Down 68-66 with 3.1 seconds left in regulation, the crowd in Bender Arena hoped for another game-winner from senior guard Darius “Pee Wee” Gardner. However, as the clocked ticked down, AU only managed to inbound the ball to sophomore guard Charlie Jones, who was forced to launch a desperate shot from a distance. His last second three-point attempt fell off the mark as time expired, and Army emerged victorious in the tightly fought match on Jan. 26.
AU’s loss moves the team to 4-4 in the Patriot League and into a four-way tie for second place.
“We knew they could score, we knew they could shoot,” AU head coach Mike Brennan said. “I thought we played okay offensively. We’ve been on the other end of these games a couple times and now we’re on the losing side. We’ve got to keep battling.”
Army junior forward Tanner Plomb led the offense for the Black Knights, playing with aggression and confidence on his way to racking up 26 points and seven rebounds.
Strong defense on both sides kept the game close, and continuous pressure forced each team to fight for their open players. Plomb, however, proved too difficult for the Eagles to stop. Midway through the first half, the 6-foot-7 forward received a lob pass from senior guard Milton Washington, and he slammed the ball through the hoop, catching the attention of the crowd. The play showcased his ability to outmaneuver the defense and find the basket, skills that later allowed him to tie the game with less than a minute remaining and put the Black Knight in the position they needed to finish with a victory.
“They move the ball around well,” Brennan said. “They have a good offense. They’re hard to guard.”
The Eagles struggled to hit shots in the first half, shooting only 37.5 percent from inside the paint and trailing 35-29, but they emerged after the break with a revitalized offense. Junior guard Jesse Reed and sophomore forward Charlie Jones helped AU tie the game at 37, but the Black Knights fought back to keep the game within six points for the remainder of regulation. Army’s athleticism shined as they moved across the court with power and sent the ball to their teammates inside the paint for critical runs.
“This is league play. We’ve got to do all the little things to be on the winning side,” Brennan said. "We just have to keep improving.”
Reed, who served as one of three AU players to clock all 40 minutes, added ten points to the Eagle effort, and he also posted eight rebounds, well over his season average of 5.5 per game. Senior guard John Schoof also recorded 17 points.
AU battled Army back and forth during the match-up, and although Gardner proved unable to find the net in the final seconds, his leadership shined as he led the Eagle offense. The 5-foot-9 point guard initiated fast breaks and moved the ball up the court with control and confidence, selflessly dishing the ball to his teammates under the basket. Gardner leads the Eagles in assists, and he added seven more against the Black Knights to bring his season total up to 77.
“I’m just happy they’re making the shots,” Gardner said. “Good or bad, you just have to remain encouraging.”
Despite aggressive play under the hoop, the Eagles continued to struggle with rebounding efforts against the taller Black Knights. They recorded 26 rebounds, their season average, a statistic which ranks them 350th in the country. Army claimed 31 rebounds in the game, falling short of their average of 35 per game, but they rank 147th in the country for their rebounding efforts.
Junior center Zach Elcano sat out the game with an ankle injury, wearing a walking boot on his right foot. The team announced he will be out indefinitely but will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Brennan will depend on the AU trio of Reed, Gardner, and Schoof to make up for Elcano’s absence. Junior Marko Vasic also saw more minutes, as he moved from his normal guard position into Elcano’s role of as a center. His 6-foot-5 height, however, makes him an undersized center and susceptible to being overmatched in the paint.
All of AU’s Patriot League games this season have been decided by ten points or less. The team will continue to test their abilities against conference foe Navy when they travel to Annapolis, Maryland on Jan. 28.
“It’s coming down to the wire, overtime games, every single game has been close,” Schoof said. “The league is really good. We’ve got to be ready for every game.”
sscovel@theeagleonline.com
