Nov. 15, 2008
Box Score
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Lafayette women's basketball shot over 58 percent from the field but struggled with turnovers and ultimately dropped its season opener to Middle Tennessee State 85-47 in the opening round of the preseason WNIT. The Leopards will now travel to Western Carolina to play back-to-back games in the consolation round.
Lafayette continues its WNIT action on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. against host Western Carolina on Friday. Liberty and University of California Riverside join Lafayette and Western Carolina in the bracket. All four teams will play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.
The Leopards (0-1) did shoot over 58 percent from the field but took only 36 shots in the game and just 15 in the opening half. The Blue Raiders went 17-34 for a 50 percent clip from the field in the opening half to take control of the game. Emily Garner and LaKeisha Wright finished in double figures for Lafayette with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Lafayette started the game strong, taking a 6-2 edge after a layup by Wright for her first points of the night. MTSU (1-0) closed the gap and took a 12-8 lead on an Alysha Clark three with 14:42 on the clock. Clark finished with a game-high 27 points. The Blue Raiders upped that advantage to double digits (20-10) after Anne Marie Lanning's basket from three-point range at 8:58.
The Leopards went into a scoring drought that lasted nearly eight and a half minutes. Amanda Smith ended the drought with a layup that made it 26-12 with 4:28 remaining. MTSU closed the half with a 16-2 run and led 42-14 as the teams headed into the locker rooms.
Lafayette scored 10 points--including six by Garner--in the opening four minutes of the second half, but MTSU scored 13 of its own to make the score 55-24. The Blue Raiders maintained a 34-point advantage after Clark's basket at 12:36.
Garner finished with 11 points in the second half. Freshman Alexandra Serowoky scored the Leopards' final points of the night with a free throw with 16 seconds remaining to make it 85-47, which stood as the final score.
Postgame Notes:
- For the second straight season opener, al three of the Leopards' freshmen saw action. Alexandra Serowoky led the freshmen with five points.
- Amanda Smith matched her career high with six points.
