Jan. 8, 2005
Box Score
Photo Gallery
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Sophomore Jamaal Douglas had 18 points and 17 rebounds, both career-highs, to lead Lafayette to a 90-80 win over Navy in the Patriot League opener on Saturday afternoon at Kirby Sports Center.
Douglas scored 16 in the first half to match his previous career-best as the Leopards opened a 28-16 lead with 9:19 left. Navy freshman Greg Sprink scored 10 points in a span of 1:26, on a dunk, two three's and a pair of free throws, to bring the Mids within 32-28 with six minutes left. A triple with 31 seconds remaining before the break leveled the score at 38-38.
Navy (4-9, 0-1) captured its first lead of the game in the opening minute of the second half on a three by Corey Johnson. The Leopards responded with a 12-0 run to go ahead 50-41.
Sprink got hot from outside once again, with a trio of three-pointers in a two minute stretch, and a bucket by Matt Fannin gave Navy a 56-55 lead.
Matt Betley put Lafayette (5-8, 1-0) ahead for good with 11:15 remaining. Bilal Abdullah scored 10 of his 15 points down the stretch, and Marcus Harley and Sean Knitter also hit three-pointers as Lafayette built an 84-69 lead with four minutes left.
The Leopards made 24 of their 28 free throws in the second half and were 36-of-44 in the game. Jamaal Hilliard, who entered the week ranked second in the nation in free throw shooting at 93.5 percent, was 10-for-10 and finished with 12 points. Andrei Capusan missed just once in 11 attempts on his way to 16 points.
Douglas came into the game ranked second in the league with 7.3 rebounds per game, and Lafayette held a 48-38 edge on the boards. Knitter provided 12 points and pulled down eight caroms.
Sprink scored a career-high 22 for Navy. Johnson, also a freshman, had 16 points, while George O'Garro posted nine points and eight rebounds.
J.J. Jumper, NCAA basketball's official mascot, was in attendance in conjunction with RCN Youth Day.
Lafayette will travel to Lehigh on Wednesday, Jan. 12 for an 8 p.m. tip off. The Leopard women will host the Mountain Hawks at 5:30 at Kirby.
