Dec. 3, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Jared Mintz's night was a microcosm of Lafayette's Atlantic 10 test vs. La Salle on Thursday night at Tom Gola Arena. The Leopards' leading scorer was 0-for-5 in the first half with no points, but turned things around with a 5-for-6 effort in the second half and a team-best 14 points. As a team, the Leopards shot 28 percent in the opening stanza and followed with a 55 percent clip in the final 20 minutes in a 79-67 loss, with La Salle's 12-point halftime advantage the difference in the game.
Mintz was one of three players in double figures for the Leopards (4-4), joined by a career-high 12 points from freshman Tony Johnson and 11 from Jeff Kari.
In the first half, the teams traded buckets for the first eight minutes. Back-to-back three's by La Salle's Steve Weingarten and Kimmani Barrett gave La Salle its biggest lead of the half, 12 points, with 5:49 left in the half. La Salle led 35-23 at intermission.
In the second half, it took Lafayette a while to get its offense going, allowing La Salle (4-2) to push its advantage to 16 seven minutes in. Brothers Terrell Williams and Jerrell Williams scored on consecutive possessions as the Explorers led 55-39.
Kari and Mintz started to heat up for the Leopards. Mintz converted a three-point play and Kari contributed one of his three three-pointers while La Salle led 60-48 with 11:25 left. For the first time in the second half, Lafayette put together consecutive field goals. Michael Gruner's jumper followed Kari's three, and Mintz contributed another bucket in the paint to trim La Salle's lead to 60-52 with 9:31 left.
A steal by Gruner and a resulting transition bucket by Jim Mower preceded a Ryan Willen jumper that brought Lafayette within seven, 63-56, with 6:38 left in the game. With the Leopards' helping in the paint on the bigger La Salle post players, Rodney Green took advantage on the kick-out passes and knocked down back-to-back three's to give La Salle a 69-56 lead with just less than six minutes to play.
La Salle held a comfortable margin for the remainder of the game. Greene, who had six assists, finished with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and was one of four players in double figures for the Explorers.
Lafayette was hit hard on the boards, outrebounded 42-26. The Leopards did manage 12 offensive boards, but also surrendered 16 against a La Salle squad which recently had 28 offensive boards vs. No. 3 Villanova. For the game, Lafayette shot 41 percent to La Salle's 53. The Leopards committed just seven turnovers and dished out eight assists.
Lafayette plays a rare 5 p.m. game on Sunday at Princeton.
NOTES:
The Leopards came out with a different starting five than Fran O'Hanlon used in the first seven games, going with Kari, Gruner, Mintz, Willen and Jim Mower instead of Darion Benbow.
