Army West Point Athletics
Monday, December 29
West Point, N.Y.
12 p.m.
Army West Point
9-2,0-0Patriot
64
vs
56
Howard
10-6,0-0MEAC
1
2
3
4
F
Howard
9
18
10
19
56
Army West Point
13
18
12
21
64
Kya Smith Shines, Women’s Basketball Wins Thriller Against Howard
December 29, 2025 | Women's Basketball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – It was the Kya Smith show on Monday afternoon, as the Army West Point women's basketball team closed out its non-conference slate with a massive 64-56 victory over Howard in Christl Arena.
Army (9-2) was led by Smith, who had the best game of her career, recording career-highs in points (27), rebounds (22) and made free-throws (15-15). It marks just the fifth time in program history that an Army player has had a 20-point, 20-rebound game and the first since Jan. 25, 2020, when Lindsay Scamman had 21 points and 22 rebounds against Navy. She joins Megan Nestor of North Texas as the only other player in the NCAA this season with 27-plus points and 22-plus rebounds in a game.
She is the second Army player since 2009-10 to record 27-plus points and 22 rebounds in a game, joining Madison Hovren, who accomplished the feat twice. Hovren and Smith are the only Patriot League players to post those numbers in a game since 2009-10. Smith's 22 rebounds are tied for second most in a game in program history.
The Black Knights entered the game ranked No. 25 in the College Insider Mid Major Top 25, while Howard was 11 spots above them at No. 14.
Army got off to great start, especially on defense, and quickly built up a 7-1 lead through the opening four minutes. The Black Knights extended its lead to eight – 13-5 – but the Bison closed out the quarter on a 4-0 run to only trail 13-9 after the opening 10 minutes. Smith had six rebounds in the opening quarter, proving she was well on her way to her fifth double-double of the season. Both teams struggled shooting the ball in the frame, as Howard was 3-16 from the field while Army was 4-17.
Army had a great first eight minutes of the second quarter, extending its lead to 10 but Howard closed strong to keep the game within reach at the break. Smith continued to dominate, putting up eight points and five rebounds in the second period. She completed the double-double, reaching 10 points and 10 rebounds, with 4:00 to play before the break.
Army took a 31-27 lead into halftime and it seemed each side was starting to settle into their offensive gameplans. After rough opening quarters, Howard shot 47.4 percent from the field in the second quarter, while Army knocked down half of its attempts.
The two teams opened the second half going back and forth on both ends of the court, with Army leading 36-34 at the media timeout. The Black Knights came out of the commercial break on a 5-1 run to take a six-point lead. Smith closed out the half with a layup with less than 30 seconds to go to give Army a 43-37 advantage going into the final 10 minutes of action. The junior forward scored seven of Army's 12 points in the frame.
Howard found some momentum in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and cut Army's lead down to one with 6:52 left. Thanks to a pair of free throws from Smith, the Black Knights were able to build the lead back up to four with under five minutes to play.
After a Camryn Tade layup and more Smith free throws, Army led 59-50 and was well on its way to a ninth win. All that was left was knocking down intentional foul free throws, which Army did.
The win marks the fourth in a row for Army, who is now 9-1 this season against non-Power 4 teams. In addition to the victory, Army saw Preseason All-Patriot League member Fiona Hastick return to the court for the first time this season. Hastick missed the opening 10 games due to injury.
By The Numbers
Smith's 27 points were a game-high and the most this season by a Black Knight. She was the only Army player to score in double-figures, as she went 6-10 from the field and 15-15 from the free-throw line. Smith also dished out a pair of assists and recorded two steals.
Tade led Army with five assists, while Brooke Wilson also added two. For Howard, Zoe Stewart and Nile Miller each had 14 points.
Army finished the afternoon shooting 34.0 percent from the field, while Howard was 32.3 percent. The Bison were 0-12 from three, marking the first time an Army opponent did not make a three pointer since Jan. 10, 2024.
Army won the rebounding battle 43-36. The Black Knights also outscored the Bison 11-10 in fast break opportunities.
