WASHINGTON – American University men's basketball will be searching for its first Patriot League win of the season when it takes on Holy Cross on Thursday night in Worcester, Mass.  
 
QUICK INFO 

• Date/Time: Thursday, Jan. 13, 7:00 PM
• Site: Worcester, Mass. (Hart Center)
• Series History: AU leads, 23-22
• TV: ESPN+
• Talent: Kevin Gehl (pxp)

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Due to the Patriot League's emphasis on regional divisions a season ago, these two programs haven't met since February 2020.
• The Eagles are winners of four straight games in this series, including an emphatic 90-47 win over the Crusaders in the final game of the regular season on Feb. 29, 2020.
• The 43-point margin of victory was the first 40-point win for American since Dec. 9, 1995, when the Eagles topped Marymount, 123-62. AU's defense recorded 15 steals and held Holy Cross to 28 percent from the field.

NO SPECTATORS AT HOLY CROSS

• In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the Omicron variant, and in the interest of health and safety of the campus community, Holy Cross Athletics will temporarily suspend spectator attendance at all athletic events until further notice, beginning on Friday, January 7 with the men's basketball game vs. Lafayette.
• For full policy, click here.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• Last time out, American battled Boston U. with 10 players available and Scott Greenman serving as acting head coach with Mike Brennan out due to health and safety protocols. BU pulled away late to win at Bender Arena, 79-53.
• Since stepping into the starting lineup in late November, Matt Rogers has been up to the task. He leads the conference and ranks second in program history by shooting 63.7 percent from the field this season. The 6-9 sophomore averages 9.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 2.2 apg.
• Stacy Beckton Jr. is on milestone watch during his fifth season as an Eagle. After taking the court against George Mason, he has now played in 100 career games. He is 61 points away from becoming the 33rd player to reach 1,000 career points. He currently has 90 career blocks, which ranks ninth in program history. He is two swats away from moving into eighth place on AU's all-time career blocks list and 11 away from being the sixth Eagle with 100 career blocks.
• In his first two career starts, Elijah Stephens has proven himself a valuable piece to the Eagles' game plan. He's averaging 12 ppg and 2 spg while shooting 57.8 percent from the field in American's last two games. He was named PL Rookie of the Week after scoring 18 points against Lehigh on New Year's Day.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS

• Holy Cross enters the game with an overall record of 3-13 and an 1-3 mark in the Patriot League. The Crusaders stand 3-3 at the Hart Center this year, including a 79-74 victory over Lafayette in their last home game.
• Holy Cross currently leads the Patriot League in blocked shots (3.8 blocks per game), while standing fourth in three-point field goal percentage (34.3 percent) and steals (6.8 steals per game).
• Senior forward Gerrale Gates, a member of the preseason All-Patriot League Team, has led the Crusaders by averaging 13.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while hitting 75.5 percent of his foul shots. Freshman guard Kyrell Luc has also been playing well, with averages of 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per contest. In addition, sophomore guard Judson Martindale has averaged 10.5 points and 4.3 boards per game.

KEEP UP WITH US

• For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (/AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).