Dartmouth Dropped in Defensive Struggle with Army

Saturday, December 12

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

1-6

ARMY

7-2

Team	1	2	F
Army	24	35	59
Dartmouth	19	27	46

Dartmouth Dropped in Defensive Struggle with Army

12/12/2009 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. — Army used a stifling defense to generate some offense, holding host Dartmouth to just 30 percent shooting for the game as the Black Knights picked up a 59-46 road victory on Saturday night at Leede Arena. Forward Cleveland Richard had 13 points for Army (7-2) while sophomore guard Jabari Trotter led all players with 14 points for the Big Green (1-6).

Dartmouth connected on 15-of-50 shots on the night, going 8-of-30 (.267) in the second half when the Black Knights pulled away. Trotter had the most success, going 5-of-11, including 2-of-4 from long range, plus hit both free throws to account for his season-high 14 points. Junior guard Ronnie Dixon was the only other Big Green player in double figures with 10 points, eight coming in the first half with a pair of trifectas.

The Dartmouth defense was not too shabby either, holding Army's leading scorer, Julian Simmons at 14.6 points per game, to just five points on the night. As a team, the Black Knights shot just 42.3 percent (22-of-52), and 36 percent (9-of-25) in the first half. But Richard matched his season average by draining 5-of-9 from the floor while grabbing six boards, and point guard Josh Miller pitched in 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds, plus dished out six assists.

Turnovers were a sticking point in the first half for the Big Green as they coughed the ball up a dozen times. But Army never could build a lead larger than five in the opening stanza due to troubles at the foul line, shooting 6-of-13 (.462) in the half.

A three-pointer by Big Green senior captain Robby Pride midway through the first half tied the score at nine, and senior Marlon Sanders — seeing his first action since missing the last three games with an injury, canned a pair of free throws to give Dartmouth an 11-9 lead. After a free throw and a short jumper at the other end, Trotter knocked down a long jumper to make it 13-12 in favor of the Big Green.

Richard converted 1-of-2 at the line, then scored a bucket on the next possession, only to have Dixon launch a long three to put Dartmouth up by one again, 16-15. It would be the last lead for the Big Green as the Black Knights tallied the next five and outscored Dartmouth 9-3 over the final five minutes of the half to go into the locker room with a 24-19 advantage.

Over the first 20 minutes, Dartmouth held a 19-13 edge on the glass. That apparently was a point of emphasis for Army first-year coach Zach Spiker, as the Black Knights outrebounded the hosts in the second half, 26-16.

Sophomore David Rufful scored the first points of the second half with a layup to cut the deficit to three. Gradually Army built a nine-point lead with an 8-2 run, the first six points of which were scored by Chris Walker.

Trotter kept the Green in the game, however, with a pair of layups and two free throws to make it a 33-29 game. By the middle of the half, the difference remained at four, 37-33, after freshman center Matt LaBove dropped two free throws through the hoop.

Army then scored six straight points, the final two on a Jeremy Hence layup, for the first double-digit lead of the game at 43-33 with 7:47 to play. A Trotter three-pointer was answered with a Simmons free throw and a Walker layup. Yet Dartmouth continued to battle as Rufful hit a short jumper and LaBove converted two more free throws, getting the Green within six points with 4:34 to play.

Two quick fastbreak layups by Simmons and Richard made it a 10-point game again, and Dartmouth never got any closer.

Rufful was the Big Green's leading rebounder with seven, and Sanders gave out a team-best four assists in 16 minutes in his return to the floor.

Dartmouth returns to the Leede Arena floor tomorrow afternoon against Lyndon State College at 2 p.m. Army has a week off for exams before hosting Mount St. Vincent next Saturday at 4 p.m.