Nov. 29, 2007
Box Score
BALTIMORE, Md. - The Lafayette women's basketball team (4-3) extended its win streak to three-straight with a 62-56 upset of Coppin State on Thursday night. Senior Vanessa Van De Venter had her second double-double of the season with a season-high 24 points and 13 boards to snap the Eagles' 22 game home court win streak, the fourth-longest streak in the nation.
Lafayette freshman LaKeisha Wright joined Van De Venter with double figures with 12 points and fell just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine against the Eagles. Classmate Elizabeth Virgin, making her third-straight start, scored a season-best seven points in the win.
The game came down to the final minutes as the Leopards led by just two (54-52) with 2:36 on the clock. However, several critical free throws by Lafayette and a Van De Venter layup with 12 seconds on the clock sealed the victory.
It was a close contest for the majority of the game as the teams exchanged leads 11 times. The Leopards' shooting came alive in the second half, as they shot 48.3 percent and finished the game with a 43.9 percentage from the field. Their aggressive play on defense limited the Eagles to just 56 points and they failed to net a single three-pointer.
The first half was a back and forth battle as both teams saw their shares of the lead. Coppin State's Sesalie Johnson missed two free throws that would have given her team a five-point lead but instead kept the Leopards within three (10-7). Lafayette struggled early to get their shots to fall but a Van De Venter jumper held the lead at three (12-9) and the Leopards went on to score eight unanswered points and take a 17-12 lead at 6:30.
The Eagles' Shalamar Oakley then scored six-straight points as Coppin State regained the lead at 20-17 with 4:21 to play. The lead switched hands again when a Spicer steal led to Van De Venter basket. The senior was fouled on the play and her free throw gave Lafayette a 22-20 advantage and the Leopards held a slim two-point lead (24-22) at halftime.
The Lafayette offense found its stride in the second half and the Leopards opened the period with a layup by Van De Venter. Coppin State would tie the game at 32 on a layup by Jennifer Martin and take a brief lead at 38-36 with 13:25 on the clock but that was the last time the Eagles would hold the edge.
The Eagles pulled within two at 54-52 but Lafayette secured its victory when Van De Venter made two critical free throws with 37 seconds on the clock to up the lead to 60-52. Her layup with 12 seconds on the clock provided all the insurance the Leopards needed as they handed Coppin State the loss.
The Leopards continue their six-game road trip when they travel to NJIT on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game.
Postgame Notes:
* The last time the Leopards won three-straight was when they opened the 2005-06 season with three consecutive victories.
* With her 24 points in tonight's game, Vanessa Van De Venter moved into sole possession of 13th place on Lafayette's all-time leading scorers list. She now has 1,039 for her career.
* Thanks to a solid defensive effort by Lafayette, Coppin State failed to make a three-pointer. It was the first time this season a Lafayette opponent did not made at least one three-pointer.
* Van De Venter's 13 rebounds were a career-high, surpassing her previous mark of 12 (vs. Long Island, Nov. 25, 2005).
