By Jeysla Gonzalez

3 19 2025

AMERICAN GAME NOTES

https://aueagles.com/documents/2025/3/17/MBB_Game_Notes-NCAA_First_Four.pdf

NCAA MARCH MADNESS

https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch

DAYTON, Ohio – For the first time in 11 years, American University is back on college basketball’s biggest stage. The Eagles, riding a four-game winning streak that included a dominant run to the Patriot League Championship, will face Mount St. Mary’s in the NCAA First Four on Wednesday, March 19, at 6:40 p.m. on truTV. The two programs, separated by just 70 miles, have plenty of history—including an AU win last season—but this matchup offers something even bigger: a shot at the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.

Members of the AU community not making the trip to Dayton are welcome to cheer on the team with fellow Eagles faithful on the big screen in the Mary Graydon Center Tavern on campus.

Quick Info

• Date/Time: Wednesday, March 19; 6:40 pm
• Site: Dayton, Ohio (UD Arena)
• Series History: AU leads 37-33
• TV: truTV
• Talent (TV): Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel, Jon Rothstein
• Radio: Westwood One
• Talent (Radio): Nate Gatter, King McClure

Inside the Series

• AU leads the all-time series against Mount St. Mary’s, 37-33.
• The Eagles lead the series 19-13 at home while the Mountaineers have a 16-14 lead in Emmitsburg, Md.
• Last year, American won 68-65 at home on Nov. 22, 2023. The season prior, AU won 69-61 on the road.
• The Eagles have won four straight in the series after previously dropping three straight.

What to Know About American

• American won its fourth Patriot League Championship in program history, and is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. The No. 2 seeded Eagles, who tied Bucknell for the PL regular season championship, ran through three opponents at home to take the title.
• The Eagles avenged two regular-season losses to Navy by cruising to a 74-52 win against the Midshipmen in the championship game behind 25 points from graduate student and PL Tournament MVP Matt Rogers.
• AU now has its first 22-win season since a 22-9 record in 2010-11. It was already its first 20-win season since 2013-14.
• The Eagles finished with 13 PL wins, also the most since 2013-14, with both 2024-25 and 2013-14 tying 2008-09 for most PL wins in program history (13). They shared the regular season PL championship with Bucknell, but got the No. 2 seed after the PL’s tiebreaking procedure. Previously, the last regular season championship for AU was in 2009.
• Prior to this season, the last PL Tournament Championship for AU was in 2013-14. The Eagles also won in 2008 and 2009.
• Eleven of AU’s games have been decided by five or fewer points, with the Eagles winning nine—highlighted by a Lincoln Ball buzzer-beater vs. Lehigh, an OT win at Lehigh, and a Matt Rogers game-winner vs. Lafayette.
• All three graduate students (Ball, Rogers, and Colin Smalls) have hit a crucial late shot this season to help win a game.
• Head coach Duane Simpkins is one of 25 finalists for both the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, and the Ben Jobe Award, honoring the top minority coach in Division I basketball.
• Rogers is an All-Patriot League First Team honoree for the second time in his career, and is a one of 35  finalists nationally for the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award.
• Senior Elijah Stephens is an All-PL Third Team honoree, and sophomore Greg Jones earned All-PL Defensive Team honors.
• Rogers, who ranks sixth all-time at AU with 1,849 points, averages 17.0 points per game to rank fourth in the PL. He’s hitting shots at a 55.6 percent clip, good enough for fifth in the PL. His three-point FG pct of .399 ranks seventh in the PL.

What to Know About Mount St. Mary’s

• Mount St. Mary’s captured the MAAC Championship as the sixth seed, defeating Marist, Merrimack, and then Iona.
• Head Coach Donny Lind led the Mountaineers to a 22-12 overall record, bringing the team to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history in his first season at the helm.
• Guards Dola Adebayo and Dallas Hobbs are the top scorers, averaging 13.2 and 12.6 points per game. Senior forward Jedy Cordilla leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.3 boards per contest.
• The Mountaineers put up 70.4 points per game, shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three point range this season.
• Mount St. Mary’s last made the NCAA Tournament in 2021, falling to Texas Southern in the First Four. The Mountaineers have never made it further than the First Four or First Round in their seven trips to the tournament.

Keep Up With Us

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

COURTESY AMERICAN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

No. 16 MOUNT ST. MARY’S (22-12) vs. No. 16 AMERICAN (22-12)
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 6:40 p.m.
Dayton, Ohio | University of Dayton Arena

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | WATCH (truTV) | LISTEN

MOUNT STORY LINES

• Mount St. Mary’s captured its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title with a 63-49 win over Iona in the championship game on Saturday night.  Dallas Hobbs led the Mount with 18 points and seven assists while tournament MVP Dola Adebayo had 15 points.  Hobbs and Arlandus Keyes, who had 14 points in the championship game, joined Adebayo on the All-Tournament team. The Mount finished tied for fourth in the standings and was the #6 seed.
• Mount St. Mary’s is 22-12 on the season, the most wins by a Mountaineer team since joining NCAA Division I in 1988-89.  The only other 20-win seasons in the D1 era came in 1995-96 (21-8) and 2016-17 (20-16).
• This will be the 71st meeting all-time between the Mount and American.  The Eagles have won the past four matchups to take a 37-33 lead in the series.  American won the last meeting, 68-64, on November 22, 2023.
• Mount St. Mary’s was the hottest team in the MAAC down the stretch, and has won 11 of its past 14 games.
• This is the Mount’s seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament, joining the 1995, 1999, 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2021 squads.  The Mount was a member of the Northeast Conference for the first six appearances.
• The Mountaineers are 2-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, earning an Opening Round win over Coppin State (69-60) in 2008 and a First Four win over New Orleans in 2017 (67-66).  The Mount is 2-2 in the Opening Round/First Four.  The Mount last appeared in the First Four in 2021, a 60-52 loss to Texas Southern.
• Defense has keyed the Mount’s late season surge, holding the opposition to 37.5 percent shooting overall, 30.5 percent from three-point range, and 65.1 points over the past 14 games.  It was even better at the MAAC Tournament, as the Mount allowed just 54.0 points per game while holding the opposition to 32.6 percent shooting overall and 20.0 percent from three.  The Mount has held the each of the last four opponents under 60 points.
• Mount St. Mary’s is +4.4 in rebound margin this year, including a healthy +9.1 over the past 14 games.  The Mount is 18-6 this year when holding the rebound edge.
• A Mount win would send the Mount to Raleigh, N.C., to face East top seed Duke on Friday, March 21, at 2:50 p.m.

COURTESY MOUNT SAINT MARY’S ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS