The American University women’s basketball team (4-13) fell at home to the Army Black Knights (14-3) 63-56. The Eagles returned back to Bender Arena after a two-game road trip that saw them drop against Holy Cross and Navy.
The Black Knights entered this game with the best defense in the Patriot League, averaging just 57.4 points given up per game. On the other side of the ball, Army entered with the Patriot League’s second-best offense, averaging 68.5 points per game.
American started on the hot foot, with sophomore guard Molly Driscoll opening the game with a crossover into the paint and a successful jumper to follow. Army equalized on the next possession after grabbing two offensive rebounds, highlighting the Black Knights’ early domination in the paint. A layup from sophomore guard Madisyn Moore-Nicholson handed the lead back to the Eagles.
The Eagles’ hot start tapered, turning the ball over on their next two possessions. After a series of layups and success beyond the arc, Army led 15-6 with just over five minutes left in the quarter. While Army led 17-10 after the first, junior guard Lexi Salazar helped reduce the deficit with a layup, assist and midrange jumper in a span of two minutes.
The start of the second quarter was all about the Black Knights. Army took advantage of American’s three-minute scoring drought through a series of layups to take an 11-point lead. Sophomore guard Elizabeth Archer finally broke through Army’s paint presence, getting American’s first points of the second quarter with a contested layup. She would add two more points in the next possession at the free throw line.
Four minutes into the second quarter, the pendulum tilted in favor of the Eagles. Freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy recorded a steal on the next possession, before spotting Driscoll making a backdoor cut into the paint. Her pass found Driscoll, who picked up contact driving to the basket to draw a foul while converting the and-one basket.
A successful free throw lowered the deficit to four, and a layup from Tuhy on the next possession reduced it to two, sending the Bender faithful into a frenzy.
In her first involvement in the game, freshman guard Kayla Greyvensteyn drained a massive 3-pointer, giving American its first lead since the second minute of the game. A 3-pointer from Army gave them the lead back momentarily, before Driscoll countered with a shot from beyond the arc of her own, immediately giving the Eagles the lead back with 23 seconds left in the half. Despite being down 11 mere minutes ago, the Eagles led 27-26 at the half.
The third quarter began much as the second quarter ended. A 3-pointer from Army was countered quickly with another from Driscoll, who followed that with a shot from midrange to give American a 32-29 lead, their largest of the game. The Eagles’ offense began to falter shortly after as Army started to break down American’s defense.
In the third, Army found their efficiency that had propelled them to first in the Patriot League, going 7-for-13 from the field and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc. Additionally, Army found themselves at the free-throw line nine times in the third quarter, converting five free throws. The Black Knights outscored the Eagles 21-11, giving Army a 47-38 lead.
Army’s offense didn’t skip a beat in the fourth, going on a 10-2 scoring run in the opening four minutes. The energy in Bender began to dissipate. With just under six minutes to go, American had a monumental deficit to climb. But the Eagles knew quitting wasn’t an option.
“We know if we play hard, we’re eventually gonna battle back,” Moore-Nicholson said. “A lot of teams think that they’re up 17, so the other team will stop playing, but we’re not done playing ever.”
Moore-Nicholson began the comeback effort with a fadeaway jumper in the paint to decrease the deficit to 15. On the next possession, senior guard Laura Nogues drew a foul. Moore-Nicholson was taken out for the first free throw, which Nogues made, before being substituted back on for the second attempt. The determined Moore-Nicholson leapt off the bench, nearly knocking over head coach Kelly Killion, who was amused by the whole ordeal.
Senior guard Anna Rescifina got involved in the action, coming off the bench and hitting a 3-pointer to decrease the deficit to 10. A foul by Army on the floor during the shot kept possession with the Eagles, who took full advantage of it as Tuhy broke by the Black Knights defense to score an uncontested layup. In just a minute of play, American had gone on a 9-0 run.
Army drew a foul on the next possession, slowing down the tempo of the game, but the fans at Bender were full of energy once again. As supporters slammed their hands on the back of seat rests, Army’s free-throw woes continued to plague them, going 1-for-2 from the line. In total, the Black Knights left 11 points off the board on missed free throws.
Nogues drew a foul on the Eagles next possession, scoring on both attempts. American went 11-for-11 from the free throw line in Saturday's contest. The Eagles were only down five with two minutes to go.
On American’s next possession, Driscoll drained a deep 3-pointer and sent the Eagles’ supporters into bedlam. Down 17 just three minutes ago, the Eagles had clawed their way back into what seemed to be an unwinnable situation.
But the play came with a major caveat, a technical foul was called on Driscoll for a gesture she made after the shot went on. The same gesture she had made earlier in the game that had gone uncalled. Army was sent to the free throw line, where they converted both attempts.
“I hate that the last four or five minutes ended the way it did. To call a technical at that point in the game when something like that happened earlier, but didn’t call it then, it’s bush league and quite frankly it's a terrible call,” Killion said after the game. “Now, should she have celebrated like that? Hell no. We talk about discipline, but if you’re not going to call it consistently the whole game, it puts us in a really bad position.”
American would not score again as Army ran out the clock after a series of successful free throws, ending the Eagles’ three game winning streak at home. Despite the result, coach Killion emphasized the team's “small wins,” with the team out-rebounding Army and mounting several comeback attempts. Driscoll led the Eagles in scoring with 20, and assists with four. Tuhy led all players in rebounds with 12.
The Eagles head to Hamilton, New York to face Colgate on Jan. 21 before returning home to face Holy Cross at home on Jan. 26.
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Matthias Jaylen Sandoval and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Ryan Sieve and Ava Stuzin.
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