WASHINGTON – Back home where the Eagles are 3-0 so far this season, the American University men's basketball team (6-6) is set to host UMBC (7-7) on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. in the final game of the non-conference season for both teams. The contest is part of a doubleheader at American after the women's basketball team hosts Howard at 12:30 p.m.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Sunday, December 29; 4 pm
- Site: Washington, D.C. (Bender Arena)
- Series History: AU leads, 9-4
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing, Gordon Austin
Enhanced Fan Experience
- American is offering revamped premium courtside seating as part of an upgrade to the fan experience in Bender Arena on game days.
- Bender Arena's courtside seats have been moved closer to the action, with additional seating now available in the end zone baseline area for fans to experience all the action - up close and personal.
Inside the Series
- American has a 9-4 lead in the all-time series, and won 87-85 on the road exactly a year ago, on Dec. 29, 2023. Five Eagles reached double figures in scoring in that win, including Elijah Stephens with 16 points, Geoff Sprouse with 14, and Matt Rogers with 13.
- From long range, the Eagles went 15-of-31 at UMBC last year. Sprouse led the way, hitting 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc.
- The Eagles' only loss in the last five games was in Baltimore in 2021. UMBC last visited Bender Arena on Dec. 3, 2019, and the Eagles took that one by a score of 85-69.
- AU has a 4-2 lead all-time in home games against UMBC.
What to Know About American
- American is wrapping up its non-conference slate at home against UMBC exactly one year after beating the Retrievers in an 87-75 nail-biter in Baltimore. The Eagles made 15 three-pointers in that contest, which tied for the second-most in program history since 2005.
- The Eagles won five straight games between Nov. 22 and Dec. 4, going 3-0 at the Puerto Rico Clasico before returning home for wins over Notre Dame of Maryland (DIII) and George Washington. Grad student Colin Smalls hit 5-of-9 from long range in the 81-71 OT win over GW on his way to a career-high 26 points, including a tying triple in the final seconds of regulation. The Eagles are undefeated at home this season with a 3-0 record.
- AU is coming off back-to-back losses at Saint Joseph's and Virginia. While the SJU game got away early despite 19-point efforts from Matt Rogers and Greg Jones, the Eagles were in it the entire way at UVA. Behind 16 points from Matt Mayock and 12 apiece from Rogers and Smalls, the Eagles had a lead with five minutes left. They made 11 three-pointers, and turned the ball over a season-low seven times.
- Grad student Matt Rogers, an All-PL First Team honoree last year, was tabbed as the Patriot League's Preseason Player of the Year for 2024-25. Rogers is leading AU with 14.4 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. His FG percentage of .493 ranks seventh in the Patriot League. In a win over NDMU, Rogers led AU with 20 points and nine rebounds, hitting 9-for-9 from the floor.
- Of 13 non-conference games, Sunday's is only the fourth to be played at home in Bender Arena for the Eagles. American played six straight games away from home before returning to beat Notre Dame of Maryland (DIII) 97-52 on Dec. 1 and GW 81-71 in OT on Dec. 4. The Eagles then faced back-to-back Atlantic 10 opponents in GW and St. Joseph's, before taking on another challenge at ACC school Virginia on Dec. 22 and narrowly falling short.
What to Know About UMBC
- Like AU, UMBC is playing its final non-conference game on Sunday. The Retrievers, who sit at 7-7, are looking to snap a two-game losing skid after a 76-73 overtime loss at Marist on Dec. 21 and a 92-81 defeat at Georgia Tech on Dec. 18.
- UMBC's last Division I victory came on Dec. 7 at Towson, an 84-71 win over its crosstown rivals.
- The Retrievers rely on a potent offense that currently sits 46th in the nation and third in the America East, scoring 82.3 points per game. Their .392 shooting percentage from long range is good for 23rd nationally.
- Senior guard Bryce Johnson leads UMBC with 15.5 points per game. Senior guard Marcus Banks, Jr. adds 13.5 and grad student forward Josh Odunowo chips in 10.7 a contest. Banks, who scored 15.1 a contest last season, was the Retrievers' lone entry on the America East's Preseason All-Conference team.
- Jim Ferry is in his fourth season as the head coach at UMBC. After posting identical 18-14 records over his first two seasons, earning the Retrievers three home playoff games in the America East Tournament, his squad took a step back in 2023-24 with an 11-21 mark and a first-round exit at UMass Lowell.
- This year's team was picked to finish fifth, squarely in the middle of the pack of the nine-team America East conference which has been dominated in recent seasons by Vermont, winners of five of the last six league crowns.
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