Nov. 22, 2005
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Five Lafayette players hit the double-digit plateau in scoring en route to an 86-80 win over Alvernia in the team's home-opener Tuesday night in men's basketball action at Kirby Sports Center.
Lafayette (1-2) led by as many as 14 in the first half, but a pesky Alvernia (2-1) team forced turnovers and capitalized in transition, storming back to tie the game, 61-61, on a steal and layin from Ryan Finger with 10:25 remaining. From there, the Leopards' lead swelled to 84-70, as a three-point bucket from freshman guard Andrew Brown at the 1:21 mark capped the 23-9 Lafayette run.
Although the Crusaders outscored Lafayette 10-2 over the final minute, the Leopards held on for their first win of the season.
The teams exchanged baskets to open the game, and Alvernia went ahead 15-14 at the 12:49 mark. Back-to-back treys from Pat and Matt Betley ignited a 23-8 run over the next six minutes that gave Lafayette a 37-23 cushion with 6:19 to play in the first stanza. The Leopards maintained a double-digit lead to close out the half and entered the break leading 45-34.
Lafayette has established itself as a perimeter oriented team early in the season, and the team showed that Tuesday night. The Leopards hit 14 baskets from behind the arc, shooting 47 percent (14-of-30). Overall, the team shot 48 percent (29-of-60) from the floor. On the other side, Alvernia shot 46 percent (31-of-67) from the field and 30 percent (7-of-23) from three-point land.
Brown led the Leopards with 15 points, as the rookie was one of two Lafayette players to establish new career highs on the night. In his first career start, sophomore forward Everest Schmidt registered his first career double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 boards. Also scoring in double-digits for Lafayette was senior guard Pat Betley (13) and sophomore guards Bilal Abdullah (11) and Paul Cummins (12).
Alvernia's Damon Bogan led the Crusaders with a game-high 20 points and was one of five players in double-figures.
Up next for the Leopards awaits a Sunday afternoon match up at Princeton at 3 p.m.
Game Notes:
-Dating back to 1995-96, Lafayette is now 8-3 in home-openers under head coach Fran O'Hanlon.
-Everest Schmidt and Andrew Brown both earned their first career starts against the Crusaders. This was the second different starting line-up Fran O'Hanlon has put on the floor this season.
-Lafayette's 14 three-pointers are the most since Dec. 4, 2004 at Louisville. This marks the second time in three games Lafayette has hit 10 or more threes. Eight of Lafayette's 14 treys came before the break.
-For the first time this season, Lafayette out-rebounded its opponent, winning the battle of the boards 38-36.
