WASHINGTON – The American University men's basketball team will have its first rematch of the season as it travels to Bethlehem, Pa., for a matchup with Lehigh on Saturday, January 20, at 5 p.m. This will be American's eighth road contest in its last 10 games.
On January 3, in this season's Patriot League opener, American defeated Lehigh at Bender Arena, 75-66. The Eagles are 4-1 in Patriot League play, while the Mountain Hawks are 1-4 in the conference.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Saturday, January 20; 5:00 p.m.
- Site: Bethlehem, Pa. (Stabler Arena)
- Series History: Lehigh leads, 33-28
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Matt Markus
Inside the Series
- There are 60 games on record between American and Lehigh, with Lehigh leading 33-28.
- The Mountain Hawks have won four out of the last five contests, boasting a 21-8 record at home.
- American and Lehigh met in this season's Patriot League opener, a 75-66 victory for AU at Bender Arena.
- Four Eagles reached double-figures scoring, and AU shot over 55 percent from the field, leading for more than 28 minutes.
- Senior Lorenzo Donadio led the way for AU with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, making 3-of-4 three-point shots.
- American's win at home on Jan. 3 improved AU's series record to 16-11 when playing in Washington, D.C.
What to Know About American
- In its last game, American defeated Loyola Maryland on the road, 66-52. It was the Eagles' best defensive performance of the season, and junior Elijah Stephens led AU in scoring with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Sophomore Geoff Sprouse added 14 points for AU.
- Senior Matt Rogers leads AU and ranks fifth in the PL with 14.5 points per game, adding 6.1 rebounds per game (fifth in PL). With six points in the Eagles' win against Army, Rogers became the 34th AU men's basketball player to score 1,000 career points.
- American's bench has provided a spark for the Eagles this season, outscoring the opponents' bench in 13 of AU's 18 games. AU's bench outscored Loyola's by 19 points on Jan. 15, with 14 points from Sprouse.
- Junior Elijah Stephens leads AU and ranks second in the PL with 5.3 assists per game (35th nationally). His assist/turnover ratio of 2.6 also leads the PL, and his 12.2 points per game rank ninth in the PL. Stephens now ranks ninth all-time at AU with 306 career assists.
- First-year head coach Duane Simpkins has 10 career victories and has brought a new energy to the program. The Eagles run a faster offense and so far are averaging 7.8 more points per game than in 2022-23, as well as making 3.1 more 3-point field goals per game.
Scouting the Mountain Hawks
- Lehigh enters Saturday's game with a 4-12 record, having won one out of their five Patriot League contests. The Mountain Hawks defeated Loyola Maryland 88-76 on Jan. 6.
- The Mountain Hawks were picked to finish second in the Patriot League's preseason poll, receiving two first-place votes.
- The Mountain Hawks lead the PL in points per game, with 73.9, and rank second in rebounds per game, with 36.3.
- Keith Higgins Jr. (15.1 ppg, third in PL) and Tyler Whitney-Sidney (13.7 ppg, eighth in PL) lead the Mountain Hawks in scoring. The pair were voted to the Patriot League's preseason all-league team.
- Dominic Parolin adds 10.7 points per game (12th in PL) for Lehigh and leads the team in rebounding with 5.8 per game, ranking 10th in the PL.
- Dr. Brett Reed is in his 17th season as head coach at Lehigh. Reed earned his 250th win last season and ranks second all-time in both total wins and Patriot League wins in conference history, sitting behind only Lafayette's Fran O'Hanlon.
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