WEST POINT, N.Y. – The American University men's basketball team looks to build on its momentum after an upset win at Colgate as it takes on Army in the penultimate game of the Patriot League regular season. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, February 28 at Christl Arena in West Point, N.Y.
After a last-second shot propelled American past Colgate on Sunday, the Eagles traveled straight to West Point and have been practicing at Christl Arena in preparation for Wednesday's game.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Wednesday, February 28; 4 p.m.
- Site: West Point, N.Y.
- Series History: American leads, 33-16
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Rich DeMarco
Inside the Series
- This will be the 50th meeting between American and Army, with the Eagles leading 33-16.
- American boasts a 13-11 record when playing at West Point, but Army has won the last two meetings at home.
Earlier This Season …
- American and Army met on Jan. 13 at Bender Arena in Washington, D.C., with the Eagles coming out on top, 79-60.
- Five Eagles were in double figures for the game: sophomore Colin Smalls led the way for AU with 16 points, followed by Jermaine Ballisager Webb, Lorenzo Donadio, Elijah Stephens and Geoff Sprouse.
- As many as 16 players entered the game for Army, with 13 of them scoring for the Black Knights.
- Freshman Ryan Curry scored 12 points for Army, but the Eagles held freshman Josh Scovens to just four points.
What to Know About American
- In its last game, American upset Colgate on the road, 66-64, thanks to a last-second shot from junior Elijah Stephens, who scored 17 total points. Senior Matt Rogers led the Eagles with 23 points. Entering the game, Colgate had the second-longest winning streak in the country, and the Raiders had already clinched the Patriot League regular season championship.
- Rogers leads AU and ranks fourth in the League with 16.1 points per game, adding 6.3 rebounds per game (sixth in PL). Rogers has reached double-figures scoring in all but four games played this season. He is the 15th Eagle all-time to score 1,000 points and record 500 rebounds.
- Stephens leads AU and ranks second in the League with 4.9 assists per game. His assist/turnover ratio of 2.0 ranks fourth in the PL, and his 11.8 points per game rank 10th in the League.
- After missing five games with a head injury, sophomore Geoff Sprouse returned for the Eagles at Colgate, immediately making an impact. He scored 14 points, including four three-pointers, to help AU win the two-point game.
- Senior Lincoln Ball has seen an increased role on offense as a result of the Eagles' injury woes. Prior to February, Ball had reached double-figures scoring one time in his career. Ball has scored 10 or more points in three out of the Eagles' last four games.
Scouting the Black Knights
- Army West Point enters Wednesday's game with a 10-19 record, having won six out of its 16 Patriot League contests.
- Army has lost two games in a row. Most recently, the Black Knights fell at Bucknell, 54-41. Before that, they were defeated by Lehigh, 85-54.
- Prior to its two-game losing streak, Army was one of the hottest teams in the League, winning four consecutive games.
- Army leads the Patriot League in scoring defense, allowing only 63.2 points per game.
- Scovens leads the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game. He has been named Patriot League Rookie of the Week five times this season.
- Curry is second on the team with 9.3 points per game. He has been named Rookie of the Week twice this season.
- The Black Knights are the worst free-throw shooting team in the nation, making under 59 percent of their free throw attempts.
- Head coach Kevin Kuwik is in his first season as head coach at Army. Prior to joining the Black Knights, Kuwik was an assistant coach at Butler for a season. He was on the staff at Davidson from 2017 to 2022.
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