Game 1  ·  American (0-0, 0-0 PL) at George Washington (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
Tuesday, November 9  ·  5:30 p.m.  ·  Smith Center (Washington, D.C.) 
Broadcast Talent: Byron Kerr (pxp) and David Earl (color)

WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team will open its 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday with a visit to crosstown rival George Washington for a 5:30 p.m. tip at the Charles E. Smith Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and NBC Sports Washington+.

THE STARTING FIVE

• American returns all but one starter from the 2020-21 spring season after the graduation of guard Indeya Sanders. Senior guard Jade Edward and senior forward Taylor Brown started all 11 games of the shortened season while senior guard Emily Fisher started in eight games and junior forward Karla Vres in seven.
• The Eagles also welcome back senior guards Maddie Doring and Laura Graytok, both of whom opted out of the 2020-21 season. Doring averaged 4.6 ppg and 1.1 rpg as a sophomore while Graytok accounted for 2.2 ppg and 1.0 rpg.
• This is the ninth season for head coach Megan Gebbia and her staff, all of whom arrived together in 2013 with the exception of director of operations Nicole Krusen, who joined in 2016. Gebbia has already had a historic career at the helm and will look to add to that this year as she sits 14 wins away from becoming in the winningest coach in program history.
• Senior Jade Edwards is also poised to make history this season. AU's first Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year since 2010 (Michelle Kirk), she is eyeing the 1,000-point and 500-rebound milestones with 828 points and 437 rebounds in her career. She is also poised to become the third player in AU history to rank in the top-10 for points, rebounds, and blocks.
• After AU's limited conference-only schedule last season due to COVID-19, the team is excited to return to nonconference play this year. Among the highlights of the team's 11 out-of-conference opponents are all three alma-maters of AU's coaching staff - Towson (Megan Gebbia), Marist (Nikki Flores and Emily Stallings), and UMBC (Tiffany Coll).

2021 IN REVIEW

• American finished with a 6-1 record in the Patriot League South Division during the condensed 2021 season, and 7-4 overall against conference-only opponents.
• For the 13th time in program history, and sixth time in the Gebbia era, AU advanced to the PL semifinal game where they fell to Boston University, 72-51.
• Then-junior Jade Edwards highlighted the postseason awards for the Eagles with All-Patriot League First Team and All-Defensive Team selections. Edwards has now appeared in the postseason awards release all three seasons of her career after earning an All-Rookie nod in 2018 and Second Team All-League in 2019.
• American finished third in the league for the regular season behind Bucknell and Boston University.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS

• GW is in its first season under head coach Caroline McCombs, who arrived in D.C. in April after seven successful years as head coach at Stony Brook.
• The Colonials are coming off a 9-14 season in 2020-21, including 5-9 in the A-10, and closed the year with a 58-54 OT loss to Richmond in the Second Round of the A-10 Tournament.
• Of GW's 16-player roster, 10 are new to the program with transfers Sierra Bell, Kyara Frames, Taylor Webster, Sheslanie Laureano, Nya Lok, and Tyasia Moore, and freshmen Michelle Ojo, Maxine Engel, Leila Patel, and Sophie Haydon.
• The Colonials lost their top four scorers from last season. Junior Mayowa Taiwo leads the returners after averaging 6.1 ppg. Taiwo was also second on the squad last year for rebounds (4.9 rpg).

SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the 29th meeting between the two crosstown rivals. The series dates back to February 26, 1970, when GW claimed the opener, 84-21, on their home court.
• Although American won in the last meeting, 66-53 in Bender Arena on Dec. 22, 2019, the Colonials still hold a 16-12 advantage overall.
• The two teams lead the series on their respective home courts - AU is 8-5 in Bender while GW is 11-4 in the Smith Center.

