WASHINGTON – The American University men's basketball team will look to bounce back from a close loss at Lehigh as they return to Bender Arena to host the Holy Cross Crusaders on Wednesday, January 24, at 7 p.m., presented by Official Game Sponsor, AU's Kogod School of Business.
American's coaching staff will be participating in Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Wednesday, January 24; 7:00 p.m.
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Series History: American leads 27-23
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing and Gordon Austin
Inside the Series
- There are 50 games on record between American and Holy Cross, with American leading 27-23.
- The Eagles have won four out of the last five contests, boasting a 16-10 record at home.
- Holy Cross took the last matchup at Bender Arena, defeating the Eagles 75-66 on Feb. 11, 2023.
What to Know About American
- In its last game, American fell on the road to Lehigh, 70-68. Senior Matt Rogers led the way for the Eagles with his third double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and adding 10 rebounds. Trailing by 10 points with 4:30 remaining, AU made a late push but fell short, with Lehigh making 18-of-20 free throws in the contest.
- Rogers leads AU and ranks fifth in the PL with 14.9 points per game, adding 6.3 rebounds per game (sixth in PL). Rogers recently became the 34th player in program history to record 1,000 points, and he is 12 rebounds away from grabbing the 500th of his career.
- American had four players reach double figures scoring in the loss at Lehigh, with Rogers scoring 21 points, junior Elijah Stephens tallying 16 points, senior Lorenzo Donadio adding 13 points, and freshman Matt Mayock adding 10 points.
- Stephens leads AU and ranks second in the PL with 5.3 assists per game (37th nationally). His assist/turnover ratio of 2.4 also leads the PL, and his 12.4 points per game rank ninth in the PL. Stephens now ranks ninth all-time at AU with 311 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 7.5 more points per game than in 2022-23, as well as making 3.1 more 3-point field goals per game.
Scouting the Crusaders
- Holy Cross enters Wednesday's game with a 5-14 record, having won two of their six Patriot League contests.
- In its last game, Holy Cross picked up a win at home against Loyola Maryland. Sophomore Will Batchelder and junior Caleb Kenny led the Crusaders in scoring with 18 and 17 points respectively.
- Senior Joe Octave leads the Crusaders in scoring and ranks sixth in the PL with 14.8 points per game, adding 6.4 rebounds per game.
- Kenny was named an Honorable mention for Patriot League Player of the Week on Jan. 22. The junior averages 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and currently ranks second in the Patriot League with 1.7 blocked shots per game.
- Head coach Dave Paulsen is in his first season as head coach at Holy Cross. Prior to joining the Crusaders, he was the head coach at George Mason and spent seven years at Bucknell, where he was named Patriot League Coach of the Year three times. During his time at Bucknell he went 134-94 overall, making Patriot League history by leading the Bison to three straight regular season titles.
Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week
- Coaches vs. Cancer is a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches that unites coaches, fans and members of the basketball community in supporting the American Cancer Society's work to improve the lives of people with cancer through research, patient support, and advocacy.
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