ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Army West Point men's basketball team fell to service academy rival Navy in 69-62 in the Army-Navy Star Game at Alumni Hall on Saturday.
The victory cut Army's lead to 3-2 in the 2020-21 Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA
."Congratulations to Navy, they did a great job and were really consistent throughout the game," Head Coach Jimmy Allen said. "Their physicality on the glass affected us and that's one of the things they do well. That was ultimately the difference in the game.”
The Midshipmen got out to an early lead in the contest, stretching the advantage to as high as 10 in the first half before heading into the half with a four-point lead. The second half was much of the same, as Navy was able to hold Army at bay throughout the second stanza en route to a seven-point victory.
Lonnie Grayson led the Black Kings in scoring with 17 points. The senior also led the team on the boards with 7 rebounds. Tucker Blackwell kept the Black Knights alive with key buckets in the second half, pushing him to a season-high 13 points on the day off the bench.
"I didn't think we played too well today, and it still came down to one or two possessions down the stretch," Allen said. "There are definitely a lof of things we could have done better today, but we still had a chance to win and that is something we can build on moving into tomorrow's game.”
After entering the contest with four wins in the previous five contests, Army remains second in the North division of the Patriot League with a 4-3 conference record. Colgate sits atop the division with a 5-1 record. Navy is now 7-0 to start its conference slate.
HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES
• Grayson has recorded double-digit points in eight of Army's 11 games this season.
• His eight rebounds tied a season high.
• Tucker Blackwell posted a season-high 13 points.
UP NEXT:
Army and Navy will meet again on Sunday at Alumni Hall. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
**To chat with other Army fans about this article and more, please visit The 12th Knight message board**
