Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
11-18,5-11Patriot
Navy
23-6,15-1Patriot
Men’s Basketball Comes Short in Star Game Versus Navy
February 21, 2026 | Men's Basketball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point men's basketball (11-18, 5-11) hosted the Navy Midshipmen (23-6, 15-1) inside Christl Arena for the Star Game as part of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA on Saturday afternoon, ultimately falling to the Mids, 63-81.
With the loss, Navy has now won the Star game for two consecutive seasons, with Army's last Star Game win coming in 2024, where Army gained a 69=67 overtime win over the Midshipmen.
Jaxson Bell led Army with 17 points, shooting 3-for-8 from the field, 2-for-6 from three, and an efficient 9-for-10 at the free-throw line while adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Behind him, four Black Knights finished with eight points apiece: Ryan Curry, Dylan Benner, Jorn Everson and Kevin McCarthy.
How It Happened
The two teams exchanged buckets over the first four minutes of the game, with Navy holding a narrow 6-5 lead with 16:33 left to go in the first half.
Ryan Curry started the scoring in the game, hitting a three-pointer off an assist from Tate Laczkowski. Curry then exchanged the favor to Laczkowski, hitting him on a cut for an easy layup.
In the next two minutes, the two teams each scored five points, making it 11-10 lead for the Midshipmen. Jaxson Bell converted a layup in the paint, and Ryan Curry hit three free throws after being fouled on a shot from behind the arc.
Navy separated from the Army over the next two and a half minutes, going on a 10-0 run to take a 21-10 lead.
The Black Knights broke the scoring drought when Dylan Benner converted a three-point play. Jacen Holloway added a layup and Jaxson Bell hit another two from the free throw line to make it a 28-19 game with 8:04 left in the first half.
Army added another five points through the next three and a half minutes of play, with Dylan Benner earning a layup off an offensive rebound and through contact, and Joshua Eli hitting a three-pointer off an assist from Jackson Furman.
The Midshipmen controlled the first part of the final four minutes, going on an 8-0 run run to grow their lead, led by Aidan Kehoe and Donovan Draper. Then, in the final 1:15 of the half, the Black Knights went on a quick 5-0 burst, with Joshua Eli hitting a layup after grabbing an offensive board, and then Jaxson Bell hit a three-pointer.
Army would not go away quietly, though, opening the second half on an 11-3 run to make a 38-46 game with 16:35 left on the clock.
Jaxson Bell hit two free throws to start the quarter, and then it started raining three-pointers. Jorn Everson hit the first three-pointer from a pass from Bell. Kevin McCarthy then added one from a dime from Jorn Everson, then Tate Laczkowski capped off the run with a shot from deep, receiving the dish from Jaxson Bell.
Both teams then stayed scoreless for three minutes, then Navy took back control, going on an 11-2 run to take a 57-40 lead with 10 minutes left to play. Jane Holloway had the lone two points on a layup assisted by Ryan Curry.
After the run, the two teams paced each other for the next five minutes, each team scoring 10 points to make it a 50-67 Army deficit.
Kevin McCarthy added a layup on a backdoor cut, with Tate Laczkowski adding another assist. The two then connected again the next possession, this time from behind the arc. Jorn Everson then added five points, one off a layup, and then from the three-point line.
In the final five minutes, the Black Knights scored 13 points, with Jaxson Bell contributing eight points during the stretch, including a three-pointer and five points at the free throw line. Dylan Benner added a three-pointer to add to his performance, and Ryan Curry added a layup off a dish from Jorn Everson.
Ultimately, it was not enough, and Army fell short, losing to Navy, 63-81.
Black Knight Bullet Points
- Navy wins the Star Game for the second straight season, with Army's last Star Game win coming in 2024.
- Jaxson Bell led Army with 17 points, shooting 3-for-8 from the field, 2-for-6 from three, and an efficient 9-for-10 at the free-throw line while adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
- Dylan Benner produced eight points off the bench on 3-for-4 shooting and collected three rebounds.
- Kevin McCarthy added eight points on 3-for-6 shooting with two three-pointers and grabbed one rebound.
- Jorn Everson and Ryan Curry both also finished with eight points, with Curry contributing a team-high four assists.
- Tate Laczkowski scored five points on an efficient 2-for-3 shooting day and also led the team with four assists.
- Joshua Eli contributed five points on 2-for-3 shooting and added two rebounds in limited minutes.
- Jacen Holloway scored four points on a perfect 2-for-2 from the field but missed both free-throw attempts.
- Army finished shooting 20-for-53 (37.7%), meanwhile Navy shot significantly better from the field at 47.7%.
- Army scored 20 points in the paint, 8 second-chance points, and just 1 fast-break point.
- The Black Knights committed 25 personal fouls and registered 4 steals with no blocked shots.
- The Midshipmen dominated the free-throw line with 32 made free throws on 40 attempts, far exceeding Army's 13 made free throws.
- Navy outrebounded Army 36–24, including an advantage on the offensive glass.
Up Next
The Black Knights stay at home in Christl Arena on Wednesday for the final home game of the regular season, taking on the Bucknell University Bison.
Army will shoot to complete the regular season sweep against the Bison, with the Black Knights earning an 87-84 overtime win inside Sojka Pavilion, with Jackson Furman hitting a buzzer-beater from deep to earn the win.
The game, which will also serve as Army's annual Kids Game, will tip off at 11 a.m. ET, and will stream live on ESPN+ and the Army Sports Network.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point men's basketball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_MBB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
