WASHINGTON - With 25 points to lead American University men's basketball to an 86-69 win over visiting Howard, senior guard Sa'eed Nelson moved into fifth place on the program's all-time career scoring list. The Eagles shot a season-best 54 percent from the field and had four players finish in double figures in scoring.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Nelson needed 18 points to tie 2007 graduate Andre Ingram (1,655 points) and he surpassed it, with his 25 total points putting him at 1,662 career points. The next jump will take some time as Frank Ross ('87) sits in fourth place with 1,921 points.
• Jacob Boonyasith scored 13 points and led AU with a career-high nine rebounds.
• After an early 7-7 tie, AU pulled ahead near the 16-minute mark and led for the rest of the game.
• Nelson scored all six points in a 6-0 run that put the Eagles up 21-13 with 11:27 left in the first half, and another 6-0 run later put the Eagles up 40-28 with 2:50 to go. 
• The halftime lead was 46-34 thanks to a last-second shot by Nelson.
• Early second-half turnovers by AU allowed Howard to get back in the game. The Bison got within five in the opening minutes and were still within six at the 12-minute mark. 
• Yilret Yiljep, back from injury and playing in his first game of the sixth season since he joined the Eagles in 2013-14, made a layup with nine minutes to go that put AU up by double digits for good. 
• Both Marvin Bragg and Yiljep came back from injuries for their first game action of the season. Yiljep finished with seven points and five rebounds in just under 10 minutes of play, while Bragg scored five points and grabbed three boards.
• All nine AU players who saw more than a minute on the court scored at least four points.
• Stacy Beckton Jr. scored 11 points and dished a team-best four assists, while Jamir Harris scored 10 points and recorded two steals.
• The Eagles' three-point shooting took a fall from recent games, but they had their way inside and finished with a 56-24 advantage in points in the paint.

UP NEXT

• The Eagles head back out on the road to take on Albany at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30. The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. but was moved up to accommodate an afternoon FCS playoff football game at Albany.
• AU will be back at home on Tuesday, Dec. 3 to host UMBC at 7 p.m.

BENDER ARENA TICKET INFO

• 2019-20 basketball season tickets are available now. Packages are priced as low as $50 and only $200 for the best chairback seats along the sideline for all home games in Bender Arena.
• Season ticket holders receive savings off the individual game price, guaranteeing fans the same great seats for all games in Bender Arena, and benefits that include the full exchange for games they cannot make – as well as discounts, and exclusive benefits throughout the year. All season ticket holders also receive their same seat for all home postseason league games and priority ticketing for all national postseason tournament games.
• AU students are admitted free of charge to home basketball games with a valid AU ID. To renew or purchase season tickets e-mail clawed@american.edu, call (202) 885-TIXX (8499), or for all individual ticket purchase needs visit AUEagles.com/Tickets.

For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).