MBB
68
Bucknell Buck 4-6,4-6 Patriot
81
Winner American Americ 4-5,4-5 Patriot
Bucknell Buck
4-6,4-6 Patriot
68
Final
81
American Americ
4-5,4-5 Patriot
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bucknell Buck 28 40 68
American Americ 37 44 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Sweeps Bucknell with Hot Shooting; Earns Fifth Seed in Patriot League Tournament

WASHINGTON – American University men's basketball closed out the regular season with its best offensive performance to date, shooting a season-best 55.4 percent from the field and 64 percent in the second half to pull away from Bucknell, 81-68.    

QUICK NOTABLES
  • The win, combined with a last-second win for Army over Boston University on Sunday afternoon, puts AU as the No. 5 seed for the Patriot League Tournament. The Eagles will open play in West Point, N.Y. on Saturday, March 6 against Army in the PL Quarterfinals.
  • AU dished out 20 assists on Sunday, the first time the Eagles have done so since Dec. 22, 2018 versus the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, when they dished out 22.
  • A day after struggling mightily from the field, Jamir Harris found his shooting stroke on Sunday, going 9-of-13 from the field and 5-of-8 from long-range on his way to 24 points. This marks the fifth time in nine games that Harris has surpassed 20 points.  
  • Connor Nelson reached double-figures in scoring for the first time this season, scoring 12 points and making two 3-pointers. The junior also added five rebounds and two steals.
  • On Senior Day, Stacy Beckton Jr. was honored at half-court before the game and scored 13 points. He added six rebounds and two steals.
  • Johnny O'Neil rounded out the double-figure scorers for AU, adding 12 points on 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Bucknell led for the first part of the game, stretching its advantage to 16-11 with 12:39 to go in the first half.
  • AU rattled off a 12-0 run to go up by seven with 6:54 left in the first frame.
  • The Eagles finished the half strong, maintaining a 37-28 lead at the break.
  • Out of the gate in the second half, Bucknell scored six straight points before American called a timeout to regroup and stifle any Bison momentum.
  • The break worked, as AU started finding the bottom of the net, expanding a three-point lead to 16 thanks to a 16-3 run that ended on a Johnny O'Neil 3-pointer with 13:03 to play.
  • The momentum continued throughout the second half as AU's lead ballooned to as many as 22 points with 5:43 to play.
  • AU was held scoreless over the final 3:45 seconds.
BY THE NUMBERS
  • Over a stretch of nine minutes and 57 seconds in the second half (from 15:20 to 5:23), American made eight straight 3-point attempts.
  • With the win, AU swept Bucknell in the regular-season series for the first time since 2009, when the Eagles won 69-55 at home and 52-50 on the road.
  • Sunday marked AU's fifth game in eight days.
  • American scored 24 bench points on Sunday, the most points scored by the reserves all season. The AU bench outscored Bucknell's, 24-13.
UP NEXT
  • The Eagles will travel to West Point, N.Y. to face Army in the Patriot League Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 6.  
  • AU is slotted as the No. 5 seed, while Army earned the No. 4 seed.
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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