WASHINGTON – After a game-tying three-pointer from
Colin Smalls in the final seconds of regulation, American University men's basketball went on to beat George Washington 81-71 in overtime. It was the fifth straight win for the Eagles, now 6-4, and their third straight against city rival GW out of the Atlantic 10 who came into the game with a record of 7-1.
Notable Numbers
- Smalls was a hero all game long, finishing with a career-high 26 points and hitting five of his nine attempts from long range.
- Matt Rogers was also on fire from beyond the arc, making 4-of-8 and scoring 18 points.
- The first double-double for American this season came from sophomore Greg Jones, who added a career-high 10 rebounds to 16 points. Jones made 8-for-8 at the free-throw line, hitting six of those just in overtime.
- For the game, AU made 18-of-24 from the stripe but it was in OT when 11-of-12 helped seal the victory.
- The Eagles' 13 three-pointers were their most since February 3 of last season.
- Matt Mayock added eight rebounds to nine points and five assists in a strong performance across the board.
- Nine rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, came from Lincoln Ball who also posted five points, four assists, and two steals.
First Half
- Despite not hitting a two-point bucket until the final three minutes of the first half, the Eagles never trailed by more than three thanks to 44 percent shooting from long range.
- It was neck-and-neck most of the way, with AU having an answer from beyond the arc nearly every time it needed one.
- Rogers, Jones, and Smalls all hit two treys each, with the second for Smalls giving AU a 21-20 lead at 4:33.
- The Eagles led the rest of the way, and the first two-point bucket was a floater in the lane for Rogers that put AU up 24-20 at 2:39.
- After forcing a turnover on the Revs' final possession, the Eagles called timeout with 3.8 seconds left.
- Ball got the ball to Rogers who pulled up for a buzzer-beating jumper, giving AU a 28-22 lead at the break after a 10-2 closing run.
- Rogers led all players with 10 points at the half after hitting 4-of-7 from the floor.
- AU played all but the first 11 minutes of the game without starting point guard Elijah Stephens, who took an elbow to the bridge of his nose.
Second Half
- Smalls set the tone with an early trey, and AU opened the second half on a 7-0 run for its largest lead of 13 points, 35-22.
- On a jumper from Mayock at 12:33, the Eagles matched that margin at 43-30, but momentum then shifted to the Revs.
- After three and a half minutes without a bucket, it was Mayock again, hitting his first three to put AU back up by seven.
- GW's Darren Buchanan, Jr., who scored 24 points in the game, got 14 of those in the first 12 minutes of the second half.
- Just past the six-minute mark, the Revs took their first lead of the half.
- It was tight the rest of the way, but the Eagles trailed by three on three occasions, the last with 19 seconds remaining after a Buchanan free throw. He missed the second, and a defensive rebound from Ball set up the final possession in regulation for the Eagles, who called timeout.
- Smalls had the ball knocked out of his hands with five seconds left, but recovered it and made the game-tying three-pointer that swished cleanly through the net with 1.2 seconds on the clock.
Overtime
- The long-range game stayed true to AU in overtime, as Rogers started off the extra period with a trey, and hit another for a six-point lead at 2:11.
- American scored 21 points in OT, getting 11 of those at the line including six from Jones.
- Ball hit a second-chance tip-in at 1:25 for a 70-63 lead, and the Eagles increased the margin from there.
- After AU's first double-digit advantage of overtime, GW was able to cut it to no fewer than eight.
- Smalls made the last two free throws with 14 seconds left to put AU up 13, and a late three from the Revs made for the final margin of 81-71.
Up Next
- The Eagles will have two full weeks off before their next game, at 7 p.m. contest at Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia. AU will not return to Bender Arena until December 29 against UMBC.
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