BIMINI, THE BAHAMAS – The American women's basketball team celebrated a tropical Thanksgiving holiday with some basketball as the Eagles (0-4) took on the No. 7 Irish of Notre Dame (5-0) in their first of two games in the Goombay Splash Tournament. Facing off against the top-10 program, the Eagles fell 90-65 to the Irish. Junior forward Emily Johns led the Eagles, finishing the evening with a 15-point performance.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Johns shot 5-13 from the field including one from beyond the arc. She also went 4-4 from the free throw line and grabbed three rebounds.  
• Junior guard Ivy Bales shot 4-6 from the field and 1-2 from the line. She led the team with five rebounds and finished the night with 10 points.
• The Irish were led in scoring by Olivia Miles with 19 points. She was followed by sophomore Sonia Citron, the 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year, who turned out a 17-point performance.
• This was the first time junior transfer Anna LeMaster suited up in an American jersey. The guard sat out the first four games of the season due to an injury. She finished the night with five points, one assist, and one steal.
• Fellow junior transfer, forward Marisa Lee, made herself known to American fans as well, going 4-6 from the field and grabbing a rebound as well.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the first quarter, the Irish took control, shooting 48% from the floor and 6-7 from the line. Notre Dame took an early lead over the Eagles, 26-11, at the end of the first 10 minutes.
• In the second frame American improved from shooting 27% to 41% and held Notre Dame to just 13 field goal attempts. The Irish improved their quality to still shoot 26 points to the Eagles 18.
• After the break, American held Notre Dame to their lowest field goal percentage of the game so far, 43%, for the third period.
• In the third, the Irish only outscored the Eagles by two points; they still led 72-47 with ten minutes to play.
• American then went on to hold Notre Dame to just 36% from the field in the fourth, and the two teams drew level with points scored: 18. The Irish were able to top the Eagles with a final score of 90-65 thanks to the 23-point lead they gained from the first half.
• The Irish gained their advantage on points from turnovers, 15-8 and fast breaks where they outscored the Eagles 23-3. American had the advantage off the bench, scoring 26 total from non-starters.

UP NEXT
The Eagles squad will be squaring off with Arizona State University in their final game of the Goombay Splash tournament on Bimini in the Bahamas. That game will take place on Friday, November 25 at 4:15 p.m.
 
The Eagles with be back at home in Bender on Wednesday, November 30 at 7 p.m. Season tickets, mini-plans and individual game tickets in premium seating locations are still at AUeagles.com/Tickets.
 
KEEP UP WITH US
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).