WASHINGTON - Late-game drama ended in disappointment as American University men's basketball fell to Lafayette, 67–65, on a buzzer-beating layup Saturday afternoon at Bender Arena. After leading most of the first half and by five at halftime, the Eagles played from behind in the second half but rallied late before Caleb Williams scored at the horn for the Leopards.

Notable 

• Freshman Madden Collins scored two game-tying layups in the final minute, the first capping a 7-0 run, and finished with 11 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds and a team-high four assists.
• Sophomore Julen Iturbe recovered from an early-game injury to lead AU with 12 points, also grabbing six boards.
• Juniors Matt Mayock and Greg Jones added 11 points and 10 points, respectively, while sophomore Wyatt Nausadis finished with eight points and three steals.
• Lafayette's Andrew Phillips hit 5-of-7 attempts from long range and led all players with 23 points.

First Half 

• Neither team shot at a high percentage in the opening period, but the Eagles led for 18:34 after jumping out to a hot start.
• Freshman Kade Sebastian, Jones, and senior Geoff Sprouse all hit triples, helping AU make its first three attempts from long range and building a 13-6 lead near the 16-minute mark.
• Near the 10-minute mark, Nausadis hit back-to-back buckets for a 19-14 lead, but a single free throw for Sebastian was the only point the Eagles scored for the next five minutes.
• American's defense was solid and the Eagles led throughout the scoreless spell, allowing just three points for the Leopards.
• Collins broke the drought at 4:56 after a steal by Nausadis, and Iturbe returned from an early injury to drain a triple at the four-minute mark for a 25-20 lead.
• Freshman Dean Hogans brought a spark in the final stretch, coming off the bench for back-to-back buckets in his first three minutes of action.
• Eight players had scored as AU took a 32-27 lead into the break, led by Iturbe and Nausadis with six apiece.

Second Half 

• Phillips made back-to-back triples early for Lafayette, and another three-pointer for the Leopards gave them their first lead since 2-0.
• The Eagles stayed within one or two possessions nearly the entire way, but were unable to tie it up until the final minute.
• Lafayette used a 5-0 run for its largest lead of seven, 63-56 with 2:25 remaining.
• Mayock put the Eagles back within two possessions with a three-pointer at 2:19, starting a 7-0 run capped by Collins with a layup at 1:05.
• Lafayette's Williams, who went on to hit the game-winner, gave his team the lead with 38 seconds left, but Collins tied it yet again with 24 seconds to go.
• AU's defense nearly came up with the stop to force overtime, but Williams got his game-winning layup to go at the buzzer for the win.

Next Up

• The Eagles are back in Bender Arena against Bucknell on Wednesday, Feb. 4, for their annual Sustainability Awareness Game.

Keep Up With Us

• For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Instagram (@au_mbasketball), X (@AU_MBasketball), and Facebook (/AU.MBasketball).