SCHEDULE CHANGE: IN CONSULTATION WITH LEAGUE OFFICIALS AND LEHIGH UNIVERSITY, BOTH AU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAMES THIS WEEKEND WERE RESCHEDULED TO BE PLAYED AT LEHIGH AT 6:30 P.M. ON SATURDAY (JAN. 9), AND AT LEHIGH AT 2 P.M. ON MONDAY (JAN. 11)

Game 1  ·  American (0-0 PL) at Lehigh (2-0 PL)
Saturday, January 9  ·  6:30 p.m.  ·  Bethlehem, Pa. (Stabler Arena)
Broadcast: ESPN+  |  International Stream
Talent: Matt Markus (pxp) and Matt Kerr (color)

Game 2  ·  American (0-0 PL) at Lehigh (2-0 PL)
Monday, January 11  ·  2 p.m.  ·  Bethlehem, Pa. (Stabler Arena)
Broadcast: ESPN+  |  International Stream
Talent: Matt Markus (pxp) and Matt Kerr (color)

WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team is set to kick off it's long-awaited 2021 campaign on Saturday, January 9, with the first of a two-game road series at Lehigh. Saturday's game at Stabler Arena will tip off at 6:30 p.m., followed by a return to Bethlehem on Monday, January 11, for a 2 p.m. start.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Eagles lead the 48-game series against the Mountain Hawks, 34-14, including a 16-6 record in Bethlehem.
• The two teams split the series during the 2019-20 season, with Lehigh nabbing its first victory over the Eagles since 2016 with a 64-63 final on January 11 in Bender Arena. AU redeemed itself later in the month, though, with a 64-56 win in Bethlehem on January 29.

JOINING A NEW FAMILY

• The 2020-21 season will mark another milestone for the Patriot League, after the conference signed a multi-year agreement with ESPN to make ESPN+ the new home for all conference events.
• Fans can watch all of American's home events on ESPN+ with a subscription - either $5.99 a month or $49.99 per year. Fans can also subscribe to the service as part of the Disney Bundle for just $12.99 per month.

2021 LOOKING A LITTLE DIFFERENT...

• Due to COVID-19, Patriot League basketball is going to look a little different this year. All teams will play limited schedule with the league broken into three mini-conferences - North (Army, Boston U., Colgate, Holy Cross); Central (Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh); and South (AMERICAN, Loyola Md., Navy).
• American's four match-ups against Loyola and Navy in January and February will determine the divisional standings and subsequent seedings in this year's PL Tournament.
• AU will also have two extra games against the Greyhounds in late-February, along with a set of games against Bucknell, Lafayette, and Lehigh that will not count toward the final standings.
• Eight teams will advance into the Patriot League Tournament instead of the usual 10. The top-three seeds will be awarded to the mini-conference winners, and the second-place finishers will be seeded 4-6. The final two seeds will go to the best overall win percentage against conference opponents.

THE STARTING FIVE

• The Eagles return six players to action from the 2019-20 season, including two All-Patriot League honorees with junior Jade Edwards (Second Team) and senior Indeya Sanders (All-Defensive Team). Sanders and Edwards are the only two returners who started all of their games last season (Sanders - 30, Edwards - 29).
• Edwards was one of the five players selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team on Monday, December 28. The junior is the top returner for the Eagles after averaging 14.5 ppg and 6.9 rpg last season.
• Edwards also led the team last year with 21 blocks on the season, followed by Sanders who pulled down a career-high 19 while also pitching in a team-high 127 assists. Sanders spent much of the 2019-20 nonconference slate ranked among the top blockers in the league, averaging 1.0 per game until shortly after the start of PL play.
• Also included among the key returners for the Eagles is junior Emily Fisher, who will take over the primary point guard position after Sanders filled that role last year. Junior Taylor Brown and sophomore Lauren Stack will also be looked to to fill starting positions. Stack has yet to start for AU while Brown earned seven last year.
• The Eagles welcome four freshmen this season - guard Ivy Bales (Gatlinburg, Tenn.), guard Kayla Henning (Evanston, Ill.), forward Emily Johns (Washington Township, N.J.), and guard Keagan Schwab (Fairfax Station, Va.).

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS

• Lehigh opened the 2021 season with a sweep over Lafayette, winning in overtime on Saturday, January 2 (81-75), then again on its home court in Bethlehem on Sunday (73-65).
• Senior Mary Clougherty was selected as the season's first Patriot League Player of the Week on Wednesday, Jan. 6, after leading the Mountain Hawks with back-to-back +20-point performances against Lafayette. She opened with 23 points during the overtime victory on Saturday, followed by another 20 on Sunday to average 21.5 ppg on the weekend.
• Sophomore Frannie Hottinger also had a solid opening weekend, including a double-double with 10 rebounds and 13 points.
• Lehigh lost a lot of its production to graduation after the 2019-20 season, including three-time All-PL selection Camryn Buhr and fellow-starters Hannah Hedstrom and Cameryn Benz.
• The Mountain Hawks were predicted to finish fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
• Lehigh welcomed its largest freshman class in at least 20 years with six newcomers. Three played during the opening weekend, including freshman Mackenzie Kramer who picked up 13 points on Sunday.

PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL

• The Eagles were predicted to finish fifth in the Patriot League with 91 points during the preseason poll, released on Monday, Dec. 28.
• This is the second consecutive year that AU was slated to finish at No. 5 in the league, and the first time since 2013 that they didn't receive a first-place vote.
• AU has either met or exceeded the preseason expectations in all but five seasons since joining the Patriot League - 2004 (predicted 3rd, finished 4th), 2005 (predicted 5th, finished 7th), 2012 (predicted 2nd, finished 3rd), 2015 (predicted 5th, finished 7th), and 2019 (predicted 5th, finished 7th).
• Junior Jade Edwards became the 11th Eagle in program history to be selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Edwards entered the season as one of the two returning All-Patriot League selections after she made Second Team last year, and the All-Rookie Team in 2018-19.

#AUWBB OUT OF THE GATE

• American is 23-16 in season openers dating back to the 1981-82 season, including a 12-15 record on the road. At home, AU is 11-1 in season openers.
• The Eagles fell to Ohio on the road during last year's debut, 81-69. Before that game, AU had won the last three openers against Youngstown State (2016) and Tulsa (2017 and 2018). Both the Youngstown State and Tulsa (2017) wins were on the road.
• AU is 13-6 in Patriot League openers since joining the league in 2001, including a 7-3 away record and 6-3 at home.
• The last time the Eagles lost at home to open conference play was against Lehigh on Jan. 12, 2008 (55-37).
• That game was in the midst of a six-year run that had the two teams face off to open the PL schedule. AU and Lehigh split the series, 3-3.
• The last time the Eagles faced the Mountain Hawks in a conference opener was in Bethlehem on Jan. 8, 2010 - AU came away with a 64-51 victory.

VIRTUAL "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. 

BEYOND THE ARC WITH COACH GEBBIA, PRESENTED BY GEICO - EPISODE TWO


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).