While the American University women’s basketball team (0-2) failed to come back in an 89-71 loss to Lehigh (4-0) in the team’s second game of the 2021 season, it had standout moments that gave the Eagles confidence moving forward.
AU started the game on a 6-0 run, and although the team had a few more small leads throughout the first quarter, it simply couldn’t keep up with Lehigh’s sharpshooting from beyond the arc. The Mountain Hawks hit 16 3-pointers in the game, which tied the Patriot League record and knocked them down at a 44 percent clip. Despite Lehigh’s hot shooting, head coach Megan Gebbia was optimistic about aspects of AU’s defense.
“It felt like our defense was a little more aggressive; we were getting some steals and stuff, so it was nice to see our defense be turned up a little bit,” Gebbia said. “The problem is, though, that we can't sustain it right now because we're just not in good enough shape. … Lehigh today was one of those teams that just makes you pay every time you make a mistake.”
Gebbia also credited AU’s rebounding ability and lack of turnovers as highlights of the game, and praised the Eagle’ field goal percentage — although they didn’t shoot many threes, they scored a lot in the paint.
Increased travel due to the pandemic has also had an impact on the team’s away games this season, according to Gebbia.
“I do think that’s part of it,” Gebbia said. “We’ve never done this before, ever. We’ve never had to travel three and a half hours, get off the bus and go straight into a game without practicing before.”
Junior guard Jade Edwards was yet again a bright spot in the loss, recording career-highs with 31 points, 13 rebounds and five steals. While the sample size is smaller than that of her peers, she currently leads the country in steals per game and leads the Patriot League in points per game. When asked about breaking more personal records this season, Edwards put it bluntly: “Whatever happens, happens.”
Senior guard Indeya Sanders also helped AU both offensively and defensively, finishing with 8 points, six rebounds and four assists. Offensively, junior guard Emily Fisher and junior forward Taylor Brown stood out with 10 and 11 points, respectively. Freshman guard Kayla Henning also hit an impressive pull-up jumper in transition late into the game, the first bucket of her career.
Although its past two games have ended in losses, it’s clear that the AU women’s basketball team is cautiously optimistic for the future. The Eagles will hit the road next weekend for two more road games against Navy (0-4). Saturday’s tip-off is at 3 p.m.
