BALTIMORE - It took more than 40 minutes, but American University men's basketball survived a scare against a scrappy Loyola University Maryland squad on Wednesday night in Reitz Arena, prevailing in overtime, 93-91. 

QUICK NOTABLES

• American picked up its first overtime win since topping George Mason, 78-75, on Nov. 9, 2018. 
• 93 points is a new season-high for the Eagles.
• For the first time since playing Yale on Jan. 3, 2004, six Eagles scored in double-figures. 
• Mark Gasperini picked up his second double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and grabbing a season-high 12 boards. 
• Sa'eed Nelson put everyone on triple-double watch with a stat line as follows: 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first five minutes proved to be a back-and-forth affair with neither team taking control. 
• American went on a 15-5 run to take a 32-21 lead with 9:30 left. 
• The Eagles upped their advantage to 13 points, its largest of the half, on a layup from Sa'eed Nelson with 7:31 remaining to go up 36-23. 
• But Loyola showed resilience to end the half, going on a 14-2 run of its own to tie the game at 40-40 with 2:21 left. 
• Jamir Harris stopped the bleeding on the next possession with a three-pointer and American went into the locker room with a 45-44 lead. 
• Both teams traded buckets to open the second half before a 9-2 run propelled American to a 58-50 lead with 14:31 to play in the game.
• AU maintained some separation through the middle portion of the quarter but Loyola hit back-to-back threes to cut the AU lead to one with 9:00 to play. 
• For the final nine minutes, neither team could breathe easy as the largest lead never was more than two possessions. 
• American went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line in the final 90 seconds of regulation, taking an 84-81 lead with 16 seconds left. 
• Loyola drained a three with seven seconds left to tie the game and American didn't have a good opportunity to score on the ensuing possession.
• In overtime, the Greyhounds continued momentum right off the bat, winning the tip en route to a breakaway dunk and the lead. 
• The Eagles settled down and made a couple nice plays, including a three-pointer by Connor Nelson and a hard-fought layup by Stacy Beckton Jr. 
• Loyola had possession with a chance to win the game as the clock wound down, but Connor Nelson grabbed a steal to give American the ball back with nine seconds left.
• Once again, American struggled to get a good look, but were fortunate to draw a foul on a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer.
• With the crowd roaring, Sa'eed Nelson was unfazed as he calmly made his first two free throws to clinch the victory. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Eagles made their first 18 free-throws with their only miss coming on the last play of the game. The 18-for-19 performance was good for 94.7 percent from the charity stripe, a new season-high. 
• American's bench outscored Loyola's, 19-12, making their record now 7-2 (5-0 in PL play) when their bench outscores their opponent's.
• Jamir Harris scored 14 points and went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He has now made 15 straight freebies dating back to the Boston game on Jan. 5, 2020. 
• With a 13-point performance, Stacy Beckton Jr. reached double-figures for the third straight game. 
• Connor Nelson continued his hot stretch with another impressive all-around performance. His stat line was as follows: 16 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals. 
• Sa'eed Nelson's near triple-double moved him up on two more all-time lists. With 21 points, Sa'eed moved to eighth place on the Patriot League all-time scoring list and passed Brian Ehlers of Lafayette, who scored 1,836 points from 1996-00. With eight assists, Sa'eed moved to fourth place on AU's all-time assists list and passed Andres Rodriguez, who had 465 helpers from 2001-04. 

UP NEXT

• The Eagles will return to Bender Arena on Saturday, Jan. 25 to take on league leader Colgate.
• Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington. 

INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKET INFO

• The next home men's basketball game in Bender Arena will be Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. vs. Colgate. Great seats are available for this and all remaining Patriot League basketball home games. 
• Secure your seats today by visiting AUeagles.com/Tickets or by calling (202) 885-TIXX (8499). 
• Group Tickets are available starting at just $5 each. 
• AU students are admitted free of charge to home basketball games with a valid AU ID.

KEEP UP WITH US

• 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).