WASHINGTON - Three opponents will visit Bender Arena for the long holiday weekend, as American University men's basketball hosts the Capital Thanksgiving Classic from Friday-Sunday, Nov. 28-30. All four teams—American, Maine, Siena, and Longwood—will play each other, with games at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day. The Eagles will always play at 4 p.m., and tickets are available
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Friday, Nov. 28
Siena vs. Longwood - 1 p.m. -
Live Stats
AU vs. Maine - 4 p.m. -
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Live Stats
Saturday, Nov. 29
Longwood vs. Maine - 1 p.m. -
Live Stats
AU vs. Siena - 4 p.m. -
ESPN+ /
Live Stats
Sunday, Nov. 30
Maine vs. Siena - 1 p.m. -
Live Stats
AU vs. Longwood - 4 p.m. -
ESPN+ /
Live Stats
Parking Information
- Parking on campus is $10 per contest for games held after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on holidays and weekends, available through the PayByPhone app in any garage using code (211950).
- Standard hourly garage rates apply from 8 am-10 pm in the Katzen Arts Center and School of International Service garages.
Bender Bites and The Perch
- The Perch has returned for a second year, offering a special section behind the north basket where fans ages 21 and over can purchase beer, wine and seltzers.
- New this season to the concessions area is Bender Bites, in partnership with AU Kitchen. The menu is expanded from past offerings, and there will be multiple areas for purchasing food, snacks and drinks around the arena.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles are the hosts of a Multi-Team Event (MTE) this week, welcoming Maine, Siena, and Longwood to Bender Arena in round-robin competition from Friday-Sunday.
- Last year's MTE went well for the Eagles, who went 3-0 at the Puerto Rico Clasico against Kansas City, UAlbany, and PR at Bayamon.
- AU is 3-0 so far at home, and will be playing the second, third, and fourth of six straight home games this weekend.
- Four different players—Wyatt Nausadis, Madden Collins, Kade Sebastian, and Greg Jones—have been leading scorers so far for AU.
- AU beat DIII Marywood 113-53, getting 20 points each from freshmen Madden Collins and Kade Sebastian. They led five who reached double figures in scoring, and all 12 dressed players scored for American.
- The efficiency from the freshmen 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.
- On this year's roster of 19, nine are true freshmen including six scholarship players. Collins is averaging a team-best 14.5 ppg, and Sebastian is averaging 12.7 points over the last three contests after posting 10 vs. Central Penn , eight at Rutgers, and 20 vs. Marywood.
- The Eagles are coming off a 22-13 season and the fourth Patriot League Championship in program history.
What to Know About Maine
- Against some tough competition, Maine has started the season at 0-6, most recently falling in a tight game vs. Brown, 58-53.
- Grad student forward TJ Biel leads Maine with 13.2 ppg and is tied with freshman forward Ace Flagg for the team lead with 4.8 rpg.
- The Black Bears were picked to finish second in the America East preseason poll, their highest ranking in over 20 years.
- Maine made its first America East Championship game appearance last season since the 2003-04 season, falling to Bryant.
What to Know About Siena
- Siena has a 4-2 record thus far this season and has won two straight, a 73-63 home win over Albany and a 73-69 victory at Holy Cross.
- Sophomore guard Gavin Doty pours in 15.0 points a game to lead the team. Junior forward Tasman Goodrick (12.2) and senior guard Justice Shoats (12.0) also score in double figures.
- Gerry McNamara, who made his name as a star player at Syracuse where he helped lead the Orange to the 2003 national title, is in his second year at the helm at Siena. Their 14 wins in his first season last year marked a 10-win improvement from 2023-24, the ninth-best turnaround in the nation.
What to Know About Longwood
- Longwood enters the weekend 3-3, with victories over Mary Baldwin, James Madison, and Binghamton.
- Grad student forward Johan Nziemi leads the Lancers with 14.0 points per game, but he did not play in their most recent game, a 95-70 loss at Columbia on Nov. 23. Junior guard Jacoi Hutchinson adds 13.8 points a game and a team-best 3.7 assists per contest.
- Ronnie Thomas is the head coach of Longwood in his first season after five years as an assistant coach at the school.
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