WASHINGTON – Riding a three-game winning streak and having won 10 of their last 11 games, American University men's basketball heads to Army West Point (15-11, 9-5) on Wednesday night looking to complete the season sweep of the Black Knights. With just four regular-season games remaining, the Eagles (17-10, 11-3) aim to keep their momentum rolling as they continue their push toward the Patriot League Tournament.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 19; 6 pm
- Site: West Point, N.Y. (Christl Arena)
- Series History: AU leads, 36-17
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Rich DiMarco
Inside the Series
- This will be the 52nd meeting between American and Army, with the Eagles leading 35-16.
- The Eagles used a 15-2 run early in the second half to gain the cushion they needed in what turned into a close win over Army at home on Feb. 1, 71-68. Matt Rogers scored 20 points and hit 4-of-6 shots from long range in that win.
- AU swept the season series last year, winning 79-60 at home before using a big second half to win 73-51 at Army on Feb. 28.
- The Eagles are 21-6 all-time at home against the Black Knights and have won six in a row in Bender Arena.
- American boasts a 13-11 record when playing at West Point, but Army had won two in a row before the Eagles' victory last year.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles, winners of 10 of their last 11 games, are alone in first place in the Patriot League at 11-3, one game ahead of Bucknell and two ahead of Army.
- The Eagles are 1-1 against Bucknell, and will face Army and fourth-place Colgate in their last two regular-season road games.
- AU's 11 league wins have surpassed last season's total of 10 with four games left to play, and 11 is the most wins since the 2019-20 team went 12-6.
- With the exception 19-point and 21-point wins against Loyola Maryland, all 10 wins in AU's 10-1 streak were close (within 10 points), including five decided by four or fewer points.
- The Eagles won another thriller early last week, as Matt Rogers hit a jumper with 3.2 seconds left for a 60-58 win over Lafayette. All three graduate students (Rogers, Colin Smalls, and Lincoln Ball), have now hit a crucial late shot to help win a game.
- Rogers, who ranks sixth all-time at AU with 1,733 points, has averaged 20.6 points per game over the last seven games. His season average of 17.1 points per game is third in the Patriot League, while his 5.8 rebounds per game rank seventh.
- Rogers is hitting shots at a 55.9 percent clip, good enough for third in the PL and 38th in NCAA Division I. His three-point field-goal percentage of .421 ranks seventh, while his 1.8 3-pointers per game ranks 10th.
- AU leads the Patriot League and ranks 39th in NCAA DI in free-throw percentage at .766 a number that would break a 60-year-old program record, with the 1964-65 team currently holding that mark at .750. In PL games, AU has made 80 percent of its foul shots.
- Greg Jones ranks third in the PL in free-throw percentage at .8711, Elijah Stephens is fourth at .855, Colin Smalls is fifth at .815, and Matt Rogers is 10th at .759.
- Senior guard Elijah Stephens is just the fourth player in program history to eclipse both 1,000 points (now with 1,118) and 400 assists (now with 438).
- Stephens also just cracked the career list in steals with 169 to rank 10th all-time at AU. Due to illness or injury he has missed four games at various times this season (La Salle, St. Joe's, Virginia, Bucknell), and all four were losses for the Eagles.
What to Know About Army West Point
- Wednesday's matchup pits the Eagles against the only other Patriot League team with an overall record above .500, as Army West Point comes in at 15-11 overall.
- After falling to AU on Feb. 1, the Black Knights had won three in a row until a 61-54 loss at Navy on Feb. 15. Army stands in a tie for second in the PL at 9-5.
- Senior guard Jalen Rucker leads the Black Knights and ranks second in the Patriot League with 18.2 points per game, having scored at least 18 points in Army's last four games.
- Sophomore forward Josh Scovens adds 16.1 points a contest, sophomore guard Ryan Curry chips in 12.4, and senior forward AJ Allenspach nets 10.3. Curry's 3.8 assists and Allenspach's 7.4 rebounds a game are both fourth in the Patriot League.
- Kevin Kuwik is in his second year as the head coach at West Point. His team has already won five more games than it did in his entire first season.
Best Patriot League Start in 10 Years
- The Eagles' 11-3 start in Patriot League play is their best in 10 years, since the 2013-14 team won 10 straight games to open league play. That team finished 13-5 overall in the PL and went on to win the program's third Patriot League Championship.
- It has been a strong turnaround since AU started the PL season this year at 1-2, including a 23-point loss at Navy in the Eagles' conference opener on January 2.
- With its win at Lafayette on Jan. 29 and extending with its win over Army on Feb. 1, AU had its longest conference win streak (seven games) since that 2013-14 season. The Eagles have now won 10 of their last 11 games.
Fifth-Year Finishing School
- Veteran leadership shows up in many ways, and for AU's three grad students, it's been visible in the biggest moments. Thanks to the NCAA's COVID eligibility rule, Lincoln Ball, Matt Rogers, and Colin Smalls are in their fifth season—and all share a unique achievement.
- All three have delivered a clutch shot this season, the only three Eagles to do so. Colin Smalls started the trend, forcing overtime against George Washington on Dec. 4 with a long three at the end of regulation in a game AU went on to win.
- Lincoln Ball followed with a true buzzer-beater, drilling a game-winning floater to lift AU over Lehigh on Jan. 22, 68-67.
- Matt Rogers was the latest to come through in the clutch, sinking a fadeaway jumper at 3.2 seconds for a 60-58 win over Lafayette.
Make Your Free Throws
- AU's team free-throw percentage of .766 leads the PL, ranks 39th in NCAA Division I, and would break the previous program record of .750 from 1964-65 if it held through to the end of the season.
- The Eagles went 9-for-9 at Virginia, 15-for-17 vs. Holy Cross, 12-for-13 at BU, 14-for-16 at Holy Cross, and 16-for-17 at Lafayette. AU's shooting at the line was crucial in its win at Lafayette, as the Eagles hit 12-for-12 in the final minutes to help erase a seven-point deficit.
- Greg Jones (3rd, .811), Elijah Stephens (4th, .855), Colin Smalls (5th, .815), and Matt Rogers (10th, .759) all rank in the top 10 in the Patriot League in free-throw percentage. Matt Mayock is shooting 80.3 percent and has made 11 free throws in a row, but does not have enough attempts to be ranked (57-for-71).
Big Man Can Shoot
- While a player like Matt Rogers would often be dominant primarily inside, Rogers has made himself versatile to the point that he leads American in three-pointers made this season with 48.
- His 1.8 three-pointers made per game rank 10th in the Patriot League, and that number shoots up to 2.3 threes per game for PL games only, ranking him fourth. Rogers' overall three-point field-goal percentage of .421 ranks seventh in the PL.
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