BOSTON, Mass. – It was a grind in Case Gym on Sunday when the American University women's basketball team (3-12, 2-2 PL) took on Boston University (9-6, 4-0 PL). The Eagles were up by six at the half, but the Terriers worked back to defend their undefeated start to Patriot League play and bump their home court advantage to 5-2 on the season. Emily Johns led with 15 points while also notching two assists and two rebounds. The Eagles move to 2-2 in conference play entering a week where they'll have two home games. 
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Johns went 6-15 from the field and 3-3 from the line to lead the charge for the Eagles. She scored a bulk of her points in the paint, fighting her way to the rim over and over throughout the game.
• Guard Sadie Stetson went 3-5 from beyond the arc, grabbing a career high 11 points.
• Ivy Bales also had an 11-point outing, going 5-11 from the field and 1-2 from distance. The guard also took five steals.
• Bales and Lauren Stack led on the glass for the Eagles, grabbing six apiece, despite also each earning their fourth foul in the final quarter.
• The Terriers were led by Lauren Davenport and Maggie Pina with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Davenport also grabbed six rebounds. Caitlin Weimer led for BU on the glass with 10 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Johns drained the first basket for American. At the time of the media timeout, the Terriers had the slight edge, leading 9-7, but were outshooting the Eagles, 57% percent to 33% from the field.
• To close out the first frame, Bales made a long two-point jumper, and the Eagles were down only two, trailing 13-15, after having been down by seven with three minutes left in the period.
• It was again Bales, at the start of the second, that helped to draw American level with Boston U.
• In the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half, American went on a 12-0 run to take the lead and stretch it to ten, leading by a score of 27-17 with six minutes left to play in the first half. In that frame of time, the Eagles went 6-6 from the field, including 2-2 from beyond the arc with threes from Stetson and Bales.
• Going into the break, the Eagles led 36-30 thanks to a triple from Molly Lavin with six seconds remaining. American went 3-4 from beyond the arc in the period and overall for the half shot 48 % from the field to the Terriers 42%.
• Boston U wasn't going down without a fight, though, and the Terriers scrapped their way back level with the Eagles midway through the third period, both teams knotted 41-all.
• At the end of the third, the Eagles were behind 55-48 after the Terriers outscored them, 25-12 in the period. Lavin, again, drained a buzzer beating three so that AU was only down seven rather than ten with one period left to play.
• The Terriers opened-up their lead in the final period, taking it to 14 points over the Eagles, Davenport scoring seven of her 15 points in the fourth frame alone.
• American pushed back late to reduce the deficit to 10, but ultimately fell 63-73 to the hosting Boston U.

UP NEXT
The Eagles are back in Bender for a two-game stint, first against Army on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. before taking on Lehigh on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at AUEagles.com/Tickets!
 
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