WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (6-8, 2-2 PL) led for most of the fourth quarter but didn't have a response to a pair late three's from Lehigh (12-3, 4-0 PL) and fell to the Mountain Hawks, 64-63.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Junior Indeya Sanders put up one of her biggest games of the season, earning her first double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds. She also added a team-high seven assists, making this the second game in her career that she's led in all three categories.
- Senior Kaitlyn Marenyi added 14 points, including nine in the third quarter to give AU its first lead of the game. Sophomore Jade Edwards also broke into double-figures with 13 points.
- The Eagles closed shooting 41 percent from the floor (25-61), 27.3 percent from three (6-22), and 87.5 percent from the line (7-8).Â
- American led in fast break points, 7-0, but trailed Lehigh in points off turnovers, 17-12, points in the paint, 28-24, and second chance points, 13-12, despite only trailing by one on the boards, 36-35.
- The Mountain Hawks were also led by a double-double effort with Emma Grothaus finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cameryn Benz added 13 points followed by 10 from both Megan Walker and Camryn Buhr.
- Lehigh shot 42.9 percent from the field (24-56), 33.3 percent from three (4-12), and 70.6 percent from the line (12-17). Two of their four three's came in the final 2:00 to cut AU's lead down to one.
- The Eagles trailed early after Lehigh put up a pair of unanswered baskets in the first three minutes. It took until the 6:20 mark for the Eagles to get on the board with a jumper from Sanders after Edwards picked up the steal on the other end.
- The Mountain Hawks led by as much as six in the stanza before a trey from Sanders sent the Eagles on a 9-4 closing run to land back within one at 14-13 heading into the break.
- AU tied the game briefly after sophomore Maddie Doring hit her first of two treys in the afternoon. By the media break, Lehigh had rebuilt its six-point advantage and it took a closing 6-0 solo run from Doring to bring the Eagles back within two at 34-32 heading into halftime.
- A pair of clutch layups from Marenyi and Edwards, and a fast break jumper from Sanders, delivered AU its first lead of the game at 39-38 with 7:00 left in the third quarter.Â
- The Eagles continued their run over the next three minutes with a 7-2 run to pick up a six-point lead of their own at 46-40 with under 5:00 left in the stanza. Marenyi controlled the scoring in the final 2:30 to maintain a one-point advantage heading into the final 10 minutes, 51-50.
- Momentum remained in AU's favor throughout the early minutes of the fourth after the Eagles held Lehigh to only one field goal to take a 61-56 lead with 2:33 remaining. But a pair of three's from Walker and Benz cut that lead down to one wth 38 seconds left on the clock.Â
- The Eagles had two opportunities on the next possession to retake a three-point lead, but missed on both attempts and Lehigh was able to capitalize on the other end with the game-winner from Buhr.
- Doring had the final look of the game, driving off the inbound pass with just over two seconds on the clock, but couldn't find the clean look as her layup was just off the mark.
NEXT UP...
American will be on the road next week with games at Bucknell (Jan. 15) and Holy Cross (Jan. 18). Bucknell and Lehigh are the only remaining undefeated teams in the Patriot League after the Bison toppled the Crusaders, 51-40, on Saturday. The Eagles will return home on Wednesday, Jan. 22, to celebrate Field Trip Day with an 11:30 a.m. tip against Loyola Maryland.
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).
