Game 28  ·  American (19-8, 12-5 PL) vs. Lafayette (11-16, 7-10 PL)
Wednesday, March 2  ·  7 p.m. ET  ·  Bender Arena (Washington, D.C.)

WASHINGTON - The American University women's basketball team (19-8, 12-5 PL) will open March with its final game of the regular season on Wednesday, as the Eagles host Lafayette (11-16, 7-10 PL) at 7 p.m. in Bender Arena.

A LOOK AT THE POSTSEASON

• Lafayette has already clinched the No. 7 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will open postseason play on Saturday in the first round against No. 10 Loyola Maryland.
• American's fate is a little less clear. The Eagles are currently tied for second in the league rankings with Boston University behind Holy Cross (13-4) and have the potential to enter the tournament as either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, depending on Wednesday's results. A win would secure the No. 2 seed while a loss would potentially bump American down to the No. 3 seed.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

• In honor of Women's History Month, and the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, the Eagles will be wearing special warm-up shirts during Wednesday's game. 

THANK YOU SENIORS

• With four of the five AU seniors returning for a fifth-year in 2022-23, the Eagles will not have a traditional senior day this season. Instead, all five members of the senior class - Taylor Brown, Maddie Doring, Jade Edwards, Emily Fisher, and Laura Graytok - will start on Wednesday.
• The class has had a successful run since their arrival in 2018-19, starting with a share of the Patriot League Regular Season title and a WNIT berth their freshman season. Since then, they have led the Eagles to an overall record of 61-40 (.604), including 42-20 (.677) in the Patriot League and an impressive 38-8 (.826) run at home in Bender Arena. 

SPECTATOR POLICY

• All spectators 12 years of age and older will need to provide proof of vaccination to enter the venue. Fans under the age of 12 are exempt from providing proof of vaccination. Additionally, unless actively eating or drinking all spectators are required to wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

THE STARTING FIVE

• American picked up its third win in five days on Saturday after late heroics from senior Jade Edwards pulled the Eagles past Loyola Maryland, 49-48. The win solidified hosting rights for AU in the Patriot League Tournament as American is now guaranteed either a two- or three-seed in the postseason.
• Edwards came alive in the second half against the Greyhounds, scoring 13 of her 16 points including four in the final 20 seconds to deliver the late victory. She also led on the boards with six rebounds and added a pair of steals.
• Sophomore Ivy Bales continues to step up on the defensive end, tying her career-high with four steals to lead all players in Baltimore. She also pitched in a team-high three assists alongside senior Taylor Brown.
• American continues to be dominant in Bender Arena. The Eagles are undefeated at home in conference play this season and are 12-1 overall. In fact, the loss to Towson in December is AU's only loss in the last 19 games in Bender Arena dating back to the end of the 2019-20 season. The Eagles are tied for 16th in Division I with their current 9-0 run.
• American boasts one of the top defenses in the country. The Eagles rank 8th in Division I for 3-point defense, holding opponents to only 25.2 percent shooting from long range, including 24.2 percent in League play. They also lead the Patriot League in forced turnovers (18.5) and steals per game (8.7).

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS

• Lafayette has been picking up steam over the last couple games, picking up wins over Boston University, 58-52, and Lehigh, 65-61.
• Sophomore Makayla Andrews paced the Leopards in Saturday's win over the Mountain Hawks, posting a career-high 23 points to go along with her seven boards.
• Jessica Booth also landed in double-figures with 13 points while Makaila Wilson led on the boards with 10 rebounds.
• The Leopards are one of the top blocking teams in the conference, ranking third with 3.9 per game. Naomi Ganpo leads the way, averaging a league-high 2.3 per game (61) to also rank 22nd in the country.
• Booth and Andrews lead the team on the offensive end, averaging 11.1 ppg and 11.0 ppg, respectively.
• Wilson ranks first on the team with 8.0 rpg and is second behind Ganpo with 18 blocks.

SERIES HISTORY vs. LAFAYETTE

• American has dominated in the series against Lafayette, going 43-9 since the first meeting in 1982 (W, 62-53 in D.C.).
• American picked up its first win in three games earlier this season with a 58-51 victory in Easton.
• The two teams were scheduled to play during the shortened season last year, but the two games were canceled.
• Head coach Megan Gebbia is 15-4 against Lafayette since she arrived at AU in 2013-14.

THE LAST TIME WE MET...

• Head Coach Megan Gebbia tied the program record for career wins with her 150th after AU outpaced Lafayette, 58-51, in Easton.
• Sophomore Emily Johns paced the team with a massive career-high, posting 18 points including 12 in the fourth quarter alone.
• Sophomore Ivy Bales also added a career-high in her second start of the season, coming away with three steals alongside her team-high seven rebounds.
• For the second consecutive game, senior Maddie Doring led from the perimeter with three made treys. She also pitched in a career-high five assists.
• American trailed early but maintained control through most of the second half before a Lafayette run early in the fourth quarter put the Leopards up by two in the final three minutes.
• AU closed strong, though, posting a 14-6 run including eight from Johns to secure the win.

#AUWBB vs. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

• American holds a 212-108 (.663) record in Patriot League play, and an overall record of 269-140 (.658) 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 five-game advantage over the Eagles.
• Head Coach Megan Gebbia has a 104-48 (.684) 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

• American secured its hosting rights in the Patriot League quarterfinal on Saturday with a narrow 49-48 win over Loyola Maryland.
• Senior Jade Edwards was held to only three points in the first half, all from the line, but came alive in the second. She scored 13 points in the last 20 minutes, including four in the final 20 seconds to secure the win.
• She closed with 16 points and six rebounds, followed by senior Taylor Brown with eight points and three assists.
• Sophomore Ivy Bales continued to be a nuisance on the defensive end, tying her career-high with four steals alongside her three assists.
• Loyola led throughout the game and by as many as 12 points in the second quarter before the Eagles began closing in during the second half.
• The Greyhounds entered halftime with a 35-26 advantage. The two teams tied at 8-8 in the third quarter but the Eagles closed with a 15-5 run, including nine points from Edwards and five from sophomore Emily Johns, to secure the win.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE

• American is 63-12 at home since the start of the 2016-17, including an undefeated 23-0 run that ranked sixth in Division I before ending with a loss to Ohio on Dec. 29, 2018.
• Within that run was the program's first undefeated season at home since the 1970s en route to the program's second PL title in 2017-18.
• Under head coach Megan Gebbia, the Eagles are 93- 28 (.769) in Bender Arena, including 72-16 (.818) against Patriot League opponents.
• American was undefeated at home once again last season at 4-0 during the shortened conference-only slate.

NEXT UP

• American will open the 2022 Patriot League Tournament at home in Bender Arena with a quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 7. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinal round, hosted at the site of the higher seed on Thursday, March 10. The Patriot League Championship will be at noon on Sunday, March 13.
• Tickets are for sale now at AUEagles.com/Tickets.
  • Adult - $8
  • Senior - $4
  • Youth - $4 
• AU students will be admitted for free with current and valid AU graduate, undergraduate, or WCL student ID.

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).