Nov. 18, 2008
Box Score
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EASTON, Pa. - It took all of 56 seconds for the Leopards to properly announce the return of hoops season at Kirby Sports Center on a night when three Lafayette players reached double-digit figures in scoring.
Junior guard Jeff Kari drove baseline and handed it off to junior center Marek Koltun for a thunderous dunk. Lafayette (2-0) never looked back, cruising to an 80-71 win over Stony Brook on Tuesday night in its home opener.
Senior guard Andrew Brown led the team with 25 points, marking the second consecutive game that he has posted at least 20 points.
Brown's performance was enhanced by a stellar outing from freshman Ryan Willen (15 points, 10 rebounds), who became the first freshman since Bilal Abdullah '08 to notch a double-double. Abdullah achieved the feat on Jan. 13, 2005 when he posted 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Lafayette commanded an early lead after going on a 16-1 run spanning roughly five minutes of the first period, soaring to an 18-3 advantage at 13:28. During that stretch, Lafayette's defense held its ground as Stony Brook missed 11 shots.
The Leopards went on to lead 38-26 at the half, shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from behind the arc. Even more impressive, Lafayette dished out 11 assists compared to Stony Brook's two.
Lafayette led by as much as 22 points at nearly five minutes remaining in the second half before the Seawolves tried to make a run at a comeback. Stony Brook closed within nine points with 1:19 remaining, but the Leopards' lead was too much to overcome.
Lafayette continues its three-game homestand on Friday when its faces Temple at 8:30 p.m.
Game Notes
*Three Leopards posted double-digits in scoring: Brown (25), Kari (16) and Willen (15).
*Sophomore Ben Wheeler notched the first start of his career in place of an injured Michael Gruner.
*Kari notched career-highs in points (16) and assists (seven).
*Freshmen Nick Petkovich and Jim Mower scored their first career points, winding up with six and three for the night, respectively.
