Dec. 9, 2009

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EASTON, Pa. - Sophomore Jim Mower scored a career-high 23 points in a 73-57 runaway win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center.

Classmate Ryan Willen contributed 18 and a season-high nine rebounds for the Leopards who even their record at 5-5.

In the first half, the Knights led by as many as five, but once the Leopards started rolling there was no looking back. Lafayette trailed for the last time in the game with 7:33 to play in the first half before pounding out a 14-3 streak to close the half. Mower, who ended the half with 15 points, accounted for 12 points in the run as Lafayette led 31-21.

Lafayette came out in the second half and extended its lead to as many as 23 (73-50) with three minutes remaining in the game. Willen led the way with 11 second-half points and freshman Tony Johnson went a perfect 7-for-7 from the line and ended with nine points.

For the game, Mower shot 63 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc. Michael Gruner led Lafayette with six assists while the Leopards doled out 16 assists to just nine turnovers on the night. Defensively, Darion Benbow blocked a career-high three shots while Willen had a career-high two blocks. As a team, Lafayette blocked a season-high nine shots.

Fairleigh Dickinson (1-9) had three players in double figures, led by Kamil Svrdlik and Terence Grier with 13 points each and Mike Scott with 10. Sean Baptiste had nine rebounds. FDU shot 32 percent from the floor and 19 percent from three-point range.

Lafayette will host Long Island on Saturday at 1 p.m. before taking off nine days for final exams.

GAME NOTES: Fran O'Hanlon used his third starting lineup of the season: Marek Koltun, Ben Wheeler, Mower, Willen and Gruner.

All 15 players on Lafayette's active roster played at least three minutes.

The two teams combined for 44 fouls, including 35 in the second.