The difference in the game proved to be free-throw shooting, as Army was 24-27 from the line while Howard was 14-21.
Quotable – Head Coach Katie Kuester
"Just so proud of those girls. That was probably one of the greatest wins that I've really been a part of. I think Kaya, having 27 points and 22 rebounds is a stat that you see in video games, just so impressive. Then she went 15 for 15 from the free throw line, even better, she was just so dominant. To get Fiona Hastick back in the lineup meant a lot to us as a program. So just really proud of all of them in general, but just a gritty win against a phenomenal Howard team."
Kuester on Kya Smith
"She's capable of that every night. I firmly believe she's the best post player in the Patriot League. I really do feel that way. She's bought in with player development since day one that we got here. A lot of our offense goes through her, whether she necessarily scores every time you see how selfless she is on the doubles and passing it out. And she's just a kid that's able to create offense within what we do and also out of what we do. So just very impressive, very proud of her, just an unbelievable person to coach."
Up Next
The Black Knights open conference play on the final day of 2025, as it welcomes Lehigh to Christl Arena on Wednesday at 1 p.m. The game will broadcast on ESPN+.
Notables
• Kya Smith put together the best performance of her career, finishing with 27 points, 22 rebounds and a perfect 15-for-15 mark from the free-throw line.
• Smith's 22 rebounds are tied for the second-most in a single game in program history and marked just the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound performance by an Army player.
• Smith is just the second Army player since 2009-10 to record 27-plus points and 22 rebounds in a game, joining Madison Hovren, who accomplished the feat twice. Hovren and Smith are the only Patriot League players to post those numbers in a game since 2009-10. Smith's 22 rebounds are tied for second most in a game in program history.
• Smith now has five double-doubles on the season.
• The Black Knights shot just 34.0 percent from the field but held Howard to 32.3 percent, including 0-12 from three.
• Army finished the game 24-27 from the free-throw line. It marks the third time this season with 20-plus made free throws, with 24 being a season-high.
• Amry moves to 2-1 all-time against Howard.
• The win closed out Army's non-conference schedule and extended the Black Knights' winning streak to four games.
Army (9-2) was led by Smith, who had the best game of her career, recording career-highs in points (27), rebounds (22) and made free-throws (15-15). It marks just the fifth time in program history that an Army player has had a 20-point, 20-rebound game and the first since Jan. 25, 2020, when Lindsay Scamman had 21 points and 22 rebounds against Navy. She joins Megan Nestor of North Texas as the only other player in the NCAA this season with 27-plus points and 22-plus rebounds in a game.
She is the second Army player since 2009-10 to record 27-plus points and 22 rebounds in a game, joining Madison Hovren, who accomplished the feat twice. Hovren and Smith are the only Patriot League players to post those numbers in a game since 2009-10. Smith's 22 rebounds are tied for second most in a game in program history.
The Black Knights entered the game ranked No. 25 in the College Insider Mid Major Top 25, while Howard was 11 spots above them at No. 14.
Army got off to great start, especially on defense, and quickly built up a 7-1 lead through the opening four minutes. The Black Knights extended its lead to eight – 13-5 – but the Bison closed out the quarter on a 4-0 run to only trail 13-9 after the opening 10 minutes. Smith had six rebounds in the opening quarter, proving she was well on her way to her fifth double-double of the season. Both teams struggled shooting the ball in the frame, as Howard was 3-16 from the field while Army was 4-17.
Army had a great first eight minutes of the second quarter, extending its lead to 10 but Howard closed strong to keep the game within reach at the break. Smith continued to dominate, putting up eight points and five rebounds in the second period. She completed the double-double, reaching 10 points and 10 rebounds, with 4:00 to play before the break.
Army took a 31-27 lead into halftime and it seemed each side was starting to settle into their offensive gameplans. After rough opening quarters, Howard shot 47.4 percent from the field in the second quarter, while Army knocked down half of its attempts.
