CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — In an exciting matchup on Sunday, Elijah Saunders played a crucial role in Virginia’s 63-58 win over American University, scoring 21 points and hitting five out of six free throws in the last half-minute of the game.

The Cavaliers held a narrow 32-28 lead at halftime but faced challenges maintaining their advantage in the second half. American University surged ahead with five three-pointers in the first part of the second half, flipping the score to 47-42.

Virginia responded by tightening their defense, allowing only one field goal to the Eagles over the next seven minutes, while they took the lead at 56-51, thanks to a three-pointer from Taine Murray with just 1:48 left on the clock.

With 24 seconds remaining, Saunders made two key free throws, followed by one out of two attempts, pushing Virginia to a 59-53 lead. Although Matt Mayock of American managed to hit a much-needed three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 59-56, Saunders sealed the victory by converting two more free throws just nine seconds before the final buzzer.

Finishing with an impressive shooting performance, Saunders was 7-for-9 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line, also pulling down eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Murray contributed 13 points with a shooting efficiency of 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, while Isaac McKneely added 11 points for the Cavaliers, who improved their record to 7-5.

On the opposing side, American’s Mayock led the team with 16 points, making 4 of his 5 three-point attempts. Both Matt Rogers and Colin Smalls contributed 12 points each, adding depth to the Eagles’ efforts in the game, which left their record at 6-6.