Feb. 18, 2009
Box Score
West Point, N.Y. - The American University
men's basketball team won its seventh-consecutive game on Wednesday
at Army, 58-36, to remain in the top spot in the Patriot League
standings. Derrick Mercer
scored a game-high 17 points and dished out three assists while Garrison Carr
added 13 points and four three-pointers. Mercer's three assists
moved him into third place all-time in the PL with 486 career
helpers and Carr's four three's moved him into fifth all-time in
the conference with 267 career trey's.
American began the game on a 12-2 run with 10 of the team's 12
points coming off the hand of Garrison Carr. Carr
was 3-of-3 from behind the arc in the game's first six-plus minutes
and added one point at the free-throw line. Army quickly cut AU's
lead to just four points, 14-10, but a Nick Hendra three and
pull-up jumper on consecutive possessions put the Eagles back on
top by a comfortable 19-10 margin with 9:00 remaining.
The Eagles extended their lead to 23-10 following two Jordan Nichols
layups and a Hendra fast break lay-in put AU ahead by 16, 28-12,
with 4:10 to play. American took its largest lead of the half
minutes later, 33-12, as Derrick Mercer
scored five-consecutive points on a driving layup and pull-up
three-pointer. Army scored the last basket of the half, sending the
team's into the locker room with AU leading 33-14.
Army's 14 points at the break were the fewest first-half points
allowed by American all season and marked the fifth time in seven
games AU has held Army to 20 or less points in the first half. The
Eagles previous halftime low of 17 points allowed was also set by
Army just two weeks ago. AU shot 59.1 percent (13-22) for the half
and hit 6-of-8 three-point attempts. American scored 15 points off
seven Black Knight turnovers and outscored Army 12-2 in the paint.
American kept the pressure on Army in the second half and never
let the Black Knights challenge the lead. The teams traded baskets
through the first several minutes of the second half and at the
second media timeout the Eagles held a 48-28 lead. American
steadily increased its lead to 25 points, 58-33, with 4:42 to play.
Army scored the final three points of the contest but to no avail
as AU walked away with a 58-36 victory.
Mercer scored a game-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and was
3-of-3 from three-point range. Mercer also dished out three assists
in the victory and grabbed three rebounds. Carr finished the night
with 13 points, three rebounds and four three-pointers. Hendra and
Nichols tallied nine points and eight points, respectively. Frank Borden
led the team on the glass and matched his career-high with seven
rebounds.
Mercer and Carr both climbed the PL's all-time leader board with
their performances on Wednesday. Mercer's three assists moved him
into third in conference history with 486 career helpers. Carr's
four three-pointers moved him into fifth all-time in the PL with
267 career treys.
AU finished the game shooting 49.9 percent (24-49) from the
floor while holding Army to just 27.1 percent (13-48). The Eagles
outrebounded the Black Knights by a margin of 37-25 and outscored
Army by a margin of 28-8 in the paint.
The win improves American to 10-1 in the PL, marking the team's
best in-conference record since the 1980-81 team went 11-0 in the
East Coast Conference. AU has now won a season-high seven straight
games and 13 of its last 14. The Eagles also improved to 10-6 on
the road this season and are one of just five teams in the nation
to have won 10 road games.
American returns home this Saturday, Feb. 21, to face Holy Cross
in a battle of the top two teams in the PL. Tickets to the game can
be purchased online by clicking
here or over the phone by calling (202) 885-TIXX. Tipoff from
Bender Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m.
