Game 27 · American (11-15, 7-9 PL) vs. Holy Cross (16-11, 9-7 PL)
Saturday, Feb. 27 · 2 p.m. · Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
All-Time Record: Holy Cross leads, 23-19
WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (11-15, 7-9 PL) returns home this weekend for its first of two home games to close the 2019-20 regular season, hosting Holy Cross (16-11, 9-7 PL) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Bender Arena.
SENIOR DAY
- Saturday's matinee will also serve as the team's Senior Day celebration, as the Eagles honor the careers of Kaitlyn Marenyi and Morgan Bartner.
- Between them, Marenyi and Bartner have combined for a 97-68 overall record (.588), 65-30 in the Patriot League (.684), and have started 77 of their combined 165 games.
- Marenyi has been the latest addition to the program's century club in two categories this season, becoming the 54th player in program history to reach 100 career games and added her name to the career top-ten list in made three's with 106. The Granger, Ind., native started as a point guard but will close her career as one of the top scorers in AU history after breaking the program record for single-season three-point percentage as a junior (.464). She currently ranks eighth in AU history for three's made, and 10th for career three-point percentage (.346).
- Bartner, who transferred to American from Marist in 2017 went from starting one game in 2018-19 to all 26 of her senior campaign. The starting forward from Florham Park, N.J., graduated with her degree in business last year and will walk in May with her master's in sports analytics and management.
THE GUEST OF HONOR
- For the third consecutive season, American University President Sylvia Burwell will join the Eagles on the bench as the team's honorary guest coach. She is 1-1 as guest coach since her first appearance on the bench in 2018 during the win over Boston University (66-50).
- President Burwell was a student-athlete in her own right, as she played basketball in high school and during her time at Oxford University. She is the 15th President of American University and the first female President.
- President Burwell was the 22nd Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Obama Administration from 2014-17. Prior to that, she was also the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Treasury, and Special Assistant to the Director of the National Economic Council.
SERIES HISTORY
- Holy Cross is the only Patriot League team to hold a winning record against American, 23-19. The Crusaders picked up a 72-59 win in Worcester, Mass., on January 18, breaking the Eagles' four-game win streak.
- The Crusaders last toppled AU in Bender Arena on Jan. 22, 2017, (61-60) in the midst of a five-game win streak.
THE STARTING FIVE
- Jade Edwards was back atop the scoresheet for the Eagles with her ninth 20+ point performance of the season, scoring 22 to lead AU in the regular season road finale loss to Lafayette, 55-48. Edwards has broken 20 points in four of the last six games, including a pair of double-doubles.
- The pairing of Marenyi and Edwards sits as one of the strongest 1-2 scoring punches in the Patriot League. Edwards is fourth in the overall rankings (14.9 ppg) and fifth in the PL slate (13.9 ppg) while Marenyi ranks seventh overall (13.2 ppg) and fourth against PL teams (14.1 ppg).
- American leads the Patriot League and is 21st in Division I for fewest personal fouls per game, averaging only 14.2 and allowing opponents only 11.5 free throw attempts per game (8.0 ppg).
- In the Megan Gebbia era, the Eagles are 75-26 (.743) in Bender Arena, including 57-15 (.792) against Patriot League opponents. Among the highlights in her six seasons was the program's first undefeated season at home since the 1970s in 2017-18.
- With two games remaining in the regular season, AU is seventh in the PL with a 7-9 record. Holy Cross is currently fifth at 9-7 while Lehigh is one ahead of AU in fifth with an 8-8 record. Bucknell clinched the regular season title during Wednesday's win over Colgate, 76-65, with Colgate and BU both in second (11-5).
LAST TIME OUT
- The lead switched hands seven times throughout the game, but AU couldn't close in the fourth and fell to Lafayette, 55-48, in Easton, Pa.
- Sophomore Jade Edwards took control of the Eagles offense, putting up her ninth 20+ point game of the season with 22 off 8 of 18 from the field, 3 of 6 from three, and 3 of 5 from the line.
- Senior Morgan Bartner was the next scorer for the Eagles with nine while junior Indeya Sanders led on the boards with seven rebounds.
