Army West Point Men’s Basketball (1-2) welcomed the No. 4 team in the nation, the Duke University Blue Devils (3-0), and Mike Krzyzewski ’69 into Christl Arena on November 11, ultimately falling to the Blue Devils, 59-114.
The game went on to set the attendance record for the most fans inside Christl Arena in program history. The final attendance was 5,326 on Veterans Day, beating the previous of 5,291 set on January 21, 2017, when Army played Navy that season.
The matchup also marked just the third time in program history—and the first time in 28 years—that the Black Knights have hosted a Power Five opponent at West Point. The first came against LSU on December 21, 1978. The second was against Duke on November 16, 1997.
Mike Krzyzewski ’69 also made his return to his alma mater on November 11, where a banner was revealed, honoring him as the winningest head coach in NCAA Division I history. His coaching career began at Army in 1975, 50 years ago, and he posted a 70-32 record over five seasons in West Point.
Alongside the ceremony, Coach K addressed the record-breaking crowd. His statement can be read here.
Moving back to the action on the court, CDT Jackson Furman ’29 led the way for the Black Knights, who ultimately struggled offensively. The plebe finished the night with a game-high, as well as a career-high of 20 points, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and 55.5 percent from the three-point line. He also added three rebounds.
Up next, the Black Knights will stay inside Christl Arena for a second-straight game, taking on the Harvard University Crimson on November 15. Army and Harvard last faced off on December 8, 2023, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the Crimson earning a narrow 70-64 win over the Black Knights. The game inside Christl Arena will tip off at 2:00pm ET, with the game streaming live on ESPN+ and the Army Sports Network.
The excerpt and image were taken from https://www.westpointaog.org.
