CINCINNATI - American University men's basketball erased an 11-point first-half deficit and battled Cincinnati to a tie early in the second half before the Bearcats pulled away for a 79-53 victory in the Eagles' season opener Monday night at Fifth Third Arena. Sophomore
Madden Collins led all scorers with 20 points as AU held its own against its Big 12 opponent for much of the opening 25 minutes.
NotableÂ
- Collins finished with a game-high 20 points, shooting 5-of-13 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-10 at the free-throw line. He also drew nine fouls.
- Junior Julen Iturbe added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds, connecting on two three-pointers.
- Sophomore Dean Hogans scored eight points off the bench, hitting two three-pointers and pulling down five rebounds.
- The Eagles connected on seven threes in the first half, shooting 41.2 percent from long range before finishing 7-of-29 for the game.
- American overcame an 11-point deficit late in the first half, tying the game at 33-33 with 42 seconds remaining before entering halftime down just two, 35-33.
- Cincinnati was led by Tyler Tejada and MJ Collins with 13 points apiece. The Bearcats held a 48-32 advantage on the glass and outscored American 40-14 in the paint.
First HalfÂ
- American got off to a strong start when Eric Michaels, back in action for the first time since the Eagles' NCAA Tournament game on March 19, 2025, threw down a dunk for the game's first points.
- The Eagles traded leads with Cincinnati throughout the opening eight minutes.
- Hogans knocked down two early three-pointers, while Iturbe and Wyatt Nausadis also connected from long range to help American take a 14-12 lead with 12:37 remaining.
- Cincinnati responded with a 15-2 run to build its largest lead of the half, 27-16, with 5:52 on the clock.
- The Eagles refused to go away, with Collins scoring 11 points over the final 5:27 of the half. His three-pointer with 2:29 remaining cut the deficit to six, and another Iturbe triple brought American within two at 33-31.
- Collins completed the comeback with a pair of free throws at the 42-second mark, tying the game at 33-33. Cincinnati converted two free throws in the closing seconds to take a narrow, 35-33 advantage into the locker room.
Second HalfÂ
- Collins picked up right where he left off, scoring American's first four points of the half. His driving layup with 17:44 remaining tied the game at 37-37, the fourth tie of the contest.
- Cincinnati began to create separation with a 12-0 run, taking a 49-37 lead with 14:14 to play. The Eagles struggled to find their shooting touch after halftime, missing their first eight three-point attempts of the period.
- Two free throws from Iturbe brought AU back within 10, 51-41 with 12:02 remaining, but the Bearcats answered with 11 straight points to go ahead 62-41.
- American continued to compete, with Michaels scoring inside and Collins adding two more free throws as the Eagles cut the deficit to 18 with under four minutes remaining.
- Cincinnati maintained control down the stretch, outscoring American 44-20 in the second half to secure the 79-53 victory.
Next Up
- The Eagles are back on the road against another Power Four team later this week, heading to Clemson for a 7 p.m. game on Friday, Nov. 6.
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