Return to the "POINTER VIEW"Feb. 2, 2001
Return to the "POINTER VIEW"
Feb. 2, 2001
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| Army junior forward Dax Pearson (44) looks in against his Albany opponent Dec. 14. Pearson assisted in Army's win against Lafayette by dropping in 14 points. |
EASTON, Pa. (AP) – Army junior Chris Spatola tallied a career-high 43 points, including seven 3-pointers, to give the Black Knights a 104-103 overtime victory over Lafayette Saturday, halting a five-game Army losing streak.
Spatola was also 10-for-10 from the foul line to help Army (6-12,1-4) snap a 10-game losing streak to the Leopards. Teammates Charles Woodruff added a career-high 28 points and Dax Pearson 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Freshman J.P. Spatola, Chris Spatola’s younger brother, finished with 14 points.
Chris Spatola’s seven three-pointers tied for the fourth highest single-game total in academy hoops history, and his 43 points set a Kirby Sports Center scoring record. Saturday’s effort by the older Spatola was the highest scoring outing by a Black Knight since Mark Lueking tallied 43 March 4, 1995.
Tim Bieg, who hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation that sent the game into overtime, finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Lafayette (7-11, 1-4).
Army trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half and was behind by eight, 81-73, with 5:30 remaining. However, an 11-2 run, capped by a Chris Spatola three-pointer at the 3:00 mark, gave the Black Knights an 84-83 lead. It was the visitors’ first advantage since leading 46-45 less than one minute into the second half.
From that point on, through regulation and overtime, Army never trailed, although there were five ties. After a tie at 87-87, a basket by Woodruff and two free throws by Pearson gave Army a 91-87 lead with 20.6 seconds left.
Lafayette’s Tyson Whitfield was then fouled on a three-point shot by sophomore Mike Canty. Whitfield made the first two of his three attempts, but missed the third. Woodruff grabbed the miss and was fouled. He hit just one of the subsequent two shots with 8.1 seconds left. Bieg moved the ball upcourt and nailed a 22-foot three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
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| Junior guard Chris Spatola (24) goes up for a three-pointer against Albany. Spatola knocked down 43 points against Lafayette, including seven three-pointers in Army's 104-103 overtime win. |
In the extra session, Army maintained control as Woodruff scored six points and Chris Spatola added five. The duo combined for five successive points -- a Woodruff hook shot and a Spatola three-pointer -- to give Army a 104-99 lead with 58.9 seconds left.
Bieg hit the front end of a two-shot foul with 51.0 seconds remaining and then converted another three-pointer after the Leopards snared the offensive rebound off his miss. J.P. Spatola was fouled on a drive with 13.0 seconds left, but missed both free throws, giving the Leopards hope.
On the final sequence, following a Lafayette timeout with 8.5 seconds to play, Whitfield attempted to drive to the right baseline but was stripped by Woodruff as the clock expired.
Army’s starters accounted for 102 of the team’s 104 points. Pearson’s 16 rebounds were the most by a Black Knight since David Ardayfio snared 18 boards versus Lafayette Feb. 26, 1994 (a span of 183 games).
Army’s 104 points against Lafayette marked the team’s second game in excess of 100 points this season and was the highest point total ever by an Army team in a Patriot League game.
