Black Knights Fall Short in Road Loss to NJIT

Tuesday, December 4

Newark, NJ

7 PM

Army West Point

4-6

NJIT

8-2

Army West Point

NJIT

Tommy Funk drives the lane against Miami (OH)

Black Knights Fall Short in Road Loss to NJIT

December 04, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – In a tightly-contested road battle that had 19 lead changes, it was NJIT coming out on top, 77-72, over the Army West Point men's basketball team on Tuesday night at the NJIT Wellness and Events Center.

The Black Knights (4-6) and Highlanders (8-2) were neck and neck throughout the entire 40 minutes of action with no lead growing larger than nine from either side.

Matt Wilson did his damage from down low and led all Cadets in the scoring column with 17 points to pair with nine rebounds. Meanwhile, the backcourt duo of Jordan Fox and Tommy Funk combined for 26 points. Fox totaled 13 points and reeled in a season-best six boards while tying his season-high in assists with five. Funk notched 13 points on the night with a game-high eight assists.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Fox took sole possession of eighth in all-time makes from beyond-the-arc with 175, passing former teammate Luke Morrison.
Funk reached double-digit points for the sixth time this season.
Wilson extended his double-digit scoring streak to four games.
Ten different Cadets recorded at least one made shot from the field in the game.
Eleven of the 19 lead changes occurred in the first half.
Army has knocked down five or more 3-pointers in a game for the 46th consecutive outing.
The Black Knights scored 56 percent of their points from inside the paint.
Army reached double-digit assists as a team for the 10th time this season.
The Cadets assisted on 67 percent of their made shots.
Army took care of the basketball, only committing nine turnovers.
Cayne Edwards scored a season-high five points off the bench.

HOW IT HAPPENED

It was a back-and-forth battle between Army and NJIT in the opening half as there were 11 lead changes through the first 20 minutes of play. Neither side was able to gain much separation from its opponent. The largest advantage was six, going in favor of the Highlanders with 1:56 left in the frame, however, an Alex King three brought the score within three heading into the break, 38-35.
The Black Knights showcased a balanced scoring attack with 11 Cadets getting involved on the scoring end of the floor. Funk was the most efficient shooter for Army, knocking down 3-of-5 from inside the arc for seven points. NJIT relied heavily on Abdul Lewis and Zach Cook as the duo combined for 29 of the team's 38 points.
Army was more efficient in the early portion of the second half, going 5-for-8 from the field and gaining a lead after a 9-2 run right before the first media timeout. The Black Knights held a 49-45 advantage, but the lead did not hold for long as the Highlanders countered with a run of their own to reclaim the slight edge.
NJIT pushed its advantage to nine, 71-62, with 1:22 left to play and despite a late charge by Army to bring the deficit within three, 75-72, the Highlanders held on to secure the non-conference win.

UP NEXT
Army will head out west to take on service-academy foe Air Force in Colorado on Saturday with tip scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.