WASHINGTON – The American University men's basketball team will host a Patriot League Quarterfinal game for the first time since 2020 as the Eagles take on Bucknell on Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m.
After finishing in a tie for second place in the Patriot League, American fell to the No. 4 seed by way of a tiebreaker. No. 5-seed Bucknell also finished in a tie for second place in the League. The Eagles defeated the Bison in both matchups during the regular season.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Thursday, March 7; 7:00 p.m.
- Site: Washington, D.C.
- Series History: Bucknell leads, 47-30
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Dan Laing and Gordon Austin
Inside the Series
- This will be the 78th meeting between American and Bucknell, with Bucknell leading the all-time series 47-30.
- American narrowly holds an edge with a 20-19 record against Bucknell at Bender Arena.
Earlier This Season …
- American defeated Bucknell 71-63 at Sojka Pavilion on Jan. 6. Freshman Matt Mayock led all scorers with a career-high 20 points.
- American defeated Bucknell 75-66 in overtime at Bender Arena on Feb. 3. Senior Matt Rogers scored 23 points and senior Lorenzo Donadio added 22 points, as AU outscored the Bison 12-3 in overtime.
What to Know About American
- American is hosting a Patriot League Quarterfinal game for the first time since 2020. The Eagles have not won a home quarterfinal game since 2014, when they went on to win the Patriot League championship. American secured a first-round bye for the first time since 2021.
- Rogers leads AU and ranks third in the PL with 16.4 points per game, adding 6.2 rebounds per game (fifth in PL). Rogers has reached double-figures scoring in all but four games played this season. He was named to the All-Patriot League First Team on Monday, and on Wednesday he was named to the Patriot League's Academic All-League Team.
- Junior Elijah Stephens leads AU and ranks second in the PL with 5.0 assists per game. His assist/turnover ratio of 2.1 ranks fourth in the PL, and his 12.3 points per game rank seventh in the PL. He was named to the Patriot League's All-Defensive Team and All-League Second Team.
- First-year head coach Duane Simpkins has brought a new energy to the program. American's 10 conference wins are the most since 2020 (12), and just the second time since 2014 that the Eagles have reached double-digit wins in the Patriot League.
- American won both matchups with Bucknell this season. American won in Lewisburg, Pa., 71-63, on January 6, when Mayock scored a career-high 20 points on national television. Then, the Eagles won at Bender Arena on February 3, outscoring Bucknell 12-3 in OT.
Scouting the Bison
- No. 5-seed Bucknell enters Thursday's game with a 13-18 record overall and a 10-8 conference record. Bucknell is part of the four-way tie for second place in the Patriot League.
- The Bison earned a marquee win on Dec. 2 when they defeated Penn State on the road, 76-67, after trailing by 10 points.
- In its last game, Bucknell defeated Lafayette at home, 60-50, to move into the No. 5 seed. Bucknell has won three games in a row.
- Senior Jack Forrest ranks fourth in the PL with 16.6 points per game. He makes 2.6 threes per game (2nd in the PL). He also leads the PL playing 36.0 minutes per game.
- Sophomore Noah Williamson adds 11.8 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Elvin Edmonds IV adds 11.0 points.
- John Griffin III, a 2008 Bucknell graduate, is in his first season as a collegiate head coach. In four years as a player and four years as an assistant at Bucknell, he helped lead the Bison to four NCAA Tournament appearances.
MEN'S BASKETBALL PL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS TICKET INFO
Adult: $14 l Youth (14 & Below) & Seniors (65+): $7
All ticket prices are set by the Patriot League.
AU STUDENTS WILL BE ADMITTED FREE WITH VALID AU ID
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