Jan. 6, 2010
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EASTON, Pa - Sophomore Ryan Willen had a standout performance against Columbia, scoring a career-high 27 points in a 91-74 win over Columbia on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center.
Willen finished the night shooting 9-for-11 from the field (82%) which counted two three-pointers and a 7-of-10 stint at the line. Three other Leopards scored in double figures. Jim Mower finished the night with 15 while Jared Mintz chipped in 12 and Tony Johnson 11.
Lafayette shot 57 percent from the floor and a season-best 53 percent (9-of-17) from beyond the three-point arc. The Leopards improve to 9-6, surpassing their season win total for 2008-09.
In the first half, Lafayette took the lead off a Mower three, and never surrendered it in the opening stanza. Lafayette led by as many as 13 on four different occasions. Willen scored 11 points in the first half alone as Lafayette led 47-40.
Almost five minutes into the second half, Columbia (6-7) erased a seven-point deficit and went up by one off a Noruwa Agho jumper. The Leopards answered with a 19-6 run over six minutes when Willen scored 10 points.
In final seven and a half minutes, Lafayette worked its way to the free throw line. The Leopards were 11-for-12 and managed to extend the lead to as many as 17.
Columbia's leading scorer, Agho, scored 26 points, with Niko Scott (14), Asenso Ampim (13) and Kevin Bulger (11) also reaching double digits. Ampim, who was in foul trouble for much of the first half, scored all 13 of his points in the second session, including 10 in the first five minutes of the half.
Columbia shot 48 percent from the field and a paltry 56 percent from the line. Lafayette out-rebounded Columbia 33-30.
Lafayette will begin conference play on Saturday when the Leopards welcome Patriot League preseason pick Holy Cross to Kirby Sports Center on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Notes: Justin DeBerry '04 attended Wednesday night's win over Columbia. DeBerry was a 1000-point scorer for Fran O'Hanlon and still ranks 11th on the career scoring list (1,378). The Tucson, Ariz. native will attend fellow former Lafayette basketball player Jamie Hughes' 05 wedding this weekend.
