Preview: American Eagles at Loyola Maryland Greyhounds

BALTIMORE (Interstat) — The surging American Eagles look to continue their climb in the Patriot League standings when they visit the struggling Loyola Maryland Greyhounds on Wednesday night at Reitz Arena.

American (13-8, 6-2 Patriot) enters on a three-game winning streak, most recently a 76-67 victory at Holy Cross on Saturday. The Eagles have won six of their last eight conference games.

Loyola Maryland (7-14, 3-5) snapped a two-game skid with a 67-62 home win over Bucknell on Saturday but remains near the bottom of the league.

The matchup features two of the conference’s top scorers. American guard Madden Collins is averaging 17.4 points over his last five games, including a 20-point effort at Holy Cross. In the first meeting this season, an 84-69 Eagles win on Dec. 31, Collins scored 15 points.

Loyola Maryland will counter with guard Braeden Speed, who is coming off a 24-point, five-rebound performance against Bucknell. Speed averages 18.1 points in Patriot League play and scored 13 against American in the December loss.

The Eagles have dominated the recent series, winning the last four meetings. Their balanced attack, which saw Julen Iturbe (15 points) and Matt Mayock (9 points, 2 blocks) contribute significantly in the Holy Cross win, poses a challenge for a Greyhounds defense allowing 75.1 points per game.

For Loyola Maryland to pull the upset, they will need more consistent production beyond Speed. Carter Berg-McLean and Tyson Commander provided support against Bucknell, but the Greyhounds are 1-8 this season when scoring 70 points or fewer.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. American visits Lafayette next on Saturday, while Loyola Maryland travels to face Navy.