Game 14  ·  American (9-4, 2-1 PL) at Bucknell (11-4, 2-2 PL)
Sunday, January 16  ·  4 p.m. ET  ·  Sojka Pavilion (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Watch Live: CBS Sports Network
Talent: Ed Cohen (pxp) and Leah Secondo (analyst)

WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (9-4, 2-1 PL) is back on the road this weekend for a Sunday matinee at Bucknell (11-4, 2-2 PL). The games will air live on the CBS Sports Network starting at 4 p.m. ET.

SPECTATOR POLICY
Please note that Bucknell's spectator policy recently changed, and proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test is now required for entry. CLICK HERE for more details on the updated policy.

THE STARTING FIVE

• Despite being held to only five points, senior Jade Edward eclipsed the 1,000-point mark on Wednesday during the Eagles' 52-39 win over Holy Cross. She is the 20th player in program history to join the 1k Club, and the 11th to pair it with 500 career rebounds.
• Senior Taylor Brown posted her 10th consecutive double-figure performance with a dozen to lead the Eagles, followed by 10 points from senior Emily Fisher. Fisher also added a team-high seven assists and a season-high seven boards. Edwards found ways to contribute despite being limited in scoring, leading the team with eight boards and adding five assists.
• Although AU is coming off two of its three lowest shooting percentages of the season, going only 27.1 percent from the floor during the loss to Boston and 38.6 percent against Holy Cross, the Eagles still lead the Patriot League with 42.9 percent shooting throughout the season.
• This is the first time in almost two years that the Eagles and Bison will meet after not playing each other during the condensed 2020-21 season. Bucknell was predicted to finish third in the Patriot League Preseason Poll with AU close behind in fourth.
• 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 five wins away from becoming in the winningest coach in program history.

SCOUTING THE BISON

• Bucknell went 9-2 in the non-conference before dropping the first two Patriot League games of the season with losses to Army, 69-62, and Navy, 57-55.
• The Bison come into the weekend matinee off back-to-back wins over Loyola Maryland, 62-42, and Lehigh, 56-46.
• In the latest win over the Mountain Hawks, Taylor O'Brien led the way with her second double-double of the season, scoring 19 points and adding 16 boards.
• Carly Krsul (15) and Cecelia Collins (16) joined her in double-figure scoring with Collins also adding a team-high four assists and two blocks.
• Bucknell held Lehigh to only 12 points in the first half while forcing 15 turnovers.
• O'Brien has the led the Bison this year with 17.9 ppg to rank second in the Patriot League. She also ranks first in the league with 47.4 percent shooting from the floor.
• Collins and Krsul are next with 11.5 ppg with Krsul also leading on the boards (6.9 rpg). She is third in the Patriot League with 1.9 blocks per game.
• Bucknell is 11th in Division I with only 11.9 turnovers per game and 30th for scoring defense after allowing only 55.5 ppg.

SERIES HISTORY vs. BUCKNELL

• Bucknell has won each of the last six meetings but American still leads the series, 25-23, thanks to a 14-1 run from 2009-2015.
• Each team leads on its respective home floor with the Bison owning a 13-12 record at Sojka Pavilion.
• The last time AU came out on top against Bucknell was a 68-58 final in Bender Arena during the 2017-18 Patriot League Chamionship season (Dec. 29, 2017).
• The Eagles haven't beaten Bucknell in Lewisburg since Dec. 31, 2014 (60-55).
• Head coach Megan Gebbia is 6-11 against the Bison since 2013-14.

THE LAST TIME WE MET...

• The Eagles battled back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter but fell three points shy of the comeback during the 60-57 loss to Bucknell on Feb. 15, 2020.
• AU had a chance to send the game into overtime, but the shot from Jade Edwards from the top of the arc came up just short.
• Maddie Doring led the returners with a dozen points while Edwards brought down a team-high nine rebounds alongside her nine points.
• Taylor O'Brien led the returners with nine points in the outing.

#AUWBB vs. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

• American holds a 202-104 (.660) record in Patriot League play, and an overall record of 259-136 (.656) against Patriot League opponents.
• Included in that are winning records against each team in the conference with the exception of Holy Cross, who has a four-game advantage over the Eagles.
• Head Coach Megan Gebbia has a 94-44 (.681) record in conference play since arriving at AU in 2013-14, and is 13-6 in the Patriot League Tournament, including the program's only two PL titles in 2015 and and 2018.

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Taylor Brown paced the Eagles to a 52-39 win over Holy Cross on Wednesday with a dozen points as AU held the Crusaders to its lowest offensive output of the season.
• Emily Fisher added 10 points alongside a team-high seven assists and season-high seven rebounds.
• Jade Edwards reached her 1,000th point despite being held to only five on the night. She found other ways to contribute, though, pitching in five assists and adding a team-high eight boards.
• Freshman Bailey Garbee had her best showing yet as an Eagle with seven points, a steal, and a rebound in her 14 minutes.
• Although the Crusaders' Avery LaBarbera was able to notch another double-double effort with 19 points and 13 rebounds, AU held Holy Cross to a season-low 28.6 percent (16-56) from the floor and 5.3 percent (1-19) from three.

SHOOT YOUR SHOT

• The Eagles are averaging only 52.3 FGA per game (340th in DI), but they know how to make them count with a 43.3 FG%, ranking first in the Patriot League and 82nd in DI.
• The Eagles have put in three games shooting 50 percent or higher so far this season - Colgate (.518), George Mason (.511), and Radford (.500).
• Only three teams have shot better than AU so far this season - UMBC (.373/.432), Towson (.429/.449), and Boston University (.271/.464).
• American's .447 field goal percentage in the non-conference was the team's highest since Gebbia took the reins in 2013.

CLOSE 'EM OUT

• AU has struggled from three-point range all season, hitting only 26.6 percent (53-199) behind Maddie Doring's 35.5 percent (11-31).
• But while AU ranks 10th in the league from the perimeter, they lead in 3-point defense, allowing opponents 4.3 made per game for 24.9 percent.
• American also ranks 16th in Division I for 3FG defense.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL...

• AU has struggled with turnovers in the early part of the season, averaging 19.3 through the nonconference.
• They've cleaned up the miscues since the start of league play, though, averaging only 12.0 in the last three outings.
• The Eagles have forced more miscues from their opponents, though, who have averaged 17.7 per game to AU's 17.6 overall.
• American is second in the Patriot League with 8.5 steals per game behind Army West Point (8.6).

PICKIN' POCKETS

• Taylor Brown and Jade Edwards continue to rank within the top three in the Patriot League for steals per game, averaging 2.1 and 2.0 per game, respectively.
• Brown picked up a career-high four against Marist (11/12) and Colgate (1/5) while Edwards tied hers with five during the win against Longwood (12/18).

UP NEXT
American will be back home for back-to-back games next week, hosting Army West Point at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, then Loyola Maryland at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

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).