Mercer leads AU over Black Knights
Freshman Derrick Mercer scored a career-high 19 points to lead AU to a 68-55 win over Army Wednesday in West Point, N.Y.
AU, which never trailed, started the game on an 11-1 run over the first six minutes and never looked back. The Eagles (9-15, 5-6 Patriot League) led by as many 26 points in the game.
Army's Matt Bell his two free throws to close the AU lead to 24-21 with 4:16 left in the first half, but Mercer countered with a jumper and 3-pointer to stave off the comeback.
It was a good shooting night for the Eagles, who shot 46.7 percent for the game. Army shot just 35.4 percent.
Juniors Brayden Billbe (12 points) and Paulius Joneliunas (11 points) also aided AU.
Bell led the last-place Black Knights (5-19, 1-11) with 14 points.
Combined with Lafayette's loss to No. 24 Bucknell, the win gives the Eagles sole control of fourth place with three games left in the PL season.
- KEVIN HILGERS
Army spells trouble for AU women
The AU women's basketball team suffered its third straight defeat on Tuesday night, losing 73-49 to the Army Black Knights at West Point, N.Y.
Playing their second straight game without leading scorer, Tala Hadavi, the Eagles found offense hard to come by. They were held scoreless over an eight-minute stretch in the second half.
Sahar Nusseibeh scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles, while Tish Curry scored eight points and pulled down nine boards. Pam Stanfield shot only 1 of 13 from the field for the Eagles.
Cara Enright scored 18 points for Army, and she led a balanced attack that also
featured 14 from Alex Maguire, 12 from Ashley Magnani and 10 from Stefanie Stone.
AU had cut the lead to 40-37 in the second half, but then was held scoreless for the next eight minutes and found itself down 11, a deficit they couldn't overcome.
Army dished out 19 assists while the Eagles handed out only eight. Army's depth was clearly too much for AU as the Black Knights gave significant minutes to 17 players, while the Eagles had only eight play more than a minute.
The Eagles, who fell to 3-8 in the Patriot League, come home Saturday for the Phil Bender event Saturday against the Holy Cross Crusaders, who dominated them in Worcester, Mass., last month.
- JESSE EPSTEIN
