BOSTON (Interstat) — In a game defined by gritty defense and missed opportunities, the American Eagles escaped Agganis Arena with a narrow 64-62 victory over the Boston University Terriers in a Patriot League men’s basketball contest on Saturday.

A crowd of 1,015 watched as the Eagles, who led for nearly the entire game, saw a once-comfortable advantage evaporate in the final minutes before securing the win at the free-throw line in the closing seconds.

American established control early, using an efficient first-half offensive performance to build a 38-32 lead at intermission. The Eagles’ ball movement, spearheaded by Matt Mayock’s seven assists, created open looks, while Greg Jones provided a scoring punch with 16 points. Boston University, conversely, struggled to find a consistent rhythm against American’s defensive pressure.

The second half became a tense, physical battle. The Terriers, led by the backcourt duo of Chance Gladden and Azmar Abdullah, slowly chipped away at the deficit. Gladden finished with a team-high 19 points, while Abdullah added 14. The interior presence of 7-foot center Ben Defty, who posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, also kept Boston University within striking distance.

American’s offense cooled significantly after halftime, managing only 26 points. The Eagles relied on key contributions from Julen Iturbe, who scored 14 points, and Madden Collins, who added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench, to maintain a fragile lead.

The game’s decisive sequence unfolded in the final 18 seconds. With American clinging to a 61-59 lead, Boston University’s Gladden drove to the basket, scored a layup and drew a foul. He completed the three-point play at the line, giving the Terriers a stunning 62-61 advantage—their first lead since the opening minutes.

The Eagles inbounded the ball and immediately went to work. Mayock, the senior guard from Berwyn, Pennsylvania, took the ball on the right wing, used a screen and calmly sank a mid-range jump shot with 15 seconds remaining, putting American back on top 63-62.

On the ensuing possession, Boston University called a timeout to set up a final play. The ball found Gladden again, but his contested three-point attempt from the wing missed. American’ Geoff Sprouse secured the critical defensive rebound and was fouled with two seconds left. Sprouse made the first free throw to extend the lead to 64-62 but missed the second. Defty grabbed the rebound for Boston University, but the Terriers, out of timeouts, could only manage a desperation heave from beyond half-court that fell short as time expired.

The victory improved American’s record to 9-6 overall and marked a positive start to Patriot League play. Boston University fell to 5-10. The Eagles outperformed the Terriers in several key areas, scoring 26 points in the paint to Boston University’s 20 and converting 10 points off turnovers compared to the Terriers’ six.

The game’s final score of 126 points fell well under the pregame over/under line of 150.5, underscoring the defensive struggle. American, which had been installed as a 1.5-point favorite, covered the spread with the two-point victory. Interstat’s ELO system had given the Eagles a 58 percent probability to win.

American looks ahead to a road game at Colgate on Wednesday. Boston University will travel to face Lafayette on the same night.