WASHINGTON – There's little time for rest, but adversity is nothing new for American University men's basketball. After seeing their seven-game win streak snapped at Bucknell with a shorthanded squad, the Eagles will look to bounce back and complete a regular-season sweep of Lehigh on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. AU still holds a one-game lead atop the Patriot League standings.
Quick Info
- Date/Time: Saturday, February 8; 2 pm
- Site: Bethlehem, Pa. (Stabler Arena)
- Series History: Lehigh leads, 34-29
- TV: ESPN+
- Talent: Marco Socci, Ryan McGettigan
Inside the Series
- There are 62 games on record between American and Lehigh, with Lehigh leading 34-29.
- The Mountain Hawks had won four of five before Lincoln Ball hit a shot at the buzzer for a 68-67 AU win a couple weeks ago on January 22.
- The teams split meetings last season with each winning on its home court. AU holds a 17-11 lead all-time in home games, but Lehigh leads 22-8 in Bethlehem.
- Matt Rogers had two strong games against Lehigh last year, averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the two contests. He also shot 64 percent from the floor.
What to Know About American
- The Eagles are still alone in first place in the Patriot League at 8-3, one game ahead of Army and Bucknell, but suffered a streak-breaking loss at Bucknell on Wednesday with a shorthanded squad due to illness and injury. The Eagles had won seven in a row, but the shots didn't fall with two starters out and three others playing sick. Only 10 team members even made the trip to Lewisburg, on a roster of 17.
- With the exception of their 19-point win at Loyola Maryland, all of the wins in AU's streak were close (within 10 points) including three decided by four or fewer points. The Eagles came back from an 11-point deficit to win 68-58 the first time they faced Bucknell, which was the win that started their streak back on January 11.
- Graduate student Matt Rogers, the Patriot League's Preseason Player of the Year, was named the PL's Player of the Week last week for the fourth time in his career. Rogers scored a game-high 26 points against Colgate, and ranks fourth in the PL with 16.5 points per game. He is just the fourth player in program history with both 1,500 points and 500 rebounds, now with 1,665 points (sixth all-time) and 701 rebounds (10th all-time).
- AU leads the Patriot League and ranks 42nd in NCAA DI in free-throw percentage at .760, 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 hit an impressive 154-of-194 free throws (.794). Greg Jones ranks second in the PL in free-throw percentage at .881, Elijah Stephens is fourth at .847, Colin Smalls is sixth at .795, and Matt Rogers is ninth at .767.
- Senior guard Elijah Stephens is the fourth player in program history to eclipse both 1,000 points and 400 assists. He ranks 30th with 1,082 points, and seventh with 428 assists. Stephens had zero turnovers in three of the last six games he's played, and only one at Lafayette on Jan. 29. In PL games only, Stephens ranks third with 4.5 assists per game and fifth with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.1.
What to Know About Lehigh
- Lehigh comes in on a hot streak, having won two in a row and three of four since losing to AU on Jan. 22. The Mountain Hawks earned a decisive victory over Colgate earlier this week, 94-68.
- The Mountain Hawks had previously lost six straight games since getting a win in their conference opener, a 66-64 OT victory at home against Bucknell.
- Lehigh was picked fifth in the preseason Patriot League poll. Senior guard Tyler Whitney-Sidney earned a spot on the preseason all-league poll, and has put together a solid season thus far with 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
- Senior guard Keith Higgins, Jr. was the leader for Lehigh with 17.9 points per game through 12 contests, but has not seen action since Jan. 2. Sophomore guard Cam Gillus has taken on some of that load, and led Lehigh with 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from long range in the win over Colgate.
- Dr. Brett Reed is in his 18th season at the helm at Lehigh, where he is the program's all-time winningest coach. He came into the season with the second-most wins all-time in PL history and the second-highest winning percentage among active coaches.
Best Patriot League Start in 10 Years
- The Eagles' 8-3 start to 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.
Make Your Free Throws
- AU's team free-throw percentage of .760 leads the Patriot League, ranks 42nd 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 against Holy Cross, 12-for-13 at BU, 14-for-16 on the road at Holy Cross, and 16-for-17 at Lafayette on Jan. 29. 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.
- Sophomore Greg Jones (2nd, .881), senior Elijah Stephens (4th, .847), grad student Colin Smalls (6th, .795), and grad student Matt Rogers (9th, .767) all rank in the top 10 in the Patriot League in free-throw percentage.
- Greg Jones hit 24 free throws in a row from Nov. 23 to Jan. 2, including an 8-of-8 performance in the OT win over GW on Dec. 4.
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 43.
- His 1.8 three-pointers made per game rank 10th in the Patriot League, and that number shoots up to 2.5 threes per game for PL games only, ranking him third. Rogers' overall three-point field-goal percentage of .430 ranks fifth in the PL.
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