BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A career high 16 points for Laura Nogues sees the American University women's basketball team open conference play with a victory over Lehigh, topping the Mountain Hawks 68-65 on the road.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Point guard Nogues led the offensive charge for the Eagles with her 16 points. Despite foul trouble following her the whole game and fouling out with 55 seconds to go in the contest, the sophomore shined bright in her first Patriot League start. She also had a career high five steals and grabbed five rebounds.
• Emily Johns once again was an essential offensive key to American's game plan, dropping 15 points. She also grabbed six rebounds.
• Sophomore forward Molly Lavin has been a staple all season on defense and tonight's game was nothing new. The Londoner grabbed five boards. She also posted eight points to aid the offensive efforts.
• Bailey Garbee tied with Johns and was instrumental on the boards with six rebounds as well.    
• The Mountain Hawks were topped by Meghan O'Brien and Lily Fandre with 14 and 13 points respectively. On the glass, O'Brien topped the Lehigh squad with nine.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Johns started off the first on fire, grabbing six points less than two minutes into the game, pushing the Eagles up 6-2 to start before Garbee sank a driving layup and pushed the lead to six points.
• By the end of the first, AU had an eight point, 22-16, lead over the Mountain Hawks. Johns was 4-5 through the opening quarter for eight points and Lavin had gone 2-2 from the floor. Both Johns and Nogues were working defensively as well, each with a steal and a rebound.
• Through one, 20 of American's 22 points were in the paint.
• Three minutes into the second and the Mountain Hawks had cut the deficit to just four with two back-to-back buckets, forcing an Eagles' timeout early in the frame.
• Lehigh took their first lead of the game with four minutes to go until the break thanks to a triple from Jamie Behar, but it didn't last long thanks to two free throws from Lavin and a driving layup from Bales.
• From there through the end of the half, it was back and forth down the court and on the score line. It ended when Anna LeMaster dove for the ball with 10 seconds to play and Nogues took a mid-range jumper to settle the first half score with AU up 34-33.
• Coming out of the break, Nogues grabbed six more points in the third, but also picked up her third foul with six minutes left in the quarter, limiting her on time remaining in the game. The point guard had the Eagles up 44-41.
• Balanced scoring from four different Eagles in the remaining time had the American hanging with the Mountain Hawks, up 53-51 with one quarter left to play.
• A scoring drought is how the fourth opened. Lehigh went five minutes between the final two frames without a basket. The Mountain Hawks held AU off for four minutes of the fourth, the Eagles not scoring until a Johns jumper sank with 5:56 left in regulation.
• Nogues had a steal and a basket right after a sunken Lauren Stack but fouled out with 55 seconds remaining.
• Stack grabbed a layup with 45 seconds left to put the Eagles up 66-65 and with an Ivy Bales defensive rebound with 30 seconds left, American had possession.
• In the end, it came down to LeMaster sinking her final two free throws with 13 seconds left and the American defense putting on the heat, forcing Lehigh to take a last-ditch effort shot that was rebounded by LeMaster who held possession as the clock ran out for the 68-65 victory.

UP NEXT 
American will be coming back home to Bender Arena to take on Bucknell on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. for Alumni day. That following Wednesday, Jan. 10 they will be hosting Boston University at 11:30 a.m. for their Charter School Day.

Tickets are on sale now at AUEagles.com/Tickets! 
  
KEEP UP WITH US 
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