Feb. 21, 2001

Box Score

Audio from Postgame Radio Interview with WEST-AM 1400 Sports Director Dick Hammer

• Lafayette Coach Fran O'Hanlon

WEST POINT, N.Y. (www.lafayette.edu) - Lafayette shot 59.7 percent from the floor and Tyson Whitfield's 22-points led four Leopards in double figures during an 89-62 Patriot League men's basketball game over Army at West Point's Christl Arena.

Whitfield scored seven points during an 18-5 run over a five minute span in the second half that put the game out of reach as Lafayette (12-14, 4-7 Patriot League) won for the fifth time in its last six games. Prior to that surge, Army (7-18, 2-9) had sliced a 13-point halftime deficit to seven, 47-40, with 15:33 left.

After Lafayette's 18-5 surge, Army answered with a bucket by Matt Rutledge but the Leopards pushed the lead to 23 in the next 35 seconds. Army never got closer than 22 the rest of the way. The win kept Lafayette in the hunt for a fifth seed in the Patriot League Tournament (March 2-3 in Annapolis, Md.). Army, with the loss, is locked into the seventh seed for the postseason tourney.

Lafayette made 37 of 62 shots from the field while holding Army to 40.7 percent shooting (22 of 54). The Leopards also held Chris Spatola, the Patriot League's leading scorer with an 18.4 ppg. average entering the contest, to just 14 points. Earlier this season, Spatola scored a career-high 43 points at Lafayette.

In addition to Whitfield's 22 points, the Leopards got 15 from guard Justin DeBerry and 11 each from Frank Barr and Brian Burke. Burke also had eight assists in just 17 minutes of action off the bench.

Lafayette returns home to host Colgate this Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Kirby Sports Center in a 2:30 p.m. tip-off. The game will be televised live on both the Lafayette Sports Network and the Patriot League Network. Tickets are still available and can be purchased right here at GoLeopards.com or by calling the Lafayette Ticket Office at (610) 330-5471.