WASHINGTON – The American University women's basketball home opener featured a tough battle against the FDU Knights in Bender Arena. With a competitive game, the Eagles faced a close, 62-59, loss that was decided in the final minute, taking the game down to the wire.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Junior guard Anna Rescifina took the lead in scoring with a career-high 19 points. She also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals. She was on the court for all but two minutes of the game. This is the second time in two games that Rescifina has led the way in scoring. 
• Point guard, sophomore Lexi Salazar led in assists with five to help keep the Eagles in the game as time wound down.  
• Cecilia Kay, a freshman forward, led on the glass in rebounds with 10. In the second game of her collegiate career, she scored 11 points to earn a double-double. Kay and Rescifina were the only two Eagles to score in double digits.

How It Happened

• The Knights took the lead by one point at the end of the first quarter, up 13-12 after ten minutes of gameplay.
• Rescifina helped the Eagles tie right at the beginning of the second quarter, with a 7 point run, two steals, and an assist on a layup from Ellie Pingree to take a lead five point lead, 23-18.
• Finishing the half with a one-point lead over the Knights, up 33-32, American dug deep to hold the advantage heading into the second half.
• Maintaining their narrow lead, pushing it only to as many as five at points or two possessions, through the third and into the fourth, the Eagles were up, 44-42, with one quarter remaining.
• FDU retook the lead, but Rescifina made a clutch three pointer to tie up again at 55-55 with less than three minutes left. The momentum was short-lived though as the Knights fought back hard to go ahead again.  
• The last minute was a battle with the Knights up by one point, holding the score at 58-57 for most of that time.
• In the final 14 seconds, Rescifina fouled the Knights to take them to the free throw line. Despite back-to-back misses from the charity stripe, the Eagles were unable to connect on the other end of the court to seal the deal their way.
• Down three, Rescifina attempted a long-range jumper, but the shot was blocked. Grabbing the loose ball, Laura Nogues attempted her own three pointer, getting fouled on the attempt. Making two of three from the line to bring the score to 59-60 with two seconds left in the game, Nogues continued to fight to the end of the game, using her last foul to take FDU back to the free throw line with two seconds left, with hopes of a comeback still alive.
• As it was, the Knights made both free throws from the free throw line to claim the victory, 62-59.

On the Horizon
The Eagles will play host against next week, welcoming the Longwood Lancers to Bender Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.
 
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