WASHINGTON – With several key players out of the game due to injuries, the American University men's basketball team rallied to outscore Bucknell 12-3 in overtime for a 75-66 win at Bender Arena on Saturday. With the win, American completed a season sweep of Bucknell.
Senior
Matt Rogers led the Eagles in scoring with 23 points, and senior
Lorenzo Donadio added 22 points. With just over a minute to play in regulation, Bucknell led by three points, but a three-pointer from junior
Elijah Stephens tied the game. Stephens, who later left the game with an injury, did not play during the overtime period.
Notable Numbers
- Rogers added 9 rebounds and a career-high 7 assists to his 23 points for the game in more than 38 minutes on the floor, with sophomore Jermaine Ballisager Webb injured.
- Donadio matched his career high with 22 points, making 7-of-8 critical free throws.
- Senior Lincoln Ball recorded a career-high 15 rebounds in addition to his 5 points.
- Freshman Matt Mayock matched his career high with 4 three-pointers, including one in overtime, to total 12 points.
- In a game that came down to the wire, American made 77 percent of its free throws. Bucknell, who led the Patriot League in free throw percentage entering the game, made just 63 percent of its free throws.
- American made more than 42 percent of its three-point attempts, totaling 14 threes for the game.
First Half
- American started the game with two defensive stops. Threes from Stephens and Rogers, as well as a Rogers jump shot, gave AU an 8-4 lead at the 15:34 mark.
- The Eagles made 5 three-pointers in the first 10 minutes, and AU led 21-8 with 9:46 left in the half.
- After a technical foul on Bucknell with 8:27 left in the half, Stephens made two free throws to give American a 23-14 lead.
- Sophomore Adrian Samuels scored his first points of the season with a three-pointer to give AU a 28-18 lead at the 4:12 mark.
- Rogers led the Eagles at the half with 9 points.
- American made 6 three-pointers in the first half, helping them take a 32-22 lead heading into the locker rooms.
Second Half
- Ball made a three-pointer for the second game in a row as AU led 42-28 at the 16:37 mark.
- Bucknell went on a 10-0 run over a three-minute stretch to cut American's lead to 4 with 13:39 left in regulation.
- With the shot clock running down, a three from Donadio gave American a 48-40 lead with 11:35 to play.
- A 7-1 run for Bucknell cut its deficit to 2 points with 7:39 to play.
- After Bucknell took the lead, a pair of Matt Rogers free throws helped AU retake the lead, 54-53, with 5:36 to play.
- Trailing by 2, American forced a shot clock violation with 2:24 to play. On the following possession, Rogers got to the free throw line and made one-of-two to cut the deficit to 1 point.
- Trailing by 3, Stephens made a critical three-pointer to tie the game with under a minute to go.
- With 19 seconds to play, Stephens was fouled and left the game with an injury. Ball stepped in and made one free throw to give AU a one-point lead.
- After Bucknell made a free throw, the game went to overtime tied at 63.
Overtime
- On the opening possession of overtime, Rogers scored to give AU a two-point lead.
- With 3:43 left in overtime, Bucknell's Jack Forrest fouled out of the game. At the time, he led Bucknell with 18 points. Rogers made both free throws to give AU a three-point lead.
- Two possessions later, Rogers made a three-pointer to give American a six-point lead.
- After Bucknell cut it to a four-point game, Mayock knocked down a three that served as the final blow for the Bison.
- American outscored Bucknell 12-3 in the overtime period for a 75-66 win.
Up Next
- The Eagles will be back at Bender Arena on Wednesday, February 7, for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off against Loyola Maryland, which will be Sustainability Awareness Night at American University. Click here to purchase tickets.
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