PHILADELPHIA – The three-point shot has been reliable for American University men's basketball until tonight, as the Eagles struggled from long range and dropped a 69-53 decision at Saint Joseph's. The Hawks had little trouble from beyond the arc, hitting 12 treys, while the Eagles finished with just three.
Notable Numbers
- Junior Elijah Stephens led American with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. He also dished a team-high four assists.
- The only other Eagle to score in double figures was senior Matt Rogers who finished with 12 after a big second half.
- Senior Lincoln Ball led AU on the boards with six rebounds, while Rogers grabbed five.
- AU shot a season-low 12.5 percent from long range. The Eagles two-point shooting was over 50 percent at 16-for-27, but they hit just three of 24 three-point attempts.
- Three players scored in double figures for the Hawks, led by Xzavier Brown with 20 points. Rasheer Fleming posted 13 points and nine rebounds for SJU.
First Half
- The story of the first half for American was three-point shooting, or the lack of it, as only one shot in 12 attempts fell from long range for the Eagles.
- Saint Joseph's used a 9-1 run to take an early 14-6 lead, and went on to lead by 10 on three occasions.
- Stephens hit back-to-back shots just past the midway point to get the margin to six, but it was as close as AU could get.
- The Eagles were able to keep the deficit to 10 or fewer until the final seconds when the Hawks hit a jumper for a 30-18 lead at the break.
- SJU went 5-for-17 from long range in the half, and shot 39 percent from the field compared to AU's 24 percent.
Second Half
- It was a promising start to the second half as Lorenzo Donadio started a 6-0 run by hitting two free throws before getting a steal and a layup.
- After a bucket for Rogers, the Eagles had their 12-point deficit down to six, 30-24, but they could get no closer the rest of the way.
- The Hawks shot 50 percent from long range in the second half, going 7-for-14, while the Eagles managed to make just two of 12 attempts.
- Saint Joseph's led by as many as 21 points with three minutes remaining.
- AU hit 8-for-9 from the field down the stretch, but at the same time the Hawks went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
- Rogers scored 11 of his 12 points in the second frame, and Stephens went 4-of-6 after going 3-for-4 in the first half.
Up Next
- The Eagles continue their four-game road stretch at VMI on Saturday, Dec. 9. Game time in Lexington, Va., is set for 1 p.m.
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