WASHINGTON – The American University women's basketball team (3-15, 2-5 PL) will be hosting Colgate (10-8, 4-3) on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. in Bender Arena for an afternoon filled with fan appreciation as American celebrates Phil Bender Day and Pride Day. The Eagles are coming off a hard-fought loss to Lafayette on Wednesday and the Raiders are looking to bounce back after their loss to league-leaders Holy Cross.
QUICK INFO
- Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 21; 2 PM
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Series History: American leads, 37-8
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing (pxp), Jody Patrick (color)
INSIDE THE SERIES
- In the series between the Eagles and the Raiders, the Eagles lead the all-time series 37-8. Last season, the two teams split the series.
- In the first matchup, American won the game, held in Bender by a score of 66-52. The second game, exactly one month later, saw the Eagles drop the contest when Colgate won by a score line of 60-74 in Hamilton, N.Y.
- In the past five meetings, American holds the 3-2 lead, as well as the 8-2 lead in the past ten competitions between the two programs.
- In Bender Arena, the Eagles hold the 18-2 home court advantage over the Raiders and are looking to extend the record in their favor.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN
- The Eagles are coming into the matchup after playing a dramatic game away at Lafayette. American fell to the Leopards, 57-59, in a game that's final minute saw a long two-point jumper under review to possibly tie the game with 2.4 seconds left, four Leopards timeouts, and the Eagles scoring nine points from the field.
- In the matchup against Lafayette both teams were slow to start, scoring only 17 (AU) and 21 (LAF) points in the first half. The game's pace quickened in the third, but in the fourth it was back and forth. American outscored their hosts by two points in the second half and rallied in the final frame to come as close as one-point down.
- Emily Johns led the charge for the Eagles for a second game in a row with 15 points. The junior forward went 6-10 from the field and 3-5 from the line to finish the afternoon with 15 points. She also added seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal to her line on the stat sheet. As it is, Johns currently leads AU in points per game (13.9) and field goal percentage (.472).
- Anna LeMaster hadn't scored until the final frame when she added 10 points of her own to assist in the Eagles' campaign. The junior went 3-8 from beyond the arc and 1-2 from the line, padding her stat line with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals as well as a block. This is the second time in a three-game run that LeMaster has been a top contributor for AU, also coming up big against Army West Point.
- Freshman forward Molly Lavin was another big contributor in the Lafayette game. The Londoner went 5-6 from the free throw line and then added two triples of her own in the final fame to contribute 11 points. Lavin also had seven rebounds and a steal. Lavin and Johns were the Eagles' top rebounders of the game, each with seven.
- The Eagles lead the Patriot League in steals (151 total, 8.39 per game) and are currently third in assists (13.67 per game).
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT COLGATE
- The Raiders are coming into Bender Arena off a 49-59 home loss to league-leading Holy Cross. Colgate are currently 4-3, ranked fourth in the Patriot League standings.
- Against Holy Cross, the Raiders opened the game hot, going on a 6-3 run over the Crusaders, at one point in the first period leading by a score of 16-8 before Holy Cross took the lead in the second frame and never relinquished their hold on the game.
- Taylor Golembiewski led for Colgate against the Crusaders with 11 points. The sophomore guard also had four rebounds and two steals. She is leading the charge for the Raiders this season both offensively and defensively, averaging 12.6 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game. Golembiewski also leads the team with 10 blocks and 29 steals.
- Against Holy Cross, Alexa Brodie was another offensive power for Colgate. The senior guard finished the game with 9 points. Brodie is the Raiders' third highest scorer and rebounder for the season, averaging 7.4 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game.
- As a team, Colgate are third in the Patriot league in offense and second in defense, averaging 61.3 points per game while holding opponents to an average of 56.1 points.
- The Raiders also excel from the line, shooting 0.769 from the free throw line, second in the conference. Morgan McMahon is third in Patriot League, shooting 0.794 percent from the charity stripe.
- Colgate have the lowest turnover rate in the league, losing the ball an average of just 13.2 times per game.
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