Dec. 29, 2009
Box Score
NEWARK, Del. -- Junior Jared Mintz scored a career-high 26 points for Lafayette, but it was a 23-point night by Alphonso Dawson, including a pair of crucial three's in overtime, that spurred Delaware to an 82-72 final on Tuesday night at the Bob Carpenter Center.
The Leopards had their opportunities to close out the game in regulation, leading by as many as seven (59-52) with 2:17 left in the half. A second-chance bucket by Jawan Carter and a pair of free throws by Dawson cut that lead to 59-56 a minute later. After a scramble under the hoop, Michael Gruner came up with a defensive rebound and managed to call timeout as he fell to the floor and maintained possession. When Lafayette inbounded the ball, Delaware fouled him and he made 1-of-2.
Lafayette fouled Carter on the next possession, and he sliced the Leopard lead to 60-58 with 17 ticks left on the clock. The Blue Hens chose to foul Ryan Willen, and like Gruner, he made the second of two free throws in the double-bonus situation. Lafayette led 61-58.
Carter again drew a Lafayette foul and the 80 percent free throw shooter went to the line where me made 1-of-2. Carter collected his own miss on the second shot and Dawson followed with a jumper in the lane with nine seconds left to tie the game, 61-61.
Fran O'Hanlon called a timeout after the bucket to set up the final play. Lafayette inbounded the ball to speedy freshman point guard Tony Johnson who pushed it up the court before turning it over near the three-point line. Carter had a last-second three-point try from three-quarter court that was long and the game went to overtime.
In the extra session, Dawson hit a clutch three-pointer at 2:42 following a Lafayette turnover to give Delaware a 68-65 lead and snap the 11th tie of the night. Mintz answered with a pair of free throws 18 seconds later. Dawson again came up with a jumper at the two-minute mark. He followed a Lafayette turnover with 1:44 to play with a game-sealing three-pointer. The Leopards were forced to foul five times in the final minute which spread the final margin to 10 points.
Lafayette's icy shooting did not help the cause, as the Leopards shot 21 percent (5-of-24) from beyond the arc and 40 percent from the floor. Lafayette also surrendered 19 offensive rebounds and 22 second-chance points. Dawson led the way with a career-high 14 boards.
In the first half, the teams traded a pair of runs at the end of the first stanza. Lafayette trailed 27-24 before running off seven in a row. Mintz had a couple of buckets in the paint and Nick Petkovich added a three-ball. Lafayette led 31-27 with 3:17 left in the half. Delaware closed the half with an 8-1 run by four different players. Lafayette held Delaware's leading scorer, Carter, to three points in the first half, but he finished with 15 for the game while playing all 45 minutes.
Lafayette opens 2010 by hosting Penn on Sunday at 1 p.m.
NOTES:
Marek Koltun had a homecoming of sorts. The senior center and native of Poland spent a year of high school at the Caravel Academy in Bear, Del. A host of friends were on hand to support him.
Lafayette reached the bonus 10 minutes into the second half, but not until the 2:18 mark in the first half.
The Leopards played much of the first half without Willen and Wheeler who both had two fouls and combined to play just 11 minutes.
At the end of regulation, every player who had seen action, had scored for Lafayette. Four players ended the game with six points to follow Mintz's 26-point night.
