Jan. 23, 2008

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LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Lafayette women's basketball team (11-8, 3-1) extended its win streak to three-straight with a 64-58 overtime victory against Bucknell on Wednesday night. Four players reached double figures for the second-straight game to give the Leopards their third league win of the season.

The Leopards scored all nine of their overtime points from the free throw line en route to the win. Senior Vanessa Van De Venter and junior Cristin Zavocki led Lafayette with 15 points each while junior Emily Garner and freshman LaKeisha Wright chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Lafayette shot 42 percent from the field while holding the Bison to just three overtime points and 35 percent shooting for the game.

Lafayette opened the game with a 7-2 run with baskets from three different players. Zavocki drained two-straight three pointers to give the Leopards a 17-11 advantage with just under 13 minutes to play. Garner's basket at 10:55 gave Lafayette a double-digit lead (21-11) and a Maureen Johnson trey at 7:45 kept the lead in double figures (24-13) with less than eight minutes remaining.

Bucknell's Lauren Schober was fouled on a basket at the 6:17 minute mark to bring the Bison within single digits (24-18). Lafayette's margin was cut to four (24-20) after a Kesha Champion basket with 4:52 on the clock. Bucknell took its first lead of the game at 27-26 after another Champion basket at 2:45 but Jessica Spicer's three with six seconds on the clock gave the lead back to Lafayette and the Leopards went into halftime with a 29-27 edge.

Bucknell tied the game at 29 after two early free throws and regained the lead after a Hope Foster basket at 18:43. The game was knotted at 31 after an Elizabeth Virgin basket and went up by two after a Wright layup at 16:52, capping off a 6-0 Lafayette run. Lafayette could not hold onto the lead as a Kristina Collymore score and free throw at 14:23 made the score 40-37 in favor of the Bison.

Both teams would hold leads over the next several minutes. The score was tied at 42 with under nine minutes to before Garner's basket at 7:23 gave Lafayette its first points in nearly four minutes and a 44-42 lead. Foster made two free throws to give the Bison a 46-44 advantage with under six minutes to play as the lead continued to change hands.

The lead stood at 48-47 in favor of Bucknell with 3:45 to play before Zavocki's layup at 3:40 gave Lafayette a 49-48 edge. Zavocki hit a clutch trey at 2:21 to give the Leopards a five point lead (53-48), their largest margin of the half. Garner's free throw with 39 seconds on the clock kept the lead at five (55-50) but Bucknell closed within three (55-52) and Schober drained a three with six seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

All nine of the Leopards' overtime points came on free throws with Van De Venter's free throw making the score 56-55. Garner made three of four free throw attempts in a span of 30 seconds to up Lafayette's lead to 59-55 with 2:08 remaining. Two key Van De Venter free throws at 1:37 gave the Leopards a five-point lead (61-56) and Zavocki scored Lafayette's final two points to seal the win.

The Leopards return home to host archrival Lehigh on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 1 p.m.

Postgame Notes:
- The last time Lafayette played two overtime games in a single season was in 2005-06 and the last time the Leopards won two overtime games in a single season came during the 1997-98 season.
- With 15 points against the Bison, senior Vanessa Van De Venter now has 1,238 for her career. She needs 55 more points to tie Terri Dadio for sixth all-time.
- The last time Lafayette opened league play with a 3-1 mark was in the 1993-94 season. That squad finished with an 18-9 overall record and advanced to the Patriot League championship game.
- Senior Maureen Johnson had a season-high five points.