Stacy Beckton Jr.
62
Navy Navy 13-13,7-8 Patriot
71
Winner American Americ 14-12,10-5 Patriot
Navy Navy
13-13,7-8 Patriot
62
Final
71
American Americ
14-12,10-5 Patriot
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Navy Navy 25 37 62
American Americ 23 48 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Rallies to Top Navy

WASHINGTON -- American University men's basketball used strong second-half showings from Sa'eed Nelson and Jamir Harris to overcome Navy on Wednesday night inside Bender Arena. 

QUICK NOTABLES

  • 26 points from Sa'eed Nelson, including 16 in the second half, pushed him into the No. 2 spot on AU's all-time scoring list past Brian Gilgeous (1989-1993). 
  • Sa'eed's stat line was stuffed and reads as follows: 26 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. 
  • Mark Gasperini put together a complete effort on Wednesday, recording a career-high four blocks to go along with a team-high nine rebounds. He added nine points, as well.
  • After being held scoreless in the first 20 minutes of action, Jamir Harris exploded in the second half, scoring all 14 of his points in the frame. He went 4-of-7 from three-point range and added three assists. 
  • With the win and a Boston University loss to Lafayette on Wednesday night, AU (10-5 PL) moved back into a tie for second place in the conference. 
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • American controlled the early part of the first half, using a 9-2 run to take its largest lead of the frame at 13-8 with 12:49 left.
  • Navy responded with a 13-4 run of its own to take its largest lead of the half at 23-19 with 4:20 remaining. 
  • Neither team seemed to find an offensive rhythm in the first half, as Navy went into the locker room with a slim 25-23 advantage. 
  • Things started to click for both teams after the intermission, with Navy grabbing its largest lead of the game after a three-point play at 35-30 with 15:54 left.
  • AU responded with a slam dunk by Stacy Beckton Jr. and a triple from Jamir Harris to tie it back up at 35.
  • Over a nearly five-minute stretch in the middle of the second half, American finally seemed to take control of the game thanks to an 11-2 run that pushed AU's lead to 49-43 with 8:02 to play. 
  • With the Eagles holding a slim three-point lead, Sa'eed Nelson secured a huge defensive rebound with 3:45 left before scoring a bucket and drawing a foul on the other end to give AU some more breathing room at 58-53. 
  • From that point on, clutch free-throw shooting and some big buckets in the paint by Harris and Nelson iced the victory for the Eagles.

BY THE NUMBERS
  • The win gives AU its first regular-season sweep of Navy since the 2015-2016 season. 
  • Bender Arena continues to be a friendly home venue for American, as the Eagles moved to 9-3, including 7-1 in PL play, with the win on Wednesday night. 
  • The Eagles are now 6-0 on Wednesdays this season after topping Navy tonight. 
  • After missing all three of their first-half free throws, AU dialed in when it counted, going 15-of-18 from the charity stripe in the second half. 
MILESTONE WATCH
  • Sa'eed now stands at 2,034 career points, just 23 points away from becoming American's all-time leading scorer and breaking Russell "Boo" Bowers 39-year-old school record. 
  • Looking at the Patriot League scoring list, Sa'eed moved into sixth place on Wednesday night after passing Mark Lueking of Army, who had 2,032 points from 1992-96. 
  • He has a chance to move up several more spots over the next few games, as only 42 points separate Sa'eed from moving into third place on the PL scoring list. 
  • Sa'eed now stands at 506 assists and needs just one helper to pass Mike Sampson (1984-1988) and move into third place on AU's career assists list. 
UP NEXT
  • The Eagles head to Massachusetts to take on Boston University on Sunday, Feb. 23.
  • The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network at 12 p.m.

INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKET INFO

  • The final regular-season home men's basketball game in Bender Arena will be Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. vs. Lafayette. 
  • 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).
Print Friendly Version