Jan. 5, 2009

WASHINGTON -

The American University women’s basketball team will host Brown on Tuesday at Bender Arena for its final non-conference contest of the season. The Eagles trail the Bears 3-2 in the all-time series, but took the last meeting by a 57-46 decision on Nov. 24, 2007. American currently sports a 9-5 record, while Brown enters the game with a 1-11 overall record.

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American Notes:

• The Eagles are coming off of an 87-66 win at Bender Arena over Columbia on Sunday. Liz Leer's 18 points tied a career-high and the sophomore forward also picked up seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Michelle Kirk finished with 14 points, a team-high eight rebounds and five assists. Talicia Jackson rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12, hitting a pair from beyond the arc.

• Kirk and Leer are leading the squad in points per game, scoring at a 13.0 and 12.6 clip, respectively. Leer also leads the team in rebounding with 6.3 boards per game, while maintaining the top field goal percentage in the Patriot League (61.8 percent).

• Several Eagles are steadily climbing up the all-time records charts. Talicia Jackson (137) and Nicole Ryan (112) currently rank third and fourth in career three-point baskets made and are chasing down Kari Gaskins' (1995-99) record of 147. Jackson also needs to play in just nine more games to become the all-time leader in games played for the Eagles. Pam Stanfield's 323 career assists put her fifth all-time. She needs two more to surpass Kaitlyn Schuyler for fourth place. Liz Leer has rapidly moved up the all-time leaders in blocks in just her second season. The sophomore has 67 swats to date and is tied for fifth all-time.

Brown Notes:

• The Brown women’s basketball team is looking to snap a seven-game skid with a victory over AU. After a 21-day break for finals and the holidays, Brown traveled to Coral Gables, Fla., for the UM Holiday Tournament. Brown lost to both Miami (81-41), and Duquesne (84-54). Brown hosted the Army Black Knights on Sunday afternoon, but fell 64-44 to drop to 1-11 on the season. Brown opens up Ivy League play when it takes on Yale on Friday, Jan. 16 in New Haven, Conn.

• The Bears are being led by sophomore guard Karly Grace’s 7.3 points-pergame, and freshman Hannah Passafuime’s 7.2 ppg. Leading the Bears on the boards is junior Natalie Bonds with 5.4 per game, followed by Sadiea Williams’ 4.3 per game. Rookie Aileen Daniels netted a career-high 10 points in Brown’s most recent loss to Army.

• The Bears are 22-17 against teams from the Patriot League, including a 3-2 advantage over the American University Eagles. Brown faced the Patriot League’s Army on Sunday, but dropped a 64-44 decision to the Black Knights. Overall, the Bears have faced Army (5-3), Bucknell (1-0), Colgate (2-2), Holy Cross (0-3), Lafayette (2-2), Lehigh (7-5) and Navy (2-0).