Madden Collins going up for a basket at Rutgers in a men's basketball game
Carl Rizzo
71
American Americ 2-3,0-0 Patriot
80
Winner Rutgers RU 4-0,0-0 Big Ten
American Americ
2-3,0-0 Patriot
71
Final
80
Rutgers RU
4-0,0-0 Big Ten
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
American Americ 33 38 71
Rutgers RU 33 47 80

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Competes Tough in 80–71 Loss at Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Despite a strong shooting night that included 12 three-pointers and a halftime tie, American University men's basketball came up short on the road Wednesday, falling 80–71 at Rutgers. Freshman Madden Collins led the Eagles with 16 points as AU stayed within striking distance late before the Scarlet Knights sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Notable Numbers
  • Collins hit 5-of-9 field goals including 3-of-5 from long range in leading the Eagles with 16 points, also tying senior Geoff Sprouse with a team-best five rebounds.
  • Junior Greg Jones and sophomore Wyatt Nausadis added 11 points each, while Sprouse and freshman Kade Sebastian each scored eight.
  • The Eagles committed just three turnovers in the first half and only eight in the game. AU finished with five steals to one for Rutgers.
  • AU's 12 three-pointers made is the most so far this season.
  • Dylan Grant led Rutgers with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, going 7-for-12 from the field and 7-of-9 from the line. 
First Half
  • The Eagles trailed for only 40 seconds of the half, thanks to nine three-pointers that kept them in the lead for nearly 18 of 20 minutes.
  • AU led 5-0 early on, and later broke a 7-7 tie with a triple for Sebastian.
  • The Scarlet Knights pulled ahead 11-10 before Collins exploded from long range.
  • AU hit four straight three-pointers—three by Collins and one from junior Matt Mayock—for a 12-0 run that gave the Eagles a 22-11 lead at the 12-minute mark.
  • After an almost four-minute drought during which Rutgers narrowed the lead to six, Sprouse hit a driving layup, but it was the Eagles' only bucket in a seven-minute stretch.
  • Sebastian drained his second triple at the 5-minute mark to end the cold spell and put AU up 27-22, but Rutgers tied it up at 30-30 with a minute left.
  • The second of two treys from Sprouse put the Eagles up 33-30, and they nearly took that lead into the break before a layup and one for the Scarlet Knights with one second remaining tied the game for the third time at 33-33.
Second Half
  • The shots stopped falling for the Eagles to start the second half, as Rutgers pulled ahead quickly with a 7-0 run.
  • Jones hit AU's first two-point bucket in 13 minutes, and first bucket of the second half, at 15:36 to pull the Eagles within five at 40-35.
  • From there, the Scarlet Knights scored five more in a row, making it a 12-2 run and a 10-point advantage.
  • Rutgers took an 11-point lead on a triple at the 13-minute mark before the Eagles got back into it.
  • Sophomore Julen Iturbe scored five points in a 7-0 run that narrowed the margin to four points, and AU later pulled within three after four straight free throws made it 51-48 Rutgers at 8:53.
  • Back-to-back buckets for Rutgers put AU down by seven, and the Eagles never came within fewer than five points the rest of the way despite hitting 11-of-13 free throws in the half.
  • Freshman Chris Eagan kept AU within striking distance with a pair of buckets at 4:48 and 4:04, but the best the Eagles could do was trade baskets.
  • Jones converted a three-point play with a minute and a half left to pull AU within seven, 71-64, and Collins capped a 7-0 run with a free throw to pull AU within six.
  • AU twice made it a five-point game in the final minute, but Rutgers hit 7-of-8 free throws to keep the Eagles at bay.


Next Up
  • The Eagles will have the rest of the week off from competition before hosting DII Marywood at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24.
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