Dec. 11, 2011
Box Score
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Lafayette women's basketball team found itself in another defensive battle on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 56-48 decision at Bryant. Emily Homan posted team highs with 11 points and nine rebounds for the Leopards.
The Leopards fall to 3-7 on the season, while Bryant improves to 6-3. The home team has won all four games in the all-time series between the two programs.
Danielle Fiacco neared a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. Brya Freeland posted six points, and Ashley Springer, Alicia Manning and Madeline Fahan each netted five. Samantha Jordan tallied three points, and Melissa Downey and Kristan Liddle rounded out the scoring with two points apiece.
The Leopards held a 48-39 advantage on the glass and a 17-2 edge in bench points. However, Lafayette was hindered by 27 turnovers that led to 24 Bryant points.
The Leopards tallied the first four points of the contest followed by a 7-0 Bryant spurt. The scoring leveled off at 13-13 before the next run - a 6-0 stretch highlighted by four points from Homan - gave the Leopards a 19-13 lead. The defenses prevailed for the last seven minutes of the half as Lafayette went into the half holding a 26-22 advantage.
Bryant was the aggressor to start the second half, netting the first nine points to claim a 31-26 lead. The squads then traded buckets, which kept Bryant on top, until a pair of Freeland layups knotted the score, 39-39, with under seven minutes remaining. The next run proved to be decisive, as the Bulldogs broke the deadlock with a 12-3 stretch to take a 51-42 lead with under one minute to play. Fahan and Manning each connected on a three-pointer in the waning seconds, but Bryant was solid from the line to close out a 56-48 win.
Bryant's Danielle Douglas led all players with 20 points. Naana Ankoma-Mensa recorded a double-double for the home team with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
After a nine-day break from the hardwood to focus on final exams, the Leopards' road trip continues on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at St. Francis (N.Y.). Tip-off from Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. is slated for 5 p.m. and will feature a live audio broadcast on GoLeopards.com. Lafayette's next action on College Hill is a Jan. 4 tilt with Ivy League foe Columbia.
