Feb. 18, 2007
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EASTON, Pa. - Led by 14 points from Andrew Brown and Bilal Abdullah and coupled with Matt Betley's third double-double of the season, the Lafayette men's basketball notched a dramatic double overtime 75-71 win over archrival Lehigh on Sunday afternoon at Kirby Sports Center. The win not only left the Lafayette seniors victorious on Senior Day, but was also head coach Fran O'Hanlon's 171st career victory, making him the all-time winningest coach in Lafayette history.
The Leopards (9-18, 3-9) started the second overtime with a strong, inside basket from freshman Andre Hines. One of two free throws from Lehigh's Jose Olivero was countered by a Paul Cummins running layup as the shot clock expired, two free throws from Jamaal Hilliard and another from Betley gave Lafayette a 69-63 advantage with 1:54 left in the second overtime.
The Mountain Hawks (11-16, 7-5) cut the Leopard lead back to three on a Jason Mgebroff basket with 20 seconds remaining. However, Lafayette used one of two free throws from Ted Detmer and two more from Hilliard to ice the game and give the Leopards a 75-71 victory.
With 25 seconds remaining in regulation and the game tied at 50, junior Everest Schmidt grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled. Schmidt converted on both free-throws to give the Leopards a 52-50 lead. The Mountain Hawks responded with Olivero, who drove down the lane and hit a 10-foot jumper to send the game into overtime.
In the first extra frame, the teams exchanged baskets, with neither team holding more than a three-point advantage. With 24 seconds left, Betley scrambled for a loose ball and found himself wide open under the basket for the easy layup to tie the game at 62. An Olivero shot as time expired rimmed out and the game entered the second overtime.
Lafayette trailed early, falling behind 11-0 in the first five minutes. However, a 15-7 run cut the Lehigh lead to three (18-15) with 5:28 left before intermission. Lehigh held a 24-23 advantage at halftime.
Betley's third double-double came on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Lehigh was led by 22 points from Marquis Hall. He was joined in double figures by Olivero (15 points) and 11 points from Kyle Neptune. Bryan White pulled down 15 rebounds for the Mountain Hawks.
Lafayette shot 33 percent (19-for-58) from the floor. However, the Leopards more than made up for it from the free-throw line, going 30-for-37 (81 percent), including 15-for-19 in overtime. Hilliard (8-for-8), Brown (8-for-8) and Abdullah (6-for-6) were all perfect from the charity stripe.
The Leopards swiped 10 steals on the day, led by four from Detmer. Brown accounted for six of the 13 Leopard assists on the afternoon.
Lafayette finishes the remainder of the 2006-07 regular season on the road, with a stop in West Point, N.Y. on Wednesday to face Army before traveling to American on Friday night in Washington, D.C. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Army, while the American game is slated for 9 p.m., due to the game being televised nationally ESPNU.
NOTES
The win snaps a five game losing skid for the Leopards, and a three-game slide against their archrival.
The Leopards honored the three-member class of 2007 in a pre-game ceremony. This year's senior tri-captains are Kerry Kenny, Jamaal Hilliard, and Marcus Harley.