- The Eagles struggled from the floor, shooting only 29.6 percent (16-54) while Lafayette hit 36.5 percent (19-52). Both teams closed shooting 25 percent from the perimeter.
- American led for much of the first quarter with Lafayette tyng the game three times before taking a 13-11 lead after a 7-0 run erased AU's five-point lead. By the end of the first stanza, the Leopards led, 15-13, after a pair of late free throws from sophomore Taylor Brown cut into Lafayette's lead.
- Lafayette picked up a seven-point lead before Edwards got the scoring going for American in the second. A 6-0 run from Edwards and Bartner brought AU back ahead, but once again a late run sent the Leopards into the locker room ahead by two, 26-24.
- The lead changed hands four times in the first three minutes of the third before a 7-0 Lafayette run widened the gap to 35-29. Edwards brought the Eagles back within one, and Brown tied the game after an and-1 during a fouled layup, but Lafayette regained a one-point advantage at the break.
- American tied the game one final time at 42-42 with 8:48 remaining, but couldn't keep pace with Lafayette as the Leopards hit a 13-2 run over the next eight minutes to take tthe largest lead of the game at 55-44. Edwards and senior Kaitlyn Marenyi hit the final two baskets of the game to narrow the margin back down to single-digits and close at 55-48.
#AUWBB vs. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
- American holds a 247-129 overall record (.657) against Patriot League teams, and is 198-98 (.669) since joining the league in 2001-02.
- The Eagles have been one of the powerhouses in the Patriot League over the last two seasons, accumulating a record of 42-13 during the regular season.
- Before this year, only Bucknell (3) and Navy have beat out American during the regular season since 2016-17.
- Holy Cross is the only team in the conference that holds an advantage over AU with a series record of 23-19.
KEYS TO VICTORY
|
WINS |
LOSSES |
| Edwards |
15.5 |
14.4 |
| Marenyi |
14.3 |
12.5 |
| Sanders |
9.4 |
5.8 |
- The Eagles average a +1.9 turnover margin in victories vs. -1.1 in losses.
- American is also 8-2 in games where the team leads at halftime with only Towson and Colgate (1/25) pulling off the second half comeback after trailing by four and one at the half, respectively.
- The Eagles are 2-13 in games where they shot worse than their opponent, and 2-8 in games where their opponent shot +35.0 percent from three.
- Towson is also the only team to come out on top despite shooting worse than AU (.407 vs. .375).
- Lehigh and Boston U. are the only two teams to fall to American despite holding a higher FG%.
|
AU FG% |
OPP FG% |
| Lehigh |
.389 (21-54) |
.429 (24-56) |
| Boston U. |
.340 (17-50) |
.489 (22-45) |
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
- Holy Cross two consecutive against Bucknell, 63-45, and Colgate, 80-69, before getting back in the win column on Wednesday with a 64-61 in at home against Army.
- Lauren Manis led the Crusaders with her 18th double-double of the season, scoring 17 points alongside her 15 boards. With those 15 rebounds, Manis became the Patriot League's all-time leader in career rebounds with 1,152 in her four years with the Crusaders.
- Manis is fourth in Division I with her 18 double-doubles this season, fifth for total rebounds (308), fifth for defensive rebounds per game (8.7), and ninth for total rebounds per game (11.4). She is one of two PL players to average a double-double alongside Lafayette's Natalie Kucowski with a league-leading 18.2 ppg and 11.4 rpg (2nd in the PL).
- Avery LaBarbera is second in scoring for Holy Cross with 13.7 ppg, followed by Megan Swords with 11.3 ppg.
- Swords is second on the team with 7.9 rpg while Madalyn Smith leads with 4.6 apg.
- Holy Cross is second in the league with 65.0 ppg, but seventh in scoring defense (62.9). The Crusaders rank second in the PL with 35.7 percent shooting from three, and lead on the boards with 40.3 rpg.
NEXT UP...
American will close its 2019-20 regular season back in Bender Arena on Wednesday, March 4, with a 7 p.m. tip against Navy.
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).
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.
