If we have learned anything about American so far, it is the fact that when their shots are falling, they are pretty darned good.

Last night in New Haven, the Eagles shots were falling. At least in the first half.

From the New Haven Register (user name: hooptime, password: hooptime will get you in):

American, one of the top 20 teams in Division I in 3-point percentage (41 percent), made three 3-pointers in the first 2:12 and led 11-3 just 3 minutes into the game.

According to the Register, and Yale coach James Jones (who is related to Columbia's coach Jones but is not related to American's coach Jeff Jones), Yale contributed to the Eagles cause by playing poorly the first 20 minutes.:

Yale (4-8), which had won two straight and played well in four straight, was woeful for the first 20 minutes, and American couldn’t miss, making 54.6 percent of its attempts to build a 47-25 halftime lead.

"I’m upset with our effort and our intensity for the entire 20 minutes to start the basketball game. There is no reason they should have wide-open looks to start a basketball game," Jones said.

What we have also learned about American is when the shots are not dropping, when folks get a hand in the jump-shooters faces, they have looked very ordinary.

Like in the second half last night, when they nearly squandered that 22-point halftime lead.

After their scorching first half, the Eagles shot 5-for-20 from the field in the second half, 0-for-5 from three-point range. For good measure, they turned the ball over 11 times, after only giving it up 4 times in the first half. Luckily for AU, nobody can get a hand in your face at the foul line. The Eagles were 12-for-15 there in the second half, including 6-for-6 in the final 30 seconds..
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