Nov. 16, 2009
Box Score
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - A career game from Lauren Jackson helped propel the Lafayette women's basketball team to a 58-55 victory over Monmouth on Monday night. The Leopards handed the Hawks a loss in Monmouth's debut at the new Multipurpose Activity Center.
Jackson led all scorers with a career-high 19 points on a 6-of-10 shooting performance and a 5-of-7 showing at the free throw line. LaKeisha Wright and Elizabeth Virgin joined Jackson in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively, while Amanda Smith pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds.
Lafayette (1-1) shot 44 percent from the floor while holding Monmouth (0-1) to a 33 percent showing. The Leopards overcame a 21-point first-half effort to net 37 in the second period that included 16 from the charity stripe.
Points were at a premium for both teams in the early going, as a lone Monmouth basket marked the only scoring more than four minutes into the game and it took Lafayette nearly seven minutes to get on the board.
A Melissa Downey free throw finally ended the Leopards' scoring drought and layups by Smith and Samantha Jordan gave Lafayette a 5-2 advantage with 12:20 to play.
Monmouth's Carly Thibault drained the game's first three to make it a tie game at seven-all, but two straight baskets from Jackson put Lafayette ahead 13-11 with 8:11 to play.
The Hawks proceeded to take a 14-13 lead on Alexis Canady's trey and remained ahead by one (19-18) after Betsy Gadziala's first basket of the night at the 3:40 mark. Jackson sank a three with 26 seconds on the clock to put Lafayette back in the lead, 21-19, but Thibault countered with a three of her own to make it 22-21 at the midway point of the game.
The squads traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second half. A three-point play by Jackson at 17:07 handed the Leopards a two-point lead (28-26) and sparked a 14-4 Leopards run which made it 42-30 with less than 12 minutes to play.
Lafayette remained ahead by double figures (46-34) at the nine-minute mark after Danielle Jenkins' first basket of the night.
The Hawks cut Lafayette's lead to single digits (50-44) after an Erin Rooney basket from behind the arc with 4:16 remaining. The Leopards held a seven-point advantage (52-45) with 57 seconds on the clock and withstood a last-second three-pointer by Gabby Singer to take the 58-55 decision.
Abby Martin led Monmouth with 11 points and 10 boards, while Rooney finished with 10 points.
The Leopards have a day to prepare before traveling to Fairfield on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest.
Postgame Notes:
- Jackson's 19 points surpassed her previous career high of 17 points, which she scored against Navy in the semifinals of last year's Patriot League Tournament.
- Downey played a career-high 37 minutes.
