WEST POINT, N.Y. – It was another push to the final seconds for the American University women's basketball team (4-16, 3-6 PL) as its fourth game in a row was decided by the final play when they fell just shy to Army West Point (7-12, 5-4 PL) by a final score of 63-62. The Eagles were led by Ivy Bales whose double-double performance brought the game into the fight it was after American trailed by nine at the half.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Bales recorded her first double-double of the season with her 16-point 10-rebound performance. The junior guard also had 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block.
• Bales led the team both offensively and defensively with her hustle performance, going 7-9 from the field, including 2-2 from beyond the arc.
• Lauren Stack followed up Bales with her nine points. She also grabbed five rebounds along with a steal and a block.
• Molly Lavin followed up Bales defensively with seven rebounds. She also had five points.
• The Black Knights were led by Sabria Hunter, their leading scorer this season, with 18 points. Hunter also led on the boards with 14 rebounds. Lauren Lithgow had 10 points and two steals for Army.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Army went on a 10-2 run to open up the game, four Black Knights scoring to have the eight-point advantage at the halfway point of the first through the first period.
• The Eagles were slow to get their feet under them, down 22-9 with 38 seconds left in the half, before Laura Nogues scored a jumper and the to finish out the frame trailing 11-22.
• The Black Knights shot 53% from the field in the first and held the Eagles to 36%. Army had nine of their points from beyond the arc to American's three.
• The second period, the shooting averages swapped; the Eagles shot 58% in the second period to Army's 40% but American still trailed the hosts 21-30 at the halfway point of the quarter.
• Going into the half, the Eagles were down nine, the score line 28-37. The Eagles were led in the half offensively by Bales who had five points, four rebounds, and two steals with 20 minutes still to play. American outscored Army 17-15 in the period.
• The second half started with American gaining momentum; AU had five rebounds to Army's two, and 11 points to Army's five. Anna LeMaster's triple midway through the period had the Eagles down just three before Bailey Garbee's layup made it a one-point game.
• The Black Knights responded though, forcing American to call a timeout, down 47-41 with 2:59 left in the period when they scored two baskets unanswered.
• Garbee and Bales led the third period with four points each, and the Eagles had closed the gap down to just four, behind 45-49, when the frame ended.
• A layup by Johns with 8:42 left to play tied the game up at 50-all and then the game was on.
• The Black Knights retook the lead by two, but Bales responded and knotted it up again at 52-all with 5:40 left in the game. Bales again sunk a three-pointer to give American its first lead of the game, 55-52 with half a period left in regulation.
• In the end, it was the last play of the game, Army was fouled shooting a three with 1.1 seconds remaining in the game, and Hope Brown made one of the three free-throws. The Eagles had 0.8 seconds and were down one.
• American had the inbound, but the pass was blocked and went aimless as the clock hit zero, Army taking the game over the Eagles 63-62.

UP NEXT
The Eagles are back home in Bender Arena to take on Navy on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. The game will also be part of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day; a free clinic will be held in Bender following the game.
After that, American will be back on the road to New York to take on Colgate on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.  

Tickets are on sale now 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).