Nov. 29, 2000
Box Score | Columbia Video
Audio from Postgame Press Conference
- Lafayette Coach Fran O'Hanlon
- Senior Center Frank Barr
- Junior Forward Rob Worthington
- Columbia Coach Armond Hill
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette men's basketball team overcame a nine-point deficit to come back for a 10-point victory over the visiting Lions of Columbia Wednesday night at the Allan P. Kirby Sports Center. The Leopards (3-2) were able to overcome a 27-21 deficit and a dismal 24.1 field goal percentage in the first half to walk away with a 60-50 win over the visiting Lions.
The Lions (2-3) seemed to control the game from the tipoff, running up on the Leopards 24-15 with 5:00 remaining before halftime. That lead was only established after Lafayette's Tyson Whitfield hit a layup assisted by Brian Burke. Before that basket, the Leopards' only points in the previous four minutes came off of two Tim Bieg free throws.
The Leopards cut the lead to five points on another pair of free throws by Bieg with 44 seconds in the half but a field goal by Columbia's Egan Hill gave the Lions a seven point advantage going into the locker room.
Lafayette opened the second half on a 22-0 run, fueled by a steal by Burke and a Frank Barr basket, to go up 43-27 with 13:00 remaining. The Leopards never trailed again in the contest or let the Lions get within eight points the rest of the way.
Whitfield snapped his 1-7 slump from three-point land in the first half with consecutive treys during the Lafayette 22-0 second half run as the senior co-captain finished with 13 points on the night. Lafayette big man Barr was the game's leading scorer with a career-high 22 points in the paint as he also managed five blocks against Columbia. Burke went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line to finish with eight points while forward Rob Worthington added seven points and a career-high nine rebounds in the victory.
Leading the scoring for the Lions was forward Joe Case who netted 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting. Also scoring in double-digits for Columbia was Maurice Morris who left Kirby with 12 points.
Lafayette hits the road on Saturday for a matchup against Rider at 4:00 p.m. The Leopards return home on Dec. 6 to cap off a Lafayette basketball doubleheader against Princeton.
