HAMILTON, N.Y. – It all came down to the final period when the American women's basketball team (5-17, 4-7 PL) took the court against Colgate (11-11, 5-6 PL) on Saturday afternoon. Despite Emily Johns scoring 11 of her 15 points in the second half, the Raiders outscored the American Eagles 19-10 in the final period to claim the home victory and even the series 1-1.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Johns finished the contest with a 15-point performance, going 7-12 from the field. The junior forward also had three rebounds.
• Kayla Henning followed up Johns with 11 points, including a half-court shot that ended the first half with the Eagles up six.
• On the boards, American was led by Bales with 10. The junior also had three assists and a steal but was charged with her fourth foul with six minutes left to play in the game.
• The Raiders were led by Morgan McMahon and Taylor Golembiewski each with 10-points apiece. McMahon also led for Colgate on the boards, grabbing seven total.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sadie Stetson got the first basket of the contest, putting the Eagles up two to start the game. After that, it took a bit for both teams to start firing offensively before Colgate got a three two minutes in and then the game was on.
• At the first media timeout, with 4:19 to play in the opening frame, American led by a score line of 10-7, four Eagles with points in the game.
• The Raiders were able to pull ahead by three at the end of the first, 12-15. Both teams had six field goals, but Colgate's advantage came from going 2-2 from the free-throw and one of their baskets being a triple while American went 0-3 from deep in the quarter.
• With an Eagles three to open the second, Stetson tied the game at 15-all but seven straight points from the Raiders and American had work to do to get back into it when a driving layup from Bales ended the run.
• Henning drove to put American back in front 23-22 with three minutes left to play, with two more points in the paint, and it was Henning again who put an emphasis on the end of the first half, when her half-court shot went in at the buzzer to put the Eagles up 28-22 at the break.
• In the first half, American had a 20-8 advantage in the paint, but Colgate had a 25-22 lead in rebounds.
• It was again a slow start for both teams in the second half, but by the midway point in the third quarter, the Raiders erased the Eagles' six-point lead and went ahead 29-28, holding American scoreless while putting themselves in the bonus.
• Johns got two layups in a row for the Eagles to put the Eagles up 32-31 before taking a charge to give American back possession.
• With one period remaining to play, the Eagles were up by five, leading 38-33, shooting 46% to Colgate's 22% from the field in the third frame. Johns scored six of her points in the period.
• With 3:01 left in the game, Colgate rallied and came back within three, trailing 46-43 before scoring again out of the American timeout to trail just one, 46-45, scoring 12 points to Eagles' eight with 1:40 left to play. They retook the lead, 47-46 with 1:36 remaining.
• In the end, the Raiders out-scored American 19-10 and out-rebounded the Eagles 9-6 in the final period to take the ballgame, 52-48, and split the series, each team winning on their home court.

UP NEXT
The Eagles will be host to Boston University in Bender Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 11:30 a.m. before heading out on the road to Worcester, Mass. to take on Holy Cross on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.

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