Army Basketball's Three-Game Winning Streak Has Them Sitting One Back of First Place

Army is one game back of first place in the Patriot League after winning three in a row, but they are now entering the toughest part of their schedule that will have major ramifications.

Army's Jalen Rucker takes a jump shot during their game versus Fairleigh Dickinson University on November 20, 2024 / Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Army had an incredible season on the gridiron by winning the American Athletic Conference in their first year as a member, but the Black Knights on the hardwood are showing everyone in West Point that they're no slouch, either.

Army (15-10, 9-4 Patriot) has now won three contests in a row, the longest active streak in the Patriot League after they knocked off Loyola on the road this past Wednesday.

It was a huge win for the Black Knights because they have ridden this hot stretch into solo second place, just one game behind American University (16-10, 10-3) for a share of the lead.

The Black Knights' streak began after they lost a tightly-contested road matchup against American on Feb. 1. They came close to stealing a game they trailed by double-digits at one point late in the second half, but they couldn't overcome their early deficit and lost by three.

Maybe that was needed for Army.

Since that point, they've won all three of their games since by 4.33 points, beating Holy Cross at home by three, outlasting Bucknell in a wild double overtime contest to win by six and then beating Loyola on the road by four.

The catalyst for a lot of what the Black Knights do is led by Jalen Rucker, their star senior guard who is one of the best players in the Patriot League.

However, Josh Scovens cannot be overlooked during this stretch.

The sophomore has come on of late, going from consistently scoring in the low teens with a 20-point burst every once in a while, to averaging 20.3 points per game in the last three contests, giving Army a formidable one-two punch in the scoring department alongside Rucker's 21 points per game during this run.

That bodes well heading into their massive matchup against Navy (9-17, 6-7) this weekend.

While the Black Knights have solidified themselves as the better team at this point in the campaign, the Midshipmen will try to play spoiler coming off their win against Lehigh that stopped a three-game losing streak.

Combine that with the fact Army has to go back on the road for this one, and it's a rivalry showdown that has massive implications beyond just bragging rights.

The Black Knights face American in their next matchup, so if they can get past Navy on Saturday while the Eagles drop a home contest against Loyola, then that will create a battle for first place in Christl Arena on Feb. 19.

But first thing's first, Army has to win their rivalry game.

They were blown out by the Midshipmen at home on Jan. 26, losing by 13 points.

The Black Knights will be looking to return the favor at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday with the game set to be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network.

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