Box Score WASHINGTON – In a low-scoring affair for both teams, a shorthanded American University men's basketball team fought back to bring the game down to the final possession after trailing by as many as 13 but fell just short against the visiting Loyola Greyhounds, 44-43.
 
Notable Numbers

• Senior Lorenzo Donadio led the Eagles with 15 points on 6-12 shooting. Fellow senior Matt Rogers was close behind with 12 points and led the team with eight rebounds.
• Freshman Greg Jones made his first career start for American. 
• Deon Perry led Loyola, carrying over half of his team's offensive load with a game-high 23 points, including a perfect 9-9 from the free-throw line.
• American is tied for third with Bucknell in the Patriot League with a 7-4 (13-11 overall) conference record.

First Half

• After Loyola went up 6-0 to start the game, Rogers slammed home a dunk to kick off the scoring for American. Donadio quickly stole the ball and drove in for the layup to make the score 6-4 Loyola five minutes into the game.
• With the Eagles struggling to find a groove offensively, the Greyhounds jumped out to a 11-point lead buoyed by the Greyhounds drawing shooting fouls on American on two separate shots from behind the arc in the span of three possessions.
• American managed to keep the deficit from getting out of hand, keeping pace with Loyola for the remainder of the half. Donadio juked out a Loyola defender to hit a buzzer-beater layup to bring the game within single digits, with American trailing 28-19 at the break.

Second Half

• The Eagles got off to a slow start offensively, only recording one field goal in the first three minutes of the half. However, the defense stepped up, stonewalling the Greyhounds and keeping them off the scoreboard for nearly nine minutes from just over the 16-minute mark until 7:26 when Perry converted on three straight free throws for Loyola.
• Over that stretch, American went on a 11-0 run to cut its deficit to only two, trailing 36-34 prior to Perry's free throws. Donadio led the way during the run with 5 points, capping the run by getting inside the paint to record a layup.
• Loyola looked like it was threatening to pull away once again, but a timely three from first-year Matt Mayock kept the Eagles within two, trailing 41-39 with 4:05 left to play.
• The following possessions, a driving Matt Rogers laid one off the glass to tie the game for the first time since Loyola's first basket of the game. A minute later, Mayock was fouled and hit both free throws to give American a 43-41 lead, its first of the game.
• The Eagles found themselves with an opportunity to steal the game with the ball and down one with just twenty-one seconds left on the clock. However, a missed three forced American to foul, sealing the game for Loyola, who came away with the narrow 44-43 victory.

UP NEXT
American heads to Worcester, Massachusetts to play Holy Cross this Saturday, February 10th, at 2 p.m to kick off a two-game road stint. The Eagles will be back in action at Bender Arena on February 17 to take on Lafayette at 4 p.m.
 
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