Jan. 30, 2010
Box Score
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Lafayette's bid to end the first half of Patriot League play with a win at American, while also dealing the Eagles their first league loss of the year, fell short on Saturday afternoon. American came away with a 53-31 win thanks in large part to the Leopards' second-half offensive struggles.
Lafayette (4-17, 2-5) managed only 13 points over the final 20 minutes, the second-fewest points the squad has scored in the second half this season. The Leopards failed to make a single three-point basket, the second straight game Lafayette was cold from beyond the arc. The team also struggled at the free throw line, making just 7-of-15 attempts.
Elizabeth Virgin led Lafayette with her second straight 12-point game. LaKeisha Wright and Virgin chipped in six rebounds apiece to pace the Leopards.
The teams traded baskets in the opening minutes and it stood 8-6 Lafayette after two Wright free throws four minutes into the action.
American (14-7, 7-0) took its first lead, 11-9, on two Liz Leer free throws with 14:45 on the clock and five minutes later, the Eagles held a slim, three-point advantage (13-10).
Points were hard to come by for both teams for the majority of the half, as American managed only two points over a five-minute span. Wright made it a one-point contest (13-12) with a jumper at 8:30 and Virgin's put-back layup three minutes later kept Lafayette within one (17-16).
Michelle Kirk pushed American's lead to four (22-18) with a trey at 1:51 and the Eagles closed out the half on a hot streak, scoring eight unanswered points to take a 28-18 halftime lead.
Samantha Jordan's layup at 18:14 marked the only points over the first three minutes of the second half. Lafayette kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for nearly five minutes, during which time Wright's basket at 15:52 cut American's lead to six (28-22).
Lisa Strack put American back up by double figures (33-23) with a basket at 12:26. That bucket was part of a 10-1 run by the Eagles that eventually upped the lead to 38-23.
Lafayette went nearly five minutes without a basket and fell behind by 17 (47-30) with two minutes remaining to put the game out of reach.
Virgin's free throw with 42 seconds left marked the Leopards' final point of the contest as American went on to the 22-point margin of victory.
The Leopards kick off the second half of league play next Saturday with 1 p.m. home game against Holy Cross.
Postgame Notes:
- Danielle Jenkins made her first start of the season.
- Elizabeth Virgin had one block in the game, the 32nd of her career, moving her into a tie for seventh on Lafayette's career blocks list.
