WASHINGTON - American University men's basketball fell into too deep of a hole in the second half against Colgate on Saturday afternoon inside Bender Arena, ultimately falling, 79-69, to the defending Patriot League champion. 

QUICK NOTABLES

• Sa'eed Nelson had his third straight 21-point game and also added a team-high four steals and eight rebounds. 
• American suffered its first home Patriot League loss of the season and now sit at 9-10 (5-3 in PL). 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Colgate struck first on the scoreboard, American responded with seven straight points from Mark Gasperini to take an early 7-3 lead with 16:12 remaining in the first half.
• The hot start continued for the Eagles as they went up 20-12 with 11:06 remaining after a Ben Lubarsky jumper. It was American's largest lead in the first half. 
• A rocket pass from Sa'eed Nelson to Gasperini kept the Eagles advantage at seven with 5:45 left. 
• Colgate proceeded to go on a 9-0 run, taking a 29-27 lead with 3:05 to play. 
• American was held to two points over the final 5:45 of the half and headed into the break trailing, 32-29. 
• The Raiders carried their first-half momentum over to the second half, running their lead up to 50-33 with 14:43 to play.
• American then went on a 9-0 run, buoyed by seven points from Sa'eed Nelson and a spark off the bench from Yilret Yiljep, to get back into the game. 
• A triple from Jamir Harris with 9:54 left got the Eagles within striking distance at 54-49. 
• With the crowd energized, Colgate kept its composure and never let the Eagles get the deficit less than five points.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Mark Gasperini had 15 points and eight rebounds but battled foul trouble for most of the game.
• Jamir Harris had 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range. He also made two free throws, bumping his streak to 17 straight made freebies. 
• American struggled as a team from deep, connecting on just 5-of-23 three-point attempts (21.7 percent). 

UP NEXT

• The Eagles have a quick turnaround as they will host Lehigh on Monday night at 7 p.m. inside Bender Arena.
• The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network. 

INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKET INFO

• The next home men's basketball game in Bender Arena will be Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. vs. Lehigh. 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).