WASHINGTON - American University (10-3, 2-0 PL) men's basketball is in search of its third-straight league win on Thursday, Jan. 5 as the Eagles travel to Worcester, Mass. to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders (5-10, 2-0 PL). Both teams enter Thursday's game undefeated in league play, with the Eagles' 2-0 start the first since the 2013-14 season and the Crusaders' 2-0 start the first for the program since the 2011-12 season.
 
QUICK INFO

• Date/Time: Thursday, Jan. 5; 7:00 PM
• Site: Hart Center (Worcester, Mass.)
• Series History: American leads, 26-22
• TV: ESPN+

INSIDE THE SERIES

• The Eagles are leading 26-22 in the all-time series and are winners of seven straight games, including a 69-63 road win in the Patriot League Tournament First Round on March 1, 2022 in Worcester.
• The three wins for AU last season also included a 67-49 home victory in late January and a 60-54 road win in mid-February.
• AU posted an emphatic, 90-47 victory over the Crusaders in the final game of the regular season on Feb. 29, 2020.
•  The 43-point margin of victory in 2020 was the first 40-point win for American since Dec. 9, 1995, when the Eagles topped Marymount, 123-62. AU's defense recorded 15 steals and held Holy Cross to 28 percent from the field.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN

• American enters Thursday's game with a 10-3 overall record and a 2-0 mark in Patriot League play after starting 2-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
• Junior Johnny O'Neil averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals to help AU to wins against Lafayette and Loyola Maryland. He recorded a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds at Lafayette before finishing with 21 points and eight boards in the victory against Loyola Maryland.
• Junior Matt Rogers leads American in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game. Rogers has hit 65.3 percent of his shots from the field to rank second in the PL and rank ninth among all players in NCAA Division I.
• The Eagles are receiving four votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
• With his three blocks in the Eagles' Patriot League opener, O'Neil moved to 10th all-time in career blocks at AU, and currently ranks 10th with 67 career blocks.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS

• Holy Cross enters Thursday's contest with a 5-10 overall record and a 2-0 mark in Patriot League play. The Crusaders' two league wins so far this season have come over Bucknell and Navy.
• Senior Gerrale Gates leads Holy Cross in scoring (17.1 points per game), rebounds (8.9 per game) and blocks (1.3 per game). He also leads the league in scoring, rebounds, and is second in the league in blocks. He was named the Patriot League Player of the Week on Jan. 3.
• As a team, the Crusaders are third in the league in blocked shots and steals, averaging 2.80 and 7.33 per game, respectively.
• The Crusaders are off to their first 2-0 start in Patriot League play since the 2011-12 season.
• After Thursday, Holy Cross will remain at home, welcoming Loyola Maryland on Sunday, Jan. 8 for a 1 p.m. game. 

TOP OF THE LEAGUE

• Junior Matt Rogers is seventh in the Patriot League in scoring (13.9 points per game) and is second in the league in field goal percentage (65.3 percent).
• Junior Johnny O'Neil is fourth in the PL in rebounds (6.2 per game) and first in blocks (2.0 per game).
• Sophomore Elijah Stephens is fourth in assists (4.3 per game) and second in the league in steals (2.2 per game). 

NEARING 500

• Juniors Matt Rogers and Johnny O'Neil are both nearing 500 career points.
•  O'Neil has 497 and needs three more to hit the 500 point milestone.
• Rogers has 493 career points and needs seven more points to eclipse the 500-point mark.

TICKETS

• Season tickets, mini-plans and individual game tickets in premium seating locations are still at AUeagles.com/Tickets.
• AU students are admitted FREE with a valid undergraduate, graduate, or WCL ID.

KEEP UP WITH US

• For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (/AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).