WASHINGTON -- Garrison Carr had 29 points as American escaped with a 65-63 victory over crosstown rival Howard on Wednesday night.
The Bison's Eugene Myatt missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Carr shot 11 of 19 from the field, including 7 of 13 on 3-pointers, to lead American (2-1), which nearly blew a 10-point lead in the final 4 minutes.
Chris McHenry's 3-pointer pulled the Bison within 65-61 with 31 seconds remaining and Myatt's two free throws made it 65-63 with 19 seconds left. Myatt fouled Carr on an inbounds play with 15.2 seconds on the clock, but the Eagles guard missed the front end of a one-and-one.
On Howard's final possession, Randy Hampton lost the ball in traffic. Myatt, who led Howard (1-2) with 19 points, recovered the loose ball and launched a 3-point attempt that rimmed out as the final horn sounded.
