WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (7-10, 3-4 PL) outpaced Loyola Maryland (4-14, 1-6 PL) 23-5 in the fourth quarter to pick up the 63-44 victory at home on Wednesday during the team's annual Field Trip Day.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Four Eagles landed in double-figures, starting with the second double-double effort of the season from junior Indeya Sanders, who closed wth 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sanders, one of the top blockers in the Patriot League for most of the season, was back at it against the Greyhounds with two after coming up empty in the last four outings. 
• Senior Kaitlyn Marenyi and sophomore Maddie Doring followed with 11 points each, good for a season-best for Doring who shot 2-for-3 from long range and 3-for-3 from the line. Marenyi put up her second game of the season without a single turnover.
• Freshman Lauren Stack also landed in double-figures for the first time in her career with 10 points, hitting 3 of 9 from the floor and 4 of 5 from the charity stripe.
• The Eagles closed shooting 39.6 percent (19-48) from the floor, 22.2 percent (4-18) from three, and 84 percent (21-25) from the line.
• Alexis Gray led the Greyhounds with 11 points while Stephanie Karcz, who came into the game with seven double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season, was held to only eight points and 11 rebounds. She also picked up a game-high eight steals but gave up the ball seven times - her second-highest turnover rate of the season after Loyola's loss to Maryland (8).
• Loyola ended shooting 32.1 percent from the field (18-56), only 9.1 percent from three (1-11), and 63.6 percent (7-11) from the charity stripe.
• American led the Greyhounds in points off turnovers, 24-7, second chance points, 10-5, and bench points, 27-13, while Loyola held the advantage in the paint, 24-22, and on the fast break, 6-5.
• American trailed nearly the entire first quarter after coming up empty on the first five possessions while the Greyhounds opened with a 6-0 run.
• The Eagles gave up the ball five times in the first 10 minutes, four of which came out of the final 4:00 as Loyola broke the brief 6-6 tie to hit a 9-2 run and close with a 15-9 advantage.
• AU gave up four more in the second quarter, but did better with the offensive output behind a nine-point effort from Sanders.
• The Greyhounds spread the gap to eight early in the quarter before an 8-0 run from Sanders and Doring tied the game for the second time at 17-17.
• A fast break three from Doring with 4:47 left in the half delivered AU its first lead of the game at 22-19, and the a quick pair of free throws from sophomore Jade Edwards coming out of the media timeout spread the Eagles' lead to 24-19.
• The cushion was short lived, though, as Loyola tied the game back up at 24-24 and regained a brief 28-26 lead. The two teams traded basket-for-basket down the stretch, but in the end American was able to retake a 30-28 lead heading into halftime after Sanders put away a layup with four seconds on the clock. 
• It was a back-and-forth battle in the early minutes of the third quarter, but both teams struggled to convert offensively after the media timeout and only a hit combined seven points in the final 4:00. AU was able to maintain its lead, though, heading into the final stanza at 40-39.
• It was all American in the fourth quarter as the Eagles hit a 23-5 run behind a seven-point effort from Sanders and another six from Marenyi. Of Loyola's five points, three were from the free throw line. 
• Loyola's Karcz and Gray both fouled out with under 3:00 left on the clock as the Eagles went 12-for-13 from the line down the stretch.
• Marenyi delivered AU its largest lead of the game with 2:02 left on the clock after she was fouled on a baseline drive and converted the three-point opportunity to bring the score to 63-23. 
• Loyola narrowed that lead slightly with one final free throw with 1:04 left on the clock to deliver the final 63-44 score.

NEXT UP...
The Eagles will be on the road for the next two games, starting with a visit to Colgate on Saturday, January 25, followed by a midweek road trip to Lehigh on Wednesday, Jan. 29. AU will be back home on February 1 for a 2 p.m. start against Lafayette.

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).