WASHINGTON – American University men's basketball will be searching for its first Patriot League win over the season on Sunday afternoon against Bucknell at Bender Arena.  
 
QUICK INFO 

• Date/Time: Sunday, January 16, 2:00 p.m. 
• Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena) 
• Ticket Info: AUEagles.com/Tickets
• Series History: Bucknell leads, 44-26 
• TV: ESPN+
• Talent: Dan Laing (pxp) and Jimmy Patsos (color)

UPDATED COVID PROTOCOLS FOR BENDER ARENA

• In response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in our region, American University Athletics is announcing increased safety measures for events at Bender Arena.
• Concessions: Due to health and safety protocols related to COVID-19, concessions will temporarily not be available to patrons for home events at Bender.
• Eagles Club Hospitality Suite: Due to health and safety protocols related to COVID-19, there will be a temporary pause on all Eagles Club Hospitality operations for men's and women's basketball games.
• These measures are in addition to the ones already in place, which include all patrons wearing masks at all times while inside Bender Arena, and proof of vaccination required prior to entering the gym.

BENDER ARENA PARKING ADVISORY

• All those attending events at Bender Arena through January 14, with the exception of commencement on Dec. 18-19, should be prepared to use alternate parking on campus in the Katzen Arts Center on Massachusetts Avenue or the School of International Service (SIS) on Nebraska Avenue.
• The 5th through 7th (roof) levels of the Bender Arena Garage are currently blocked for all vehicular traffic due to repairs. These floors will not be accessible for pedestrian or vehicular traffic during the project.
• Parking in all general areas on campus is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
• Find a detailed campus map here.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• American has won two straight in this series and four of the last six matchups.
• With a win on Sunday, the Eagles would hold a three-game winning streak over the Bison for the first time since 2009 (Feb. 13, 2008 to Feb. 11, 2009).
• With the win to end the 2021 regular season, AU swept Bucknell in the season series for the first time since 2009, when the Eagles won 69-55 at home and 52-50 on the road.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• American found out while warming up at Holy Cross on Thursday that the game had been postponed. Last week, AU 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 points per game and two steals per game 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 BUCKNELL

• Bucknell (3-14) has started 0-5 in Patriot League play for the first time since joining the league in 1990. The Bison have drawn a tough slate to open conference action, with all five opponents sitting in the top five in the PL standings.
• The Bison are led by standout guard, Andrew Funk. Funk ranks second in the Patriot League with 17.9 points per game.
• The senior is now 30 points away from 1,000 for his career. When he hits that milestone, he and older brother Tommy Funk (1,544 at Army) would become just the second Patriot League brother combination to both score 1,000 career points. The other brother combo to accomplish the feat also involved a Bucknell standout, as Kevin Bettencourt (1,577 from 2002-06) and Holy Cross' Ted Bettencourt (1,035 from 1992-96) also surpassed 1,000 points.
• Xander Rice ranks fourth in the Patriot League in assists per game (3.8) and free-throw percentage (85.9 percent). He leads the Bison with 19 steals and ranks second by averaging 11.8 points per game.

TICKET INFO

• Tickets, starting at just $7 each, are available for purchase for fully vaccinated fans by clicking here.   A limited amount of premium location sideline seats also still remain.  Admission is free for AU undergraduate, graduate and WCL students with current AU ID.
• AU Athletics asks that you consider pre-purchasing digital tickets prior to arriving on campus. The ticket office is transitioning to contactless tickets so that we may offer the safest and most effective way to minimize contact upon entry.
• Digital tickets also give fans more control in the management of tickets including the ability to forward/share ticket(s) with friends and family. You may either present digital tickets on a smart phone device or download and pre-print ticket(s) at home with a valid QR code.
• Thank you for your help and cooperation in advancing contactless ticketing for the health and safety of our entire AU community.

AU HOOP TALK WITH COACH BRENNAN, PRESENTED BY 1757 GOLF CLUB

• Check out and watch the newest episode of AU Hoop Talk with Coach Brennan presented by 1757 Golf Club by clicking here.
•  In this week's episode, Coach Brennan talks about the depth of his team and how important it is during a long season.
• All prior show episodes from this season can also be seen archived here.

HOW TO WATCH ESPN+ 

• A subscription to ESPN+ is available for purchase via ESPN.com, ESPNPlus.com, or the ESPN App. Fans can access ESPN+ content only after they have subscribed. To subscribe, click here. It costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year. 

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).