WASHINGTON – To kick off their Patriot League season, the American University women's basketball team (1-10) will be welcoming in Lafayette (3-7) to Bender Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. For the Eagles, it will be their first home game since they faced off against Marist on December 10.

QUICK INFO

• Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 30; 7:00 PM
• Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
• Series History: American leads Lafayette, 34-8
• TV: ESPN+
• Talent: Dan Laing (pxp) and Jody Patrick (color)

INSIDE THE SERIES

• The Eagles lead the series against the Leopards 34-8, grabbing the most recent victory against Lafayette in their 54-48 win last season in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League tournament.
• With the berth in the tournament, the two programs played three times in the 2021-22 season, with American claiming all the matchups by six or more points in each.
• At home in Bender the Eagles have a 21-2 advantage and a 27-7 conference record against the Leopards.
• American will look to extend its current three-game win streak against Lafayette, not having lost against the program since dropping both matchups in the shortened 2020 season.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• The Eagles are looking to bounce back after their 50-66 loss against Delaware before the week-long holiday game-break to rest and prepare for conference play.
• Emily Johns continues to be the leader of the team offensively this season. The junior is averaging 14.7 ppg. Despite fouling out with two minutes left to play against the Blue Hens, Johns was still the leading scorer for AU with 13 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds and one assist.
• Senior forward Lauren Stack, who found herself in a similar foul trouble situation, was the Eagles second-highest points-getter last time out, tallying 12 on the afternoon. Stack was the leader for the Eagles on the glass as well, pulling down 10 rebounds and becoming the first on the squad to grab a double-double this season.
• The Eagles have played two ranked opponents this season in No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 25 Villanova. This is the first time American has played a ranked opponent in regular season play since No. 8 Stanford in the 2018-19 season.
• An Eagle to watch off the bench is freshman Laura Nogues. Against Delaware, Nogues checked into the game in the third period, playing three minutes to finish the period and then nine more minutes in the fourth. Nogues played twelve minutes total with five points, four assists, and one rebound on her line on the stat sheet.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT LAFAYETTE

• The Leopards are hoping to build their momentum as the conference season begins. Riding the wave of a 53-52 win against St. Francis Brooklyn on December 21, Lafayette is looking for back-to-back wins for the first time this season. The Leopards are sitting on a 3-7 record coming into Bender.
• Lafayette's leading scorer so far has been junior guard Makayla Andrews. Averaging 12.5 ppg and coming in second on the team averaging 6.7 rpg, Andrews has been crucial to the three Leopards wins this season, including scoring the winning layup against St. Francis Brooklyn.
• Sophomore Kylie Favours scored a career-high 18 points against the Terriers while also shooting 4-8 (.500) from three-point range. She also shot 7-14 (.500) from the floor overall.
• Sauda Ntaconayigize tops the Leopards from three-point range with a .364 percentage in non-conference play.
• Junior forward Kayla Drummond is the leader for Lafayette on the glass, averaging 6.8 rpg, including 10 their last time out.

TICKETS – "HOLIDAY 3-PACK" MINI-PLANS – ON SALE NOW

• This holiday season treat yourself or give the gift of AU Hoops by purchasing AU Basketball Holiday 3-Pack Ticket Mini-Plans! For just $48 the men's team, and just $18 for the women's team, you'll get a sideline ticket to any 3 remaining home men's or women's games of your choice.  Shopping for AU alumni and Eagle fans on your holiday list has never been easier. 
• Purchase now through Dec. 30 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).