Box Score The American University men's basketball team registered its 20th win of the season Wednesday night with a 69-58 victory over Navy in Bender Arena. The win was also the fourth straight for the Eagles, who have now registered at least 20 wins in three of the last four years.
Vlad Moldoveanu, Nick Hendra and Steve Luptak came up big for American (20-8, 10-3) on senior night. Moldoveanu led all scorers with 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds while shooting 7-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-7 from three and 10-of-11 from the line. Hendra, meanwhile, tallied 11 points and five assists as Luptak matched his career-high with six helpers. Troy Brewer added 16 points and made four of his six three-point attempts.
The Eagles finished the game shooting 52.6 percent from the field and were 11-of-21 from three. Navy, meanwhile, was held to 35.3 percent shooting and was outrebounded by American 33-26. Greg Brown led the Midshipmen with 16 points while Jordan Sugars added 11 and J.J. Avila 10.
American got off to a quick start and took a 7-1 lead off a Brewer three and four Moldoveanu free throws. Navy battled back for its first lead of the night, 8-7, and were in front 11-9 before a 15 point run gave the Eagles a 24-11 advantage. The five-minute stretch was bookended by a pair of three's from Hendra and Brewer and also included five points from Moldoveanu.
The Eagles led by as many as 14 points following Brewer's third three-pointer of the half. Navy would close out the opening frame with a 7-2 run, however, cutting its deficit to 34-25 at the intermission.
Moldoveanu led all scorers at the break with 14 points while Brewer chipped in nine of his own. American was 10-of-23 from the field and 6-of-13 from three in the half and held a 20-12 advantage on the glass.
Navy opened up with a three from Avila out of the break but American quickly recovered and went back on top by 10 on another Moldoveanu trey, 42-32. The Eagles later pushed the margin to 16 following a Moldoveanu and-one and remained in front 56-42 with just under nine minutes to play.
Two minutes later the Navy deficit stood at just five as the Midshipmen hit three consecutive three-pointers. After a pair of O.J. Avworo free throws cut the lead to 59-55, American would embark on a 10-1 run to all but put the game away. Hendra scored eight straight for the Eagles during the stretch, including back-to-back three-pointers. Navy would tack on two points at the line with under a minute to play as American walked away with the 69-58 victory.
The Eagles will be back in action Saturday, February 26 as they travel to Lafayette for the regular season finale. American will then return home March 2 to host the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinals in Bender. Postseason tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling (202) 885-TIXX or online by clicking here.
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