Dec. 8, 2007

Box Score

BURLINGTON, Vt. - After holding a lead for the majority of game, the Lafayette women's basketball team (6-4) could not hang on for the win as the team dropped a 46-45 battle to Vermont on Saturday afternoon. Senior Vanessa Van De Venter led the team with 10 points and seven a game-high seven rebounds.

With nine seconds on the clock, the Leopards trailed by just one (46-45). Junior Meaghan Malone had the team's final chance for the win but could not get a shot off before time expired and Vermont escaped with the win.

The game was a defensive battle, as the Catamounts shot just 32 percent from the field, including 26.9 percent (7-of-26) in the opening half. Lafayette was aggressive on the boards, however, pulling down 39 rebounds, including 24 in the opening half, while also finishing with 10 steals.

Lafayette opened the game with a 6-0 run as the Catamounts missed their first five shots of the half. The Leopards turned Vermont's misses into baskets, keeping the Catamounts off the scoreboard for the first three and a half minutes of play. A LaKeisha Wright layup brought the score to 10-6 in favor of Lafayette with 11:43 to play.

Vermont then scored two-straight baskets to tie the game at 10 with under nine minutes remaining. Lafayette went ahead 15-12 after freshman Elizabeth Virgin drained a long three at the 7:41 mark. The Leopards took their largest lead of the half, 19-12, after freshman Lauren Jackson scored her first collegiate points on a jumper at the 5:01 mark. Vermont responded with a 9-4 run to end the half as Amy Rosenkrantz scored the Catamount's final basket to cut Lafayette's lead to 23-21 at the half.

Rosenkrantz opened the second period with a quick basket to tie the score at 23-23 but Lafayette responded by going on an 8-2 run that included a Jessica Spicer three at 16:20. The Leopards held a five-point edge (32-27) at 14:16 after a free throw by Malone but would go three minutes without scoring another basket.

The team's next points were scored by Virgin at 11:09 to bring the score to 34-29. Vermont's Kelli Poles cut that lead to three (36-33) at 8:51 but Lafayette held on to a four-point advantage (45-39) with four minutes on the clock when Van De Venter fed Cristin Zavokci under the basket for the junior's first points of the afternoon.

Pilypaitus' layup at 1:06 cut the lead to one (45-44) and a subsequent Lafayette turnover led to a basket by Rosenkrantz to give Vermont its first lead of the afternoon with 37 seconds remaining. The Leopards were forced to foul Sara Fenton but she missed her attempt, giving Lafayette one last chance for the win. Virgin pulled down the rebound and Malone found herself with the ball but time expired.

The Leopards have a two-week break before returning to action on Dec. 28 and 29 at the University of Texas-Pan American Battle at the Border Tournament.

Postgame notes:
* The Leopards need just one more win for the 400th win in program history. Lafayette has an overall record of 399-467 (.461) in the team's 35 year history.
* Vanessa Van De Venter needs two points to tie Dana Wolfe for 10th all-time on Lafayette's list of all-time scorers.
* The Lafayette defense held Vermont to just 46 points, well below its season scoring average of 64.1.
* Freshman Elizabeth Virgin tied her career-high with nine points (4-of 10 from the field) vs. the Catamounts.