Nov. 30, 2004
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Four Leopards came off the bench to score in double figures, led by a career-high 14 points from freshman Matt Betley, but Drexel came away with a 78-67 win over Lafayette in non-conference men's basketball play on Tuesday night at Kirby Sports Center.
Lafayette (1-3) led 49-48 with 13:15 remaining after senior Sean Knitter followed a three-pointer with a layup. Then Drexel's Phil Goss sparked a 9-0 run with his fifth three of the game on his way to a career-high 26 points. Jeremiah King knocked down a three, and Kenell Sanchez converted a three-point play to give Drexel a 57-49 lead with 11:58 left.
A layup by Betley pulled the Leopards within seven with 7:42 to go, but King's three-pointer at 6:08 gave the Dragons (1-2) an insurmountable 10-point advantage and their first win of the season.
Goss opened the game with nine of Drexel's first 17 points as the Dragons led by 10 eight minutes into the contest.
Freshman Bilal Abdullah started an 11-0 Lafayette run with a three, and assisted on two buckets by junior Andrei Capusan, who scored eight straight points. Capusan gave the Leopards their first lead of the game, at 18-17, with an offensive rebound and putback off a missed three-pointer by Abdullah.
A driving reverse layup by freshman Paul Cummins accounted for the first of six lead changes in the final seven minutes of the half. Senior Jamie Hughes hit three straight layups for the Leopards as the squads traded baskets.
Drexel held Lafayette scoreless in the final 2:41 and scored the last five points of the half and held a 33-30 lead at intermission.
Goss scored his 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, and was five-for-11 behind the three-point arc.
King finished with 17 and hit all three of his shots from long distance, while Chaz Crawford had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Betley posted career-highs of 14 points and seven rebounds to lead Lafayette. The freshman was six-of-eight from the field.
Knitter (13), Capusan (12) and Abdullah (10) were also in double figures for the Leopards. Sophomore Jamaal Douglas gathered a game-high nine rebounds.
Lafayette will travel to Louisville for the Cardinals' home opener on Saturday, Dec. 4. The Cardinals are ranked 17th by both the AP and ESPN/USA Today.
