Nov. 20, 2001

Stats

TEANECK, N.J. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette women's basketball team fell to Fairleigh Dickinson 86-78 tonight in Teaneck, N.J. Despite holding an 11-point lead in the first half, the Leopards are off to a slow start as they drop to 0-2 on the season.

The Leopards opened nine straight points on the Knights until Natallia Marchanka got Fairleigh Dickinson (1-1) on board with a three-pointer at 17:45. Lafayette managed to open a double-digit lead, 24-14 at 10:19, but Knights fought back with a 12-point streak of their own to take the lead, 26-24 with just over five minutes remaining in the half. Fairleigh Dickinson increased its lead, going into the locker room with a 42-36 margin.

The teams came out swinging after intermission and Lafayette took the lead back, 53-52, at 11:18 on Kim Costello's (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) only field goal of the half. Five ties and three lead changes followed, until FDU's Marchanka hit her fifth three-pointer of the evening and gave her team the lead for good at 6:10, 66-63.

Sophomore forward Colleen Fitzpatrick (Springfield, Pa./Acad. of Notre Dame) dominated the post for Lafayette, scoring a career-high 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting and adding a career-high tying 11 boards. Costello also scored in double-digits with 10 points.

Lafayette (0-2) returns to action in Vestal, N.Y. when it competes in the Binghamton Tournament Nov. 24 and 25.