Jan. 21, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
EASTON, Pa. - The Leopards scored 21 of their 41 first-half points from three-point range as a strong first half helped lead the Lafayette women's basketball team to a 75-58 win over Patriot League opponent Bucknell. The Leopards made a season-high eight three-pointers and finished with a season-best 81 percent showing from the charity stripe to capture their second conference win.
The Leopards (8-11, 2-2) shot 52 percent from the field and their 66.7 percent showing from beyond the arc matched their season-high. Sophomore LaKeisha Wright led the team in scoring for the fourth-straight game with 14 points. Joining Wright in double figures were Cristin Zavocki (13) and Jessica Spicer (10).
Spicer drained a three to give Lafayette the early 3-2 lead and Zavocki's trey with 15 minutes to play kept the Leopards ahead up by one (12-11). Spicer's second three of the night a minute later jumpstarted an 8-0 run by the Leopards who took a 20-13 lead midway through the opening half.
Lafayette upped its lead to 10 (25-15) after Amanda Leone's second three-pointer, and Melissa Downey scored the Leopards' seventh basket from beyond the arc to make it 30-15 at the 6:27 mark. Those baskets were part of a 16-5 Lafayette run that saw the Leopards lead 34-15 before Bucknell's Amanda Brown broke a six-minute scoring drought by the Bison (9-8, 1-3) to make the score 34-18. Sarah McGorry capped off the first-half scoring to give Lafayette a season-high 19-point lead (41-22) at halftime.
The teams traded baskets to open the second half but the Leopards led by 21 (53-32) five minutes into the second half. A 7-0 run by the Bison cut Lafayette's lead to 11 (58-47) with eight minutes remaining but Bucknell could not pull any closer. Zavocki's third trey, and the team's eighth, put the Leopards up by a game-high 22 (69-46) with less than five minutes to play and end threat of a Bison comeback.
The Leopards are back in action on Saturday with a road game against archrival Lehigh. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
Postgame Notes:
- Lafayette's eight three-pointers were one shy of tying the single-game team record.
- Three Leopards reached career-highs in points: Melissa Downey (7), Sarah McGorry (7) and Amanda Leone (6). All six of Leone's points came from three-point range.
- The 75 points were the most scored in regulation since an 83-62 win over Morgan State on Jan. 2 of last year.
- Lafayette's 41 first-half points were the most scored in any half this season.
- Head coach Tammy Smith was coaching in her 400th career game.
- Lafayette surpassed its previous season-high in three-pointers (6) in the first half alone.
