WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (2-1) picked up a gritty win over High Point (1-3) on Monday, November 18, to close out their two-game home stretch. The Eagles will hit the road for the next four games before returning to Bender on Sunday, December 8, to face Minnesota.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• For the second consecutive game, it was sophomore Jade Edwards who paced the way for AU, tying her career-high from Thursday's win over Villanova with 24 points.
• Junior Indeya Sanders was the only other Eagle to join her in double-figures with 13 on the day along with a pair of blocks as she continues to lead the team with five after the first three games of the season.
• Sophomore Emily Fisher also came off a career-high 22 points against Villanova, but was held to only two points by the Panthers. She found other ways to contribute, though, leading the team with eight rebounds and picking up two assists, a steal, and a block while giving up only one turnover.
• High Point also only put two players in double-figures with Skyler Curran (16 points) and Zaria Wright (13 points). Camryn Brown led with eight rebounds and five assists.
• AU's defense held off two of the Panthers' leading scorers, holding Brown (17.3 ppg) to only nine points while Miya Bull (11.3 ppg) closed with no points on the board.
• Both teams struggled offensively as AU closed with its lowest field goal percentage yet this season (.317, 13-41). High Point ended the game shooting 29.1 percent (16-55), which topped only its 27.8 percent (20-72) performance against Duke to open the season.
• High Point, known for its perimeter shooting, went 12-for-36 (.333) from long range and closed with all but four of its made field goals from beyond the arc.
• The Eagles, on the other hand, dominated in the paint, 20-6, but picked up only seven bench points to High Points' 19.
• Neither team could find its rhythm offensively in the first quarter, with High Point shooting only 16.7 percent (2-12) and the Eagles 25 percent (2-8).
• The Panthers pulled to an early 4-0 lead after opening with a made free throw and three. It took until a layup from Fisher in the fifth minute for the Eagles to pick up their first field goal and cut the gap down to one.
• The two teams picked up the pace coming out of the media timeout, with the Eagles hitting a quick 4-0 run to take a five-point lead at 9-4. Although the Panthers would cut that advantage down to two points briefly, a pair of late free throws from senior Morgan Bartner, who went 5-for-6 from the line in the opening 10 minutes, maintained a four-point cushion at 12-8 heading into the break.
• American continued to struggle from the field in the second quarter as High Point hit an 11-2 run in the first 7:00 to take a 19-14 lead. A three from Brown with 2:43 left in the half, the fourth of the quarter for High Point, delivered their largest lead yet at 22-16 before a late offensive push, led by three points from sophomore Laura Graytok, brought AU back within one heading into the break, 22-21.
• Bartner's sixth free throw of the game and a jumper from Edwards put AU back ahead at 24-22, but three consecutive three's from High Point put the Eagles back on their heels. The Panthers picked up their largest lead of the game at 33-25 before a three from Edwards and forced turnover on the other end sent the teams into timeout.
• High Point put up another quick push coming out of the timeout and regained an eight-point lead, but a quick five points from the Eagles, including a last-second three from Sanders, brought AU back within three at 36-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
• American found its tempo in the final 10 minutes, hitting an 8-3 run to retake the lead at 41-39. High Point would pick up a brief two-point edge before another clutch basket from Sanders tied the game at 43-43 just before the media timeout.
• The Eagles continued to ramp up the pace coming out of the huddle as a 9-2 run pulled them ahead at 52-45 with under 1:00 left on the clock. Late free throws as High Point's Amaria McNear and Zaria Wright fouled out of the game, maintained AU's cushion as Edwards and Sanders hit a late four points to close the game at 56-48.

NEXT UP...
American will open its four-game stretch on the road on Thursday, Nov. 21, with a quick trip to George Mason for a 7 p.m. tip. The Eagles will also visit head coach Megan Gebbia's alma mater, Towson, on Nov. 24, before travling to Saint Joseph's for a two-game Thanksgiving Tournament where they will face the Hawks and Buffalo on Nov. 30 and December 1, respectively. They will return home to face Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m.

For the latest on American University Women's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_WBasketball) and Instagram (@auwbasketball).