the home team held a 58-57 lead after Mo Williams made one of two at the line shortly after draining a corner trey. A Blue Hens miss led to a quick layup by Cox and Army regained the lead. Hayes then muscled his way inside and converted an old-fashioned three-point play to send Delaware to a 61-59 edge.
Following a Delaware miss out of a timeout with 3:35 to play, Cox took an outlet pass to the rim and converted his driving layup in transition to tie the score at 61-61. After a Delaware free throw, Wilson made a pair at the stripe, then hit his sixth three of the night off a drive and kick by Cox and Army never trailed from that point on.
Ferguson sent back Holden's layup attempt inside and Delaware's head coach Monte Ross was called for a technical foul after the play. Wilson made both technical shots and Army went up 68-62 prior to closing out the four-point win.
Army returns to Christl Arena on Dec. 9 when it hosts Bryant at 7 p.m. The game can be seen live online on Patriot League Network.
GAME NOTES: The win marks Army's first 6-1 start since the 1978-79 campaign. That year, Army started 6-1 under head coach Mike Krzyzewski ... Zach Spiker earned his 74th career victory, moving him past Krzyzewski into fourth place in Academy history ... Army improved to 3-1 on the road this season, its best road record through four games during Spiker's tenure ... Army collected its first win over Delaware in Newark, Del. and snapped a two-game losing skid to the Blue Hens ... Army moved to 14-2 all-time against Delaware and the win was Army's first win over the Blue Hens since Dec. 5, 1984 ... Army owns a 28-25 all-time record against current Colonial Athletic Association opponents ... the Black Knights have used the same starting lineup in every game this season with Dylan Cox, Kyle Wilson, Tanner Plomb, Larry Toomey and Kevin Ferguson on the floor first ... Wilson's 31-point effort gives him 1,130 points for his career and he sits 21st all-time in Academy history.
