March 1, 2002
Audio From Post-Game Press Conference:
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (www.lafayette.edu) - Head Coach Tammy Smith's first season at the helm of the Lafayette women's basketball program came to an end with a 71-48 loss to Holy Cross in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Tournament on Friday. In search of its fifth straight Patriot League Tournament championship, No. 1 seeded Holy Cross proved too much for the No. 8 seed Leopards at Show Place Arena, the tournament's first year at a neutral site event.
Holy Cross (22-6) started the game with a flourish, streaking out to a 21-2 advantage six minutes into the game. Katie O'Keefe, who scored 12 points in the game, led the charge with a team-high 10 points in the first half followed by Patriot League Rookie of the Year Maggie Fontana's eight points and seven rebounds. The Leopards (3-25) trailed 39-14 at the end of the half after shooting 23 percent from the floor and being outrebounded 28-12.
The Leopards outscored Holy Cross in the second half, 34-32, led by seven second-half points from senior Laurie Infantino. Lafayette cut the margin to 18 at 12:45 in the second half on a Kim Costello jumper, but the Crusaders led by at least 20 for the remainder of the game.
Junior Liz Rojahn paced the Leopards with 12 points. Infantino finished the last game of her career with 11 points.
Holy Cross featured a balanced scoring attack with eight players scoring six or more points. The Crusaders were led by O'Keefe's 12 and 11 from Fontana. Holy Cross will play the winner of American vs. Colgate.
