Dec. 29, 2005
Box Score
HANOVER, N.H. (www.lafayette.edu) - Lafayette used a 10-1 run to cut a 13 point lead down to four late in the game before Loyola Marymount made its last six from the foul line to hold on for a 68-58 win in the first game of the Blue Sky Restaurant Classic at Dartmouth on Thursday at Leede Arena.
The Leopards will play Akron in the consolation game at 5 p.m. on Friday. Dartmouth defeated the Zips, 71-55, in the second game on Thursday night, and advances to play LMU in the championship at 7 p.m. Senior guard Jeannie Cullen, the sister of Lafayette freshman guard Laura Cullen, scored 11 points for the Big Green.
The Lions went into halftime with a 36-27 lead on the strength of a 6-0 spurt to close the half. They stretched their advantage to 14 with 14:39 remaining before the Leopards ran off nine straight points to pull within 48-43, but LMU responded and pushed its lead to 61-48 with 4:49 left.
Lafayette harassed the Lions into five straight empty possessions and capitalized with a pair of buckets by Brittany Purr, a score from Emily Garner, and a steal and a layup by Kara Stetler. Stetler made the score 62-58 with two free throws with 1:15 left, but Rachael Ziemann hit two at the other end for LMU, and Amanda Patton and Ziemann finished the Leopards with four more free throws in the final minute.
Purr was 6-for-8 from the floor and scored a team-high 13 points for Lafayette, while Stetler and Kristin Doherty checked in with 12 and 11, respectively. Emily Garner had eight points and a game-high eight rebounds as well.
Amanda Patton scored 11 of her 14 points in the first half to lead Loyola Marymount. Post players Ashlee Dunlap, Jevay Grooms and Valerie Ogoke combined for 29 points for the Lions.
