Game 14  ·  American (6-7, 2-1 PL) vs. Lehigh (11-3, 3-0 PL)
Saturday, Jan. 11  ·  1 p.m.  ·  Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
All-Time Record: American leads, 33-13

WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (6-7, 2-1 PL) will celebrate its annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), presented by official game sponsor CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, on Saturday, January 11, with a 1 p.m. tip against Patriot League foe Lehigh (11-3, 3-0 PL) in Bender Arena.

ABOUT NGWSD

• National Girls and Women in Sports Day is celebrated in all states with community-based events, award ceremonies, and activities honoring the achievements and encouraging participation of girls and women in sports. NGWSD began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympian volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports.
• Following Saturday's game against Lehigh, the Eagles invite kids of all ages in attendance to join five of AU's seven varsity women's teams -- basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball -- along with the wrestling, cheer, and dance teams for free skills clinics and an autograph session in Bender Arena.

SERIES HISTORY

• American leads the 46-game series against Lehigh, 33-13, and currently holds a seven-game win streak after picking up a 61-52 win in Bender Arena during last year's Patriot League Tournament semifinal.
• The Eagles are 16-7 against the Mountain Hawks in Bender Arena, and 15-6 on Lehigh's home floor.

THE STARTING FIVE

• American found some redemption on Wednesday, bouncing back from a 59-44 loss to Boston University to stage a dominant 73-57 victory over Army West Point in Bender Arena.
• One of the most well-rounded scoring efforts of the season for AU, the win over the Black Knights saw all 11 Eagles who played add points to the final tally, including a season-high 19-point performance from senior Kaitlyn Marenyi.
• The win over Army also included a season-high 33 points off the bench. This was only the second time all season that the AU bench outscored its opponent, 33-6.
• Saturday's game against Lehigh serves as the team's National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), and Alumnae Day. It also kicks off what could be the hardest stretch for the team this season, as the Eagles face the three remaining undefeated PL teams - Lehigh, Bucknell, and Holy Cross.
• American is 23-1 at home against Patriot League teams dating back to the 2017-18 season, and 55-12 since head coach Megan Gebbia took the reins in 2013-14.

LAST TIME OUT

• American earned some redemption on Wednesday with a decisive 73-57 win over Army West Point in Bender Arena. The victory came three days after a disappointing 59-44 loss at Boston University on Sunday.
• Senior Kaitlyn Marenyi was back atop the scoresheet for the first time since the win over George Washington (12/22) with a season-high 19 points. She also added a career-high nine boards to narrowly miss her first career double-double.
• She was the only Eagle to land in double-figures, but 11 players who put in time landed on the score sheet for one of the most well-rounded scoring efforts of the season.
• For the second time this season, the Eagles' bench outscored their opponents, 33-6, behind the eight-point efforts of sophomores Emily Fisher, Maddie Doring, and Taylor Brown.
• Junior Indeya Sanders remains the team's top distributor with seven assists on the day alongside her two steals, two boards, and two points.
• For the second time this season, AU either led or tied in all four quarters, including the strongest start since Villanova (23-5) with a 21-9 lead after the first stanza.
• The Black Knights cut to within 11 a couple of times during the third quarter, but that would be the tightest margin in the second half.
• The Eagles picked up their largest lead of the game at 69-46 with 2:34 left in the game, but a couple of late three's from Army cut American's lead back down to 16 by the final buzzer.

WELCOME HOME

• Saturday's game will also serve as the Eagles' Alumnae Day, as the team prepares to welcome back Stephanie Anya ('13), Ebony Edwards ('12), Michelle Holmes ('16), Maria Liddane ('18), Jordan Light ('17), Ti'Asia McGeorge ('14), Kim Myers (Salem) ('05), and Arron Zimmerman ('15).
• Zimmerman will also serve as the team's guest coach for the game.
• 2019 grad Cecily Carl will also be in attendance, although she'll be sitting on the other end of the. The 2019 Patriot League Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three-time All-PL honoree is in her first season as the director of operations with the Mountain Hawks.
• Carl is the second Eagle to return to Bender Arena with an opposing team - Lisa Strack ('12) is in her sixth season on staff with Army, and currently serves as the Black Knights' Associate Head Coach.

#AUWBB vs. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

• American holds a 242-121 overall record (.667) against Patriot League teams, and is 193-90 (.682) since joining the league in 2001-02.
• The Eagles have been one of the powerhouses in the Patriot League over the past two seasons, accumulating a record of 34-4 during the regular season with losses to only Bucknell (3) and Navy until BU toppled them to open the PL road schedule on Jan. 5.
• Holy Cross is the only team in the conference that holds an advantage over AU with a series record of 22-19.

