Feb. 20, 2010
Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Leopards went to the always-tough environment at Stabler Arena and gave the Mountain Hawks all they could handle. Unfortunately, the first-place Lehigh squad held off a pesky Lafayette team, 68-58.
Lafayette (5-21, 3-9) dominated the first half but 39 Mountain Hawks points over the final 20 minutes prevented the Leopards from clinching their first win against their archrival in two years.
The Leopards played perhaps their best all-around ball, however, as three players reached double figures and they dished-out a season-best 19 assists, with four from both LaKeisha Wright and Amanda Smith. Wright also led the Leopards with 16 points.
Lehigh (24-3, 11-1), meanwhile, used 44 points in the paint and an 18-point effort from Alex Ross to help come from behind and grab the win.
Amanda Leone got the scoring started with a layup off a Sarah McGorry pass as baskets from three different players gave the Leopards a 6-2 lead less than four minutes into game.
A long jumper by McGorry made it an 11-5 game. Lehigh, meanwhile, went three minutes without a basket until Alexa Williams's jumper at the 12-minute mark cut Lafayette's lead to 11-7.
That basket sparked a 5-0 Mountain Hawks' run as they took their first lead of the night, 12-11, on a three-point play from Erica Prosser.
Lafayette regained the lead, 14-12, midway through the half. Elizabeth Virgin upped the margin to seven (19-12) with back-to-back baskets.
Amanda Smith continued Lafayette's torrid pace on offense with three-straight buckets that gave the Leopards their first double-digit lead (25-14) with five minutes remaining in the opening half.
Melissa Downey's three at the two-minute mark kept it an 11-point game (34-23) but the Leopards went scoreless over the final two minutes and Lehigh made it a five-point game (34-29) at halftime.
Lehigh opened the second half on an 8-2 run, tying the game at 36. Ross's three-point play handed a 40-38 lead to the Mountain Hawks with 16 minutes remaining.
Lafayette trailed by seven (50-43) at the midway point of the period. McGorry cut it to a four-point lead (51-47) with her first basket of the half two minutes later.
Lehigh maintained that four-point advantage until Wright's jumper made it 55-53 with four minutes on the clock. Ross countered with a three, however, and three straight Williams baskets gave Lehigh a 63-57 lead at the two-minute mark.
The Leopards had reached 10 team fouls with 2:50 on the clock and Lehigh went ahead by 10 with one minute on the clock to seal the win.
Lafayette closes out the regular season with two straight home games, beginning Wednesday night with a 7 p.m. game against Army.
Postgame Notes:
- Lafayette shot a season-high 54.3 percent (25-46).
- Melissa Downey finished with a career-best 12 points.
- Amanda Smith finished with a season-high 10 points, falling just two points shy of her career-best of 12.
- Elizabeth Virgin had two blocks bring her career total to 36 and move into sole possession of sixth place on Lafayette's all-time blocks list.
