WASHINGTON – With the second half of the Patriot League season underway, the second-place Eagles return home on Wednesday for their first of two matchups against Lafayette this season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and it will be the team's Pride Celebration game.
 
QUICK INFO  

• Date/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m.   
• Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena) 
• Series History: American leads, 46-10
• TV: ESPN+  

INSIDE THE SERIES  

• There have been over fifty meetings between the two programs, and the Eagles have won four of their last five games against the Leopards.
• However, the most recent time the two sides met went to Lafayette, with a narrow 59-57 victory in Easton, Pa. that came down to the wire.
• American University hosts the first of two games between the schools this season, with Lafayette hosting the second matchup on February 17.
• Lafayette continues to find success on the road as five of their six victories this season have come away from home.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN  

• Over the weekend, American edged out a victory against Colgate, defeating the Raiders 56-54 in Hamilton, N.Y. American continues to contest the top of the Patriot League standings this season, sitting just below Holy Cross with a record of 6-2 in league play (8-11 overall).
• In that game, three starters for the Eagles grabbed 10+ points. Emily Johns led the way, scoring 13 points for her twelfth double-digit scoring game this season. The senior forward leads the team by averaging 12.1 ppg.
• American continues to find success in the paint this season, scoring 42 of their 56 from the key in their weekend win. The Eagles only attempted eight shots from three in the contest.
• Defense has been crucial to the Eagles' Patriot League success, allowing less than 60 points from opponents in their last four games and converting 24 points off turnovers in their last game against Colgate.
• Molly Lavin and Ivy Bales are leading the boards for the team this season, with 4.9 rpg and 4.8 rpg averages respectively. Bales also leads the team with 42 steals. Lavin has six blocks to Bales' five. Bales also leads the team in assists with 59. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT LAFAYETTE 

• Lafayette comes to Washington in search of a turnaround, losing seven consecutive games and eight of their last ten. The Leopards aim to turn their Patriot League campaign around in the second half of the season, coming into this game with a 1-7 Patriot League record (6-13 overall).
• Over the weekend, Lafayette fell to Boston 51-39, scoring their least total points of the season. However, three players reached double-digits in scoring: Abby Antognoli (11), Makayla Andrews (10), and Kayla Drummond (10).
• Antognoli, a junior guard, remains a consistent source of offense for the Leopards. When she dropped 11 up in Boston over the weekend, it became her fourteenth 10+ point game this season. She leads the team, averaging 13.2 ppg and leads in steals with 31.
• Offensively, Andrews has been a staple as well; the senior guard averages 12.5 ppg and is second on the team in rebounding with 4.9 per game.
• Kayla Drummond is key defensively for the Leopards with a team-leading 14 blocks and an average of 6.2 boards per game.
• After their game against American, Lafayette returns home for two matchups against Army and Lehigh. The Leopards found their only Patriot League victory of the season thus far against the Black Knights, defeating them at West Point 68-42 on January 3.

KEEP UP WITH US  

• For the latest on American University Women's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_WBasketball) and Instagram (@auwbasketball).