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February 21, 2003

Boxscore

Glenn Stokes led AU with 19 points versus Holy Cross.

American Edged By Holy Cross, 68-66
Stokes leads way with 19 points

WORCESTER, Mass. - In a game that could be described as nothing less than a classic, Holy Cross edged American by a bucket, 68-66. The game featured eight lead changes and the Eagles had a good look at the basket with less than two seconds left, when a three-point attempt bounced off the rim. The Eagles are now 12-12 overall, and 7-4 in the Patriot League, which puts them in third place.

Glenn Stokes (Silver Spring, Md./Albert Einstein) led AUwith 19 points and his three with 42 seconds remaining gave American a 66-65 lead. Stokes also managed three assists, two rebounds and one steal in 38 minutes. Steve Miles (Alexandria, Va./Hayfield) scored 15 points (all on three-pointers) and also grabbed two boards and dished out two assists in 38 minutes.

In the first half Ric Patiejunas (Vilnius, Lithuania/Vilnius College) came off the bench and quickly drained a three to give the Eagles a seven-point bulge (16-9) at 11:58. Holy Cross’ Pat Whearty hit a jumper and then Miles hit a three. Whearty then picked up an offensive foul, and Patiejunas came down and banked a three, as AU pushed the lead to 11 points (22-11) with 10:12 left. A Stokes runner gave AU its biggest lead of the half (and night) at 40-28 with 1:06 remaining. It was only the second 40-point first-half performance of the season for the Eagles. Only a 42-point effort against Army bettered it. Stokes had 10 points in the half while Patiejunas had nine. A Stokes three-point attempt rimmed out to end the half. Overall, AU knocked down eight threes in the first half.

A 7-0 Holy Cross run early in the second half was capped off by a Jave Mead trey, which brought Holy Cross to within three, 43-40. Tim Szatko then hit a pair of free throws to bring HC to within one, 43-42. Jernavis Draughn (Triangle, Va./Potomac Senior) helped AU regain the lead at 11:11 in the second half after Andres Rodriguez (San Juan,Puerto Rico/Colegio San Ignacio) fed him off of a fastbreak. He hit the free throw for a 3-point play and a 52-50. Draughn finished with 13 points, on five-of-nine shooting, and seven rebounds.

Late in the game AU went nearly two minutes without scoring a bucket, before Miles buried a three to tie things up at 63 apiece. A Stokes trey was the last field goal of the night for AU.

Holy Cross was led by Brian Wilson, who scored 24 points and grabbed three rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Patrick Whearty had 11 points and ten rebounds while Jave Meade had 14 points and dished out seven assists.

American (12-12/7-4) will next play at Colgate on February 23, 2003. The game is at 3:15 p.m.