BALTIMORE – It took three overtimes, but with time winding down and AU men's basketball trailing by one,
Jamir Harris made his school-record-tying ninth 3-pointer of the game to help the Eagles beat Loyola University Maryland, 81-79, on Sunday night.
QUICK NOTABLES
- For the second straight day, Harris set a new career-high in points. Today, he scored 33 points on 9-of-15 shooting from three-point range. The only other AU player to ever hit nine 3-pointers was Nathan Smith on Jan. 18, 1997.
- Harris played 53 minutes on Sunday, one day removed from playing 38. 53 minutes is the most for an AU player since Donald Grant also played 53 minutes against UNC-Wilmington on Jan. 20, 1992. American also emerged victorious in that game, 98-97.
- This was the first triple-overtime game for AU since Feb. 29, 2000 against VCU. The Eagles won that game, 97-88.
- Two of the last four meetings against the Greyhounds have gone to overtime, including the last two contests at Reitz Arena. AU beat Loyola, 93-91, on Jan. 22, 2020.
- Connor Nelson led the team defensively with six steals, a new career-high. He also led the team with seven rebounds and added seven points.
WHAT COACH MIKE BRENNAN SAID
Overall thoughts on the game
- "It's a steal to be able to win a game on the road in this league, especially the second game of a back-to-back. It was the second game, and it was a triple-overtime game, and I thought the effort was great from our guys."
How special Jamir Harris is
- "He's super-tough. He doesn't get tired. His work ethic is there and he's getting better. We knew he was an elite shooter. But he's added so much more to his game and that's allowing him to get even more shots and making him a better player. He's a hard-worker, tough, a leader, a competitor… He keeps the group together. I can't say enough about the type of kid he is."
Josh Alexander's performance, especially in overtime
- "Josh is a great, great kid and a hard, hard worker. He's put in the time and effort and he keeps getting better. The way we play, everyone has to be able to contribute and be good, not just as a team player but individually, as well. He puts in all the work so when it's his time, he's able to produce."
Comfort level with these tight games
- "The league is too good. When you look at the scores, it's always going to be like that. You need reps and experience in those situations. We just want to compete enough to be in the game at the end and then you go from there. You make shots, you miss shots, or whatever it may be. You just want to give yourself a chance to win every time and that's what we've been doing so far."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After Loyola scored the first basket of the game, American responded by going on a 10-2 run to take control of the first half.
- The Greyhounds didn't get within five points the rest of the first half as American played well defensively, holding Loyola to just 23 points and zero 3-pointers.
- A couple long 3-pointers by Harris combined with solid play in the paint by Christian Lorng and Josh Alexander allowed the Eagles to stretch their lead to as many as 12 points in the first half of play.
- American stretched its lead to as many as 13 in the early part of the second half, but Loyola chipped away the rest of regulation, eventually taking its first lead since 2-0 with 3:26 remaining.
- A four-point play by Harris stopped a 5:44 scoring drought for the Eagles, putting AU on top, 52-50, with 2:16 left in regulation.
- After Loyola tied the game with 1:22 left, neither team could get the game-winning bucket in regulation.
- In the first overtime, American turned to Josh Alexander, who scored six points in a row to give AU a 62-60 lead with 23 seconds left. But Loyola made a bucket on the other end to send it to a second overtime.
- Loyola made two free-throws with 23 seconds left in the second overtime period and AU couldn't score on the other end to force a third overtime session.
- Loyola held a 77-73 lead with 2:16 left, and then a 79-78 lead with six seconds left, but that wasn't enough to keep Harris from winning the game.
- After taking the inbound pass 94 feet from the basket, Harris dribbled across half-court and launched a contested 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net. Loyola had a decent look at a half-court shot, but AU held on for the win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Alexander put up 13 points for the second straight day, including six crucial points in the first overtime period. He shot 6-of-8 from the field and added four rebounds.
- After struggling for most of the game, Johnny O'Neil found his shot in overtime, scoring seven points while playing all 15 minutes of extra time. He had 12 total points, continuing his streak of double-digit performances to open his career.
- American out-rebounded Loyola, 40-37, grabbing four offensive boards in overtime.
UP NEXT
- The Eagles are next scheduled to face Lafayette on Saturday, Jan, 30 at 2 p.m. in Bender Arena.
- American will turn around on Sunday and head to Easton, Pa., to close out the weekend series with the Leopards at 4 p.m.
- These will be the first games outside the South Division for AU this season.
VIRTUALLY "PHIL BENDER" ARENA PRESENTED BY GEICO
- American University Athletics has announced a new virtual ticket campaign in an effort to sell out Bender Arena this coming basketball season. This new season-long initiative, presented by "TEAM AU" partner GEICO, will challenge Eagles fans and alumni to sell out each seat in Bender Arena for the 2020-21 basketball schedule. The "AU Founder" ticket price of $18.93 commemorates the year AU was founded. Click here to support AU Athletics by buying virtual tickets.
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