The two teams opened the second half going back and forth on both ends of the court, with Army leading 36-34 at the media timeout. The Black Knights came out of the commercial break on a 5-1 run to take a six-point lead. Smith closed out the half with a layup with less than 30 seconds to go to give Army a 43-37 advantage going into the final 10 minutes of action. The junior forward scored seven of Army's 12 points in the frame.
Howard found some momentum in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and cut Army's lead down to one with 6:52 left. Thanks to a pair of free throws from Smith, the Black Knights were able to build the lead back up to four with under five minutes to play.
After a Camryn Tade layup and more Smith free throws, Army led 59-50 and was well on its way to a ninth win. All that was left was knocking down intentional foul free throws, which Army did.
The win marks the fourth in a row for Army, who is now 9-1 this season against non-Power 4 teams. In addition to the victory, Army saw Preseason All-Patriot League member Fiona Hastick return to the court for the first time this season. Hastick missed the opening 10 games due to injury.
By The Numbers
Smith's 27 points were a game-high and the most this season by a Black Knight. She was the only Army player to score in double-figures, as she went 6-10 from the field and 15-15 from the free-throw line. Smith also dished out a pair of assists and recorded two steals.
Tade led Army with five assists, while Brooke Wilson also added two. For Howard, Zoe Stewart and Nile Miller each had 14 points.
Army finished the afternoon shooting 34.0 percent from the field, while Howard was 32.3 percent. The Bison were 0-12 from three, marking the first time an Army opponent did not make a three pointer since Jan. 10, 2024.
Army won the rebounding battle 43-36. The Black Knights also outscored the Bison 11-10 in fast break opportunities.
The difference in the game proved to be free-throw shooting, as Army was 24-27 from the line while Howard was 14-21.
Quotable – Head Coach Katie Kuester
"Just so proud of those girls. That was probably one of the greatest wins that I've really been a part of. I think Kaya, having 27 points and 22 rebounds is a stat that you see in video games, just so impressive. Then she went 15 for 15 from the free throw line, even better, she was just so dominant. To get Fiona Hastick back in the lineup meant a lot to us as a program. So just really proud of all of them in general, but just a gritty win against a phenomenal Howard team."
Kuester on Kya Smith
"She's capable of that every night. I firmly believe she's the best post player in the Patriot League. I really do feel that way. She's bought in with player development since day one that we got here. A lot of our offense goes through her, whether she necessarily scores every time you see how selfless she is on the doubles and passing it out. And she's just a kid that's able to create offense within what we do and also out of what we do. So just very impressive, very proud of her, just an unbelievable person to coach."
Up Next
The Black Knights open conference play on the final day of 2025, as it welcomes Lehigh to Christl Arena on Wednesday at 1 p.m. The game will broadcast on ESPN+.
Notables
• Kya Smith put together the best performance of her career, finishing with 27 points, 22 rebounds and a perfect 15-for-15 mark from the free-throw line.
• Smith's 22 rebounds are tied for the second-most in a single game in program history and marked just the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound performance by an Army player.
• Smith is just the second Army player since 2009-10 to record 27-plus points and 22 rebounds in a game, joining Madison Hovren, who accomplished the feat twice. Hovren and Smith are the only Patriot League players to post those numbers in a game since 2009-10. Smith's 22 rebounds are tied for second most in a game in program history.
• Smith now has five double-doubles on the season.
• The Black Knights shot just 34.0 percent from the field but held Howard to 32.3 percent, including 0-12 from three.
• Army finished the game 24-27 from the free-throw line. It marks the third time this season with 20-plus made free throws, with 24 being a season-high.
• Amry moves to 2-1 all-time against Howard.
• The win closed out Army's non-conference schedule and extended the Black Knights' winning streak to four games.
Team Stats
HOW
ARM
FG%
.323
.340
3FG%
.000
.174
FT%
.667
.889
RB
36
43
TO
10
17
STL
9
6
Game Leaders
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
Guard/Forward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketballvs. Wagner
Saturday, December 08