WASHINGTON – With the team's neck and neck until the end, Laura Nogues knocked down a timely layup and two free throws in subsequent possessions to lift American University women's basketball over the defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross Crusaders, 74-68, securing a split of the regular season series.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Senior Anna LeMaster led American with 16 points, including two shots made from distance. She was one of four Eagles in double digits, with fellow senior Kayla Henning and first-year Laura Nogues finishing with 14 apiece, and sophomore Molly Lavin adding 10 as well.
• Nogues was a perfect 6-6 from the field. She hit a layup and two free throws in the final minute of the game to help secure the victory for American.
• Senior Ivy Bales led the team with nine rebounds and three assists.
• As a team, American shot 52.8% from the field, outpacing Holy Cross' mark of 44.8%.
• Bronagh Power-Cassidy led Holy Cross with a game-high 24 points. She was forced to sit for much of the second half after picking up her fourth foul late in the third quarter and ultimately fouling out with 1:20 left in the game. 
• American improves to a 7-4 conference record (9-13 overall). Following Army's win at Navy this afternoon, the Eagles remain tied with the Black Knights (10-11 overall) for second in the Patriot League, with both teams a game back of the Crusaders at 8-3 (14-8 overall).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams traded baskets to start the game, with both sides shooting the ball well over the first five minutes. Helped by a fadeaway from Henning, who scored the first points of the game, and an and-one from Bales, the Eagles led 13-10 at the first media timeout.
• With two minutes left in the quarter, LeMaster got on the board, hitting a three despite getting knocked down and fouled by a Holy Cross defender in the process. She successfully completed the four-point play with a made free throw to give AU a 19-12 lead, its largest of the quarter.
• While Holy Cross responded with a three of its own, AU held steady to maintain a six point advantage after the first quarter, leading 25-19.
• Holy Cross pushed to start the second, quickly narrowing American's lead to two. However, American responded by going on a 9-2 run punctuated with Lavin's second three of the game. The Eagles made six of their first seven shots in the quarter to hold a 38-29 lead midway through the quarter at the media timeout. 
• The Crusaders reined in the Eagles over the final four minutes of the half, with American still narrowly leading 42-40 at the break. Both teams shot over 50% from the field for the half, with American shooting 63% to Holy Cross' 55%.
• Again, neither team could pull away from each other as the second half started. LeMaster started the scoring for the Eagles with her second three of the game, and the score was knotted at 49 with 5:52 on the clock after American called timeout.
• After a quick basket from American out of that timeout, Holy Cross went on a 11-4 run to take a five point lead, its first since the first quarter. This time it was the Eagles that prevented the Crusaders from building a lead any further, getting the score back to 58-57 at the end of the third quarter.
• The war of attrition continued, with the Eagles briefly retaking the lead with a jumper from Bailey Garbee before the Crusaders answered back the next possession to hold a 63-62 lead with 5:58 left in the game.
• Both defenses tightened up as the time on the clock waned. American forged a narrow two point, 68-66 lead with 1:43 to play and both teams in the bonus.
• With the Eagles up by one coming out of a timeout, an inbound play to Nogues converted a quick layup to give American a 71-68 lead with 42.9 seconds to play.
• Holy Cross missed from distance on the next possession. With the shot clock off, the Crusaders were forced to foul Nogues who hit both free throws to ice the game for the Eagles.
• American went on to defeat the defending champion Crusaders 74-68.

UP NEXT
American will host its Play4Kay Cancer Awareness game against Navy in Bender Arena this Wednesday, February 14, at 7 p.m.
 
Tickets are on sale now at AUEagles.com/Tickets!
 
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