WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (5-6, 1-0 PL) trailed heading into the fourth quarter but battled back for the third time this season to earn the 63-61 victory over Colgate (8-4, 0-1 PL) to open the Patriot League schedule.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sophomore Jade Edwards and senior Kaitlyn Marenyi paced the Eagles with 20 points and 16 points, respectively. This is the fifth 20+ point performance for Edwards this season and a career-high 5-for-9 from three for Marenyi.
• Junior Indeya Sanders was back all over the stat sheet for AU, tying her career-high with eight assists and four steals to go along with her eight rebounds and one block.
• The Eagles closed shooting 46.9 percent from the field (23-49) and a season-high 43.8 percent from three (7-16).
• As has been the case for most of the season, Rachel Thompson led the way for Colgate with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
• The Raiders were held to 45.5 percent shooting from the floor (25-55), 15.4 percent from three (2-13), but went 81.8 percent from the charity stripe (9-11).
• Colgate outpaced AU in the paint, 34-26, and in points off turnovers, 22-18, but the Eagles held the advantage in second chance opportunities, 8-2, and on the fast break, 5-4.
• Although neither team put up big numbers to open the game, the Eagles were able to separate themselves in the early minutes with a 7-0 lead by the 6:56 mark. 
• A scoreless 3:30 held the Eagles at bay as Colgate edged to within three, and the two teams traded baskets down the stretch before a pair of last-second free throws brought the Raiders to within one at 15-14 heading into the break.
• Colgate continued its run to open the second quarter as a series of early baskets from Thompson gave her squad a four-point edge.  
• A jumper from Edwards and the second three of the night from Marenyi rebuilt the Eagles' lead, but Colgate battled back over the next few minutes and took a one-point lead twice before a pair of free throws from sophomore Laura Graytok sent AU on an 8-2 run to bring the gap back up to five at 31-26.
• Back-to-back treys from sophomore Taylor Brown and Marenyi, and another jumper inside from Brown, gave the Eagles their largest lead of the game at 39-28 with 27 seconds remaining in the half.
• The Eagles' defense held Colgate to only one field goal in the final four minutes of the stanza as American went into the locker room with the largest lead of the game at 43-30.
• Of those 43 points, 15 were courtesy of Marenyi who shot an impressive 5-for-7 from three-point range to go along with her five assists. It was Edwards, though, who stepped in during the second half after the Raiders' defense shut down the hot hand of Marenyi. The sophomore hit 14 of her 20 points in the final 20 minutes of the game, including four of the six in the third quarter as the Eagles struggled to find their rhythm and closed trailing Colgate 51-49 after a 21-6 stanza.
• Early baskets from sophomore Emily Fisher and Edwards got AU rolling in the fourth, as the team quickly overtook Colgate's lead.
• A three from Edwards coming out of the media timeout put the Eagles up 55-53 with 5:38 on the clock, and although the Raiders tied the score twice over the last 5:00, they were never able to regain the upper hand.

UP NEXT...
American will continue Patriot League play this weekend with a Sunday matinee at Boston University before returning home to host Army West Point on January 8, and Lehigh on Jan. 11 for AU's annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD).

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.