THE PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL

• American was predicted to finish fourth in the Patriot League this season by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
• This is the highest preseason ranking for the team since 2018 when AU came in second before finishing as runner-up in the tournament to advance into the 2019 WNIT.
• Since they joined the Patriot League in 2001, the Eagles have ranked in the top-three in the Preseason Poll 10 times, and the five five 19 times, including in the last seven consecutive seasons.
• Including the 2020-21 season, AU has finished above its preseason ranking 11 times, including six during the Gebbia era.

PRESEASON HONORS

• Senior Jade Edwards became the second player in program history, and the first for head coach Megan Gebbia, to be selected as the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year.
• The last Eagle to earn this distinction was Michelle Kirk in 2010.
• The Chicago, Ill., native is the league's top returning scorer after averaging 17.4 ppg last season - a feat which put her in fifth in program history for single-season scoring average.
• Edwards was also one of the most efficient shooters in the league with 52.0 percent from the field and 83.1 percent from the line, and ranked third in steals (2.4/ game) after leading the conference for the early part of the season.
• Edwards was also selected to her second consecutive Preseason All-Patriot League Team.

#AUWBB vs. SEASON OPENERS

• American is 23-17 in season openers dating back to the 1981-82 season, including a 12-16 record on the road. At home, AU is 11-1 in their season debuts.
• The Eagles have lost their last two debuts against Ohio on Nov. 10, 2019 (81-69) and Lehigh on Jan. 9, 2021 (79-70). Both were away from Bender Arena.
• The last opening win for AU was at home on Nov. 9, 2018, against Tulsa (68-52).
• This is only the second time that AU opened its season against local rival GW. The first was in the 2014-15 at Bender Arena when American fell, 63-52.

CHASING HISTORY

• It has long been in the cards that senior Jade Edwards would add her name to the program record books. She already ranks 10th for single-game scoring after putting up 31 against Lehigh last season, and is fifth after averaging 17.4 ppg last season.
• Now with 828 career points, 437 career rebounds, and 45 career blocks, the race is on for her to become the third player in program history to break into the top-10 in all three categories.
• She needs 395 points and 140 rebounds to tie for 10th all-time on both lists. During the 29 games of her sophomore season, she scored 421 points and had 200 boards.
• She is only nine blocks away from tying with Stacy Meeker ('97) and Sahar Nusseibeh ('09) for 10th all-time.
• The last player to add her name to all three categories was 2019 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Cecily Carl.
• This is made even more exciting when considering Edwards has committed to returning for a 5th year.

CALLIN' THE SHOTS

• Senior Emily Fisher will be the Eagles primary point guard this season after sharing responsibilities with Kaitlyn Marenyi ('19) and Indeya Sanders ('20) during the last three seasons.
• One of the most dynamic players on the court, she averages 5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 2.0 apg.

EFFICIENCY IN THE FIELD

• American also returns two of its most efficient shooters from last season with junior Karla Vres and sophomore Emily Johns.
• Vres led the team with 60.3 percent (35-58) shooting from the field and added her name to the AU record books in the process at No. 2 all-time for single-season field goal percentage.
• The junior forward was the top three-point shooter in the Patriot League last year, hitting 61.9 percent (13-21).
• She is also the No. 2 returner in the conference for blocks behind Boston University's Maren Durant (1.7) after averaging 1.4 last season.
• Johns was also just under the minimum requirement in her 11 games last season. She was second on the team at 57.1 percent (24-42) shooting from the field - a performance that would have put her at sixth all-time if she reached 50 attempts.

NEXT UP...
American will be back on the road this weekend with one of its most noteworthy games of the nonconference season as the Eagles head to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for a 7 p.m. tip at Marist. Head coach Megan Gebbia spent 10 years with the Red Foxes and head coach Brian Giorgis, including seven as the associate head coach. During her tenure, she helped lead the team to nine NCAA Tournaments including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2006-07 when current AU assistant coach Nikki Flores was a junior. In fact, that is where Gebbia met both Flores and assistant coach Emily Stallings, both of whom graduated from Marist in 2008 and 2012, respectively, after successful careers on the court.

American will be back on the court on Saturday with a 3 p.m. start against Vermont.

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).