WASHINGTON - Powered by 20-point nights from freshmen
Madden Collins and
Kade Sebastian, American University men's basketball surged to a 113–53 win over Marywood, hitting 14 threes and putting five players in double figures. The Eagles are now 3-0 in Bender Arena heading into their three-game Capital Thanksgiving Classic later this week.
Notable Numbers
- Collins and Sebastian became the first American freshmen to score 20 points in the same game since Sa'eed Nelson and Mark Gasperini had 20 each on Feb. 15, 2017, in a 78-65 loss at Lafayette.
- The efficiency from both players was eye-popping, with Collins hitting 9-of-10 from the field and Sebastian going 7-of-8 along with a 3-of-3 performance at the line.
- Sebastian also led the Eagles with six assists and three steals without committing a single turnover.
- Sophomore Julen Iturbe posted his second double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds to go with 10 points.
- Hitting 3-of-4 from long range, junior Matt Mayock finished with 11 points, and junior Greg Jones added 10 points to three steals.
- Sophomore Wyatt Nausadis was also 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in scoring nine points while dishing four assists.
- Every dressed athlete on AU's bench scored in the game, with freshmen Jack Anderson and Matt Casey each making their first career field goals.
- The Eagles' 43 field goals made ties for 10th all-time in program history, and their 113 points ties for eighth all-time.
- AU's 14 three-pointers made ties for fourth all-time in a single game, and the Eagles' 26 assists ties for ninth all-time.
First Half
- After a slow start, American used a 12-1 run to take a 15-7 lead at 14:34 on a Sebastian three-pointer.
- Marywood cut the lead to 15-11, but the Eagles took charge from there.
- Sebastian's second triple at 9:31 capped a 14-2 run that put AU up 29-13, and a layup from Iturbe at 6:48 started a 9-0 run fueled by Collins who scored the other seven points.
- AU's largest lead of the half was 28 points before a late bucket by the Pacers made it 54-28 American at the break.
Second Half
- The slow start of the first half was not a factor in the second, as the Eagles came out on fire.
- AU turned a 13-0 run into a 23-5 run, getting a spark from Nausadis who connected on two three-pointers early in the half.
- The Eagles hit 8-of-10 field goals to start the half, including five of seven from long range.
- Iturbe got the best reaction of the night after stuffing a putback at 9:14 for a 95-38 lead.
- AU was quiet offensively for the next two minutes, but scored another 18 points in the final seven minutes.
- Sebastian put the Eagles over 100 with three made free throws at 5:31.
- The Eagles' bench saw valuable minutes in the final stretch, with Anderson making a layup, Casey hitting a three, and freshman Luke Brown getting a pair of field goals in addition to going 3-of-4 at the line.
Next Up
- The Eagles will host three other teams in the Capital Thanksgiving Classic later this week. Games will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Nov. 28-30, with American playing Maine, Siena, and then Longwood at 4 p.m. each day. Neutral games will be each day at 1 p.m.
Keep Up With Us