WASHINGTON – A second period that saw American University women's basketball outscore Boston University 22-4, propelled the Eagles to a 53-45 win over the Terriers for their first win of the year and first Patriot League victory.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Molly Driscoll topped the Eagles with her 15 points on the afternoon. The sophomore has led the Eagles a team-leading six times in scoring this season.
• Madisyn Moore-Nicholson was a key player on both ends of the court for American, leading the squad in rebounds (10). With her 11 points, Moore-Nicholson cached in her first career double-double. Ellie Pingree, with nine points and eight rebounds, also had a career-high 3 blocks.
• American improved in points in the paint, scoring 20, and led in bench points, 21-13, and points off turnovers, 20-5.
• Against both Loyola and Boston U., the Eagles only committed eight turnovers in each game. The last time an AU team recorded fewer than ten turnovers was when the squad allowed nine against Boston University on March 9, 2020.
• The Terriers has a much more balanced approach to scoring, nine players on their roster in scoring position, led by Anete Adler with 12 points.

How it Happened

• Neither team wound up scoring through the first three and a half minutes of the contest; Boston drew first blood with a three pointer at the 6:09 mark in the first period. American finally found its way onto the board with 5:30 to play from Anna Rescifina layup.
• The Terriers would jump out to a 9-2 lead with 2:51 to play in the first period, finding some luck offensively while the Eagles were struggling to get it going, shooting just 1-for-13 from the floor.
• American worked back into it, but BU held the 11-6 lead through one.
• A layup from Rescifina had the Eagles and Terriers knotted at 13-all at the 7:16 mark of the second before a three pointer from Pingree gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, up 16-13.
• With five minutes to play before halftime, American led 21-15, outscoring the 15-4 in the opening half of the second period, to charge ahead. Driscoll had eight points already.
• Archer with a three pointer ended the scoring in the first half of gameplay to have the Eagles up 28-15 at the locker room break.
• The Eagles held the Terriers to 22.2 percent shooting in the first half while shooting 31.4 percent themselves.
• On even scoring in the third period, each team scoring nine points with 3:43 to go in the third, AU held onto its lead, up 37-24 over BU.
• The Terriers were cutting into the lead though, keeping AU scoreless for over three minutes, having them 1-for-10 from the floor over the end of the penultimate frame while going on a 7 point run themselves. With only ten to play in the game, AU held a much tighter, 38-31, lead.
• Back-to-back three pointers from Laura Nogues to start off the final period, along with another from Moore-Nicholson had the Eagles up 10, 47-37, with seven minutes to go in the contest. The two threes were Nogues' first points of the season after returning from injury.
• The Terriers were handing around, back seven, 50-43, with 3:30 to go, matching the Eagles in scoring 12-all in the opening six minutes of the fourth period.
• The scoring stayed even, with AU still holding onto a seven-point lead, up 52-45, with 15.6 left to play in the game. The Terriers ate a foul to try and regain possession with 13.8 and again with 11.9 to go.
• American would hold on through to win by a scoreline of 53-45 to seal the squad's first Patriot League victory.

On the Horizon
The Eagles squad remains at home to take on Colgate on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Before heading out on the road to play Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. on Saturday, Jan. 10.

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