WASHINGTON - Ten players scored as the American University women's basketball team (10-5, 3-2 PL) delivered one of its most dominant offensive efforts in recent years on Wednesday, outpacing Army West Point (8-7, 3-3 PL), 80-65, in Bender Arena.

NOTEWORTHY

• American dominated in the first half with 48 points, including 33 in the second quarter alone after shooting 82.4 percent (14-17) from the floor. The Eagles entered the locker room with a 19-point advantage, 48-29.
• This was the highest scoring half for the Eagles since the 2018-19 season when they posted 49 points in the first half during the 76-57 win over Colgate.
• The 33 points in the second quarter is a new program-high. AU has scored 30 points in a single stanza only twice since the NCAA moved to the quarter format in 2015 - both were in the first quarter during wins over UMBC in 2016 (70-53) and 2018 (64-42).
• For the first time, junior Sadie Stetson stepped onto the court in the AU uniform during the fourth quarter. The Vermont-native made her long-awaited debut after battling injury throughout her career. She put in just under two minutes as the point guard, relieving senior Emily Fisher and sophomore Kayla Henning.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Senior Jade Edwards led with 15 points and three steals on the night.
• Senior Maddie Doring added 12 points to the board while senior Taylor Brown followed with 11 points.
• Senior Emily Fisher and junior Lauren Stack added nine points each while Stack led on the boards with five rebounds, and Fisher pitched in a team-high six assists.
• Junior Sabria Hunter secured the only double-double of the game, scoring 13 points and capturing 17 rebounds for the Black Knights. Kate Murray and Lindsey Scamman added a dozen each while Alisa Fallon, who entered the game averaging 13.8 ppg, was held to only 10.
• The Eagles closed with a season-high 54.9 percent (28-51) from the floor while the Black Knights were held to only 34.4 percent (21-61). 
• AU struggled against the size of Army, pulling down only 22 rebounds to the Black Knights' 45. Army also dominated in second-chance points, 19-2, but American held the edge in points in the paint, 40-20, and fast break points, 10-3.
• The Eagles also picked up 29 points off Army's 27 turnovers - the most for any AU opponent so far this season. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams had a slow start offensively, combining for less than 15 points with the Eagles building a five-point cushion at 9-4 midway through the first quarter.
• The tempo picked up coming out of the first media timeout after a quick layup from Stakc widened the gap to seven before a pull up jumper from Fallon sent Army on a 6-0 run to make it a one-point game at 11-10 with just under a minute.
• Freshman Bailey Garbee had the response, though, with her only field goal of the game on the next possession and Brown added a pair of free throws to end the quarter back ahead by five at 15-10.
• Army did not have a response for the Eagles' tempo in the second quarter, as American put up its most dominant 10-minutes since moving to the quarter format in 2015-16. Once again, it was Stack who got the scoring going for AU with a jumper in the first possession.
• A three from sophomore Riley DeRubbo a couple of minutes later pulled the Eagles to their largest lead yet of the game at 22-12. Army snuck back within six after a three of their own but a pair of baskets from Stack and Brown rebuilt the 10-point advantage and forced an Army timeout with 5:31 left in the half.
• The Eagles continued to hit quick runs out of the huddle, first with an unanswered seven points to take a 17-point lead, then an 11-5 closing run in the final two minutes to take a 19-point lead into the locker room, 48-29.
• Doring led the charge during that second quarter run, posting seven of her 12 points after going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. Stack also went 3-for-3 from the floor for six points. The Eagles shot a staggering 82.4 percent (14-17) from the floor with seven players contributing over the 10 minutes.
• Of American's 48 points in the first half, 26 came from inside the paint and 19 were scored off Army's 17 turnovers. The bench also contributed 15 points with sophomore Kayla Henning scoring six and DeRubbo adding five.
• Army found its footing in the third quarter, outscoring AU 19-15 behind six points from Hunter and five from Scamman. 
• Eight unanswered points from the Black Knights brought them back within 11 on three occasions midway through the quarter. They wouldn't get any closer, though, as Fisher and Edwards had a response each time, including a three from the point guard to kick off an 8-2 run to retake a 17-point lead with just over 90 seconds left. 
• It was a back-and-forth battle in the fourth quarter as Army crept back within 11 once again with just over 5:00 remaining in the game. That would be as close as the game would get, though, as late free throws pulled American back ahead by 15 at the final buzzer.

NEXT UP...
The Eagles return home on Saturday to host Loyola Maryland at 2 p.m. before traveling up to Holy Cross on Wednesday, January 26.

 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).