EASTON, Pa. – Behind nearly perfect free-throw shooting and clutch three-pointers, American University men's basketball now stands alone atop the Patriot League after a thrilling 75-68 comeback win at Lafayette (8-14, 3-6). The Eagles (13-9, 7-2) trailed by seven with 5:46 to play but closed strong, going a perfect 12-for-12 from the line to secure their sixth straight victory—their longest league win streak in a decade.
Notable Numbers
- Matt Rogers eclipsed 20 points for a second game in a row, scoring a game-high 21 to lead AU while posting a team-high eight rebounds as well. He hit 7-of-10 field goals, 3-of-5 three-pointers and made 4-of-4 at the line, despite playing the final seven minutes with four fouls.
- With his performance, Rogers moved from eighth to seventh in all-time scoring at American, now with 1,636 points. He needs just 19 more to move into a tie for sixth.
- The Eagles got a huge three-pointer from Greg Jones with 1:18 remaining, and he was 3-for-4 from long range overall as well as 6-of-6 at the stripe on his way to scoring 17 points.
- Colin Smalls scored 14 points and had a crucial steal and a layup with 44 seconds to go.
- After hitting two three-pointers in the first two minutes, Lincoln Ball went on to tie his career-high with 12 points behind a career-high three triples. Ball added five rebounds and four assists.
- Elijah Stephens went 4-for-4 at the line, all in the final 23 seconds. He added four assists and four steals to a six-point effort.
- Overall, the Eagles went 16-for-17 the line in their best performance of the season in a game with at least 10 made free throws.
First Half
- Ball hit his first two three-pointers of the season in an opening 9-0 run for the Eagles, who hit three of their first four attempts from long range.
- Eight minutes in, Rogers hit AU's fourth trey for the first double-digit lead, 17-7, and he hit another at 10:53 to cap a 13-1 run that put the Eagles up 22-7.
- From there, the scoring dried up for American over the next four minutes.
- The Leopards were not able to fully capitalize, pulling only to within four points before Jones ended AU's draught at 6:23, but in the next scoreless stretch for the Eagles, Lafayette nearly caught up.
- Jones gave AU a five-point cushion near the three-minute mark, 30-25, but Lafayette made it a one-point game with 17 seconds left.
- The final seconds saw a three-pointer from Mayock followed by a Justin Vander Baan jumper for Lafayette, putting AU's lead at 33-31 going into halftime.
- Rogers and Jones led AU with eight points at the break, while Ball had seven. AU shot 40 percent to the Leopards' 37.5 percent, but was outscored 14-4 in the paint.
Second Half
- Smalls scored AU's first five points in the second half, and a Rogers triple gave AU a 41-34 lead at 17:15 after an 8-3 run.
- Lafayette turned the game around once again, tying the score twice before taking its first lead at 12:33.
- After Rogers picked up his fourth foul with 10:48 remaining, the Eagles struggled to find their rhythm on offense.
- AU did just enough to keep the margin in the single digits, paving the way for a late comeback.
- Mayock and Rogers scored back-to-back buckets near the five-minute mark to cut a seven-point deficit to three, but the Leopards pulled right back ahead by six on Alex Chaikin's third three-pointer.
- Ball hit his third triple in answer at the four-minute mark. Lafayette briefly went back ahead by five, bur Rogers hit a pair of free throws and then another pair in a 1-and-1 opportunity to make it a one-point game, 63-62 at two minutes.
- Jones hit his go-ahead triple at 1:18 and the Eagles didn't trail again, thanks to rock-solid shooting at the free-throw line.
- The arena lights went out completely, leading to a delay of game in the final minute, but Jones was undeterred and hit his free throws when play resumed.
- Stephens followed suit, and both were 4-of-4 at the line in the final 36 seconds to keep Lafayette at bay.
Up Next
- The Eagles return home to Bender Arena on Saturday, Feb. 1 vs. Army at 2 p.m. on "Cassell Hall of Fame Induction Day." Click HERE to purchase tickets. Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods and non-perishable food items for a February Food Drive sponsored by AU corporate partner Wegmans, also the official game sponsor for Saturday's contest against Army.
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