Nov. 30, 2011
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - A strong defensive effort and 13 points from Emily Homan went for naught on Wednesday evening as Penn knocked off the Lafayette women's basketball team, 49-39, at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Eleven of Homan's 13 tallies came in the second half.
With the loss, the Leopards fall to 2-5 on the season. The Quakers are off to their best five-game start in program history at 4-1.
Homan was the lone Lafayette scorer in double figures. Danielle Fiacco neared her fourth double-double of the season with nine points and a game-best 14 rebounds. Madeline Fahan also had nine points, seven of which came in the final 20 minutes. Brya Freeland and Sarah McGorry each netted three points, and Maddie Peabody rounded out the Leopards' scoring with two points. McGorry also ripped down seven boards in her 24 minutes off the bench.
Led by Fiacco's 14 rebounds, Lafayette won the battle on the boards, 42-41. The Quakers did hold a 21-16 edge on the offensive glass, but the Leopards were far more opportunistic with 19 second-chance points to Penn's six.
The home team made up for that difference by capitalizing on turnovers. The Quakers turned 18 Lafayette miscues into 15 points, while the Leopards managed three points from 11 Penn turnovers.
Penn never went on an extended run in the first half, but the Quakers slowly built a lead that grew as large as seven points at 21-14 with 6:45 left in the frame. The Leopards held Penn scoreless for the remainder of the period, but Lafayette tallied just two points over that stretch to head to the locker room trailing, 21-16.
Lafayette would trim the advantage back to within one possession on four occasions, but each spurt was met by an answer from the home team. The final run came after a McGorry free throw cut the margin to 36-33 with 5:51 to go. The Quakers converted three three-pointers in the ensuing 2:47 of action to extend their lead to double figures for the first time at 45-35. The squads traded buckets for the remainder of the contest, which was enough for Penn to come away with a 49-39 decision.
Penn's Renee Busch led all players in scoring with 15 points courtesy of a 5-for-8 night from three-point range. The Leopards were effective in containing Alyssa Baron - the Ivy League's leading scorer (21.5 ppg entering the game) and reigning Rookie of the Year - though the sophomore standout came on strong late to finish with 14 points. Kara Bonenberger netted eight points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for the victorious Quakers.
The Leopards will play back-to-back home games for the first time this season beginning on Saturday, Dec. 3 against Manhattan. Lafayette stays on College Hill to host Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Both games will be broadcast live on GoLeopards.com, and the mid-week contest with the Hawks will also be televised on the Lafayette Sports Network.
