WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point women's basketball team (4-1) secured a hard-fought 57-51 overtime victory over Air Force (3-1) in the Silver Star match-up.
Soleil Montrose shined for the Black Knights, leading the team in scoring for the second consecutive game and setting a new career-high with 15 points. Trinity Hardy added 14 points, while Camryn Tade tied her career-best with nine rebounds, anchoring Army's defensive effort, logging 43 minutes. Hardy also led the team with four steals and three assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first quarter, Air Force scored first with a second-chance jumper, but Fiona Hastick quickly responded with a layup.
Reese Ericson's three-pointer midway through the first tied the game at 11-11, and Hardy's buzzer-beating layup gave Army a 13-11 lead heading into the second quarter.
Army maintained momentum early in the second, going up 17-13 with six minutes remaining. However, Air Force found its rhythm, shooting 50% from the field during a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead.
The Black Knights tied the game at 20-20, but Air Force quickly regained control, entering halftime with a narrow 22-20 advantage.
The back-and-forth continued in the third quarter, as Air Force opened with a mid-range jumper, but Tade responded with a deep three-pointer to cut the deficit to one.
After trading baskets, Montrose hit a critical three-pointer to tie the game at 26-26.
Air Force briefly regained the lead with a free throw, but Army's 4-0 run kept them in front until a last-second fast-break layup by Air Force gave the Falcons a 35-34 edge heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth, Air Force extended its lead to 43-37—the largest margin of the game—but Army refused to back down. Back-to-back three-pointers, including Hastick's clutch game-tying shot with 52 seconds remaining, sent the game into overtime.
The Black Knights delivered in the extra period. Although Air Force struck first, Tade's free throws tied the game. A key defensive rebound by Hardy set up Montrose's driving layup, giving Army the lead for good.
Army closed the game on a 6-0 run while shutting down Air Force defensively to secure the hard-fought win.
NEXT UP
The Black Knights begin a five-game road stretch on November 20, facing NJIT at 6:00 PM.
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