KEEP IT CLEAN

• American leads the PL and is 18th in Division I for fewest personal fouls per game, averaging only 13.9 per game and allowing opponents only 11.5 free throw attempts per game.
• Ohio and Boston University appeared on the line more than any AU opponent so far this season with 18 free throw attempts while Villanova (9), Saint Joseph's (5), and George Washington (2) were all held to under 10. 

PROTECT THIS HOUSE

• The Eagles are 44-7 at home since the start of the 2016-17 season, including an undefeated 23-0 run that ranked sixth in Division I before ending with a loss to Ohio on Dec. 29, 2018.
• In the Megan Gebbia era, the Eagles are 73-23 (.760) in Bender Arena, including 55-12 (.821) against Patriot League opponents. Among the highlights in her six seasons was the program's first undefeated season at home since the 1970s in 2017-18.

FIRST ONE TO 60...

• Since Head Coach Megan Gebbia took the reins in 2013-14, the Eagles have put up an 97-31 record when scoring over 60 points, and 44-2 when scoring over 70.  
• Included in that run is a staggering 46-6 record since the 2017-18 season.
• On the flip side of that, AU is 24-68 when its opponents score over 60 points.
• In Gebbia's tenure, AU has allowed its opponents to score over 60 points only 92 times while the Eagles have crossed that threshold 128 times.

COMING OUT OF HALFTIME...

• After trailing opponents by an average of 8.3 ppg during the third quarter in the first six games of the season, the Eagles have picked up the pace coming out of halftime.
• AU led Buffalo 23-18, Minnesota 18-15, George Washington 14-10, and Army 19-16 in the third.
• The slow second half start haunted AU once again against Colgate, though, as the Raiders out-shot AU 21-6 to take a 51-49 lead heading into the fourth.
• Boston Univ. also led the Eagles, 20-17, although it was the tightest quarter of the game after BU gapped AU by 9 and 6 in the first and second quarters. American outpaced the Terriers in the final 10 minutes, 13-10.
• The Eagles kept tight with the Golden Gophers until the final 5:00 when a late 15-0 Minnesota run put them out of reach.
• American has earned three fourth-quarter victories so far this season against High Point (11/18), Radford (12/15), and Colgate (1/2)
• AU trailed by as much as six in the final 10 minutes against the Panthers before hitting a 15-5 run in the final 5:00 to win, 56-48.
• Radford took a brief 5-point lead with 6:30 left on the clock, but the Eagles outpaced the Highlanders 11-7 in the final 5:00 to pick up the 59-55 win.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS

• Lehigh remains one of three undefeated teams in Patriot League play after opening the conference slate with wins over Navy, 70-40, Loyola Maryland, 55-53, and Boston University, 51-34.
• The Mountain Hawks entered league play with an 8-3 record in nonconference, with losses to only Ball State, 54-52, Fordham, 59-57, and Minnesota, 79-44.
• The 34 points by BU was the lowest point total for a Lehigh opponent since 2013. 
• Megan Walker paced the Mountain Hawks with a career-high 15 points against the Terriers, followed by 11 from Hannah Hedstrom. Cameryn Benz led on the boards with seven rebounds alongside her team-high four assists.
• Lehigh is third in the league with its 65.4 ppg, and leads the PL after allowing only 55.3 ppg. The Mountain Hawks are second behind Lafayette in both field goal defense (.367) and 3-point field goal defense (.280), and rank first with 41.2 rpg.
• Camryn Buhr leads the Mountain Hawks with 12.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Benz is the next scorer for Lehigh with 9.1 and ranks second with 6.5 rpg.
• Hedstrom has worked as the leading distributor for Lehigh and averages 3.0 assists per game.

UP NEXT...
The Eagles will be on the road next week as they continue one of their hardest stretches of the regular season with games at Bucknell (Jan. 15) and Holy Cross (Jan. 18). The Bison and Crusaders are two of the three remaining undefeated teams in the Patriot League, alongside Lehigh.

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).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON TICKETS

• General admission season tickets are $80 for adults and $50 for youth (17 & below) / seniors (65+).
• Full exchange for games you cannot make – as well as discounts, and special benefits throughout the year. All season ticket holders receive priority ticketing for all non-Patriot League postseason tournament games.
• Purchase online at AUeagles.com/Tickets

GROUP TICKETS

• Available for purchase for groups of 10+ and 40+. Tickets start at just $2.

INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKETS

• Available for purchase now to all home games starting at $5 per ticket.
  Purchase online at AUeagles.com/Tickets

AU STUDENTS

• Undergraduate, graduate, and Washington College of Law (WCL) students are admitted free of charge to all home basketball games with a valid AU ID.

For further inquiries on season ticket packages, mini-plans, group, or individual game tickets, call (202) 885-TIXX(8499) or e-mail clawed@american.edu. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Bender Arena Ticket Office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For further updates, news, and to purchase tickets, visit AUeagles.com/Tickets.