Feb. 22, 2012
Box Score
HAMILTON, N.Y. - Three players scored in double figures and two posted double-doubles, but the Lafayette women's basketball team was upended at Colgate on Wednesday evening, 69-60. Emily Homan led the way for the Leopards with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
With the loss, Lafayette falls to 8-20 overall and 2-11 in the Patriot League. Colgate moves to 8-20 on the season with a 5-8 league tally. The Raiders finish their home slate at 5-2 against Patriot League foes.
Homan's 15 points came on 6-for-13 shooting from the floor and a 3-for-4 day at the free throw line. Fifteen rebounds were a new career high for the freshman as well as the most boards in a game by a Leopard this season. Danielle Fiacco added 13 points and 10 rebounds, marking the third straight game that two Lafayette players each registered a double-double.
As a result of Fiacco's 13 points, she and Homan also became the first Lafayette teammates to each score 300 points in a season since Vanessa Van De Venter '08 (361 points) and Emily Garner '09 (325) in the 2006-07 campaign.
Linnel Macklin was the third Leopard to reach double figures with a career-best 13 points off the bench, Ashley Springer added seven points, Maddie Peabody scored four and Brya Freeland netted three. Melissa Downey and Kristan Liddle each posted two points and Samantha Jordan hit a free throw to round out the scoring.
Lafayette led the effort on the boards, 52-36, and hauled in 23 from the offensive glass that led to 19 second-chance points. Each team committed 15 turnovers.
Tricia Oakes and Jhazmine Lynch shared the game high with 21 points apiece for the Raiders. Oakes also pulled down 10 rebounds to notch a double-double.
An early 13-2 run by the Raiders put the home team on top, 15-6, midway through the first half. The cushion soon grew to 21-9 as Lafayette endured a stretch of 7:45 without a field goal. A Macklin jumper ended the drought and started a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to 23-18 and force a Colgate timeout with 4:42 to play in the period. The Raiders extended the lead to 12 points late in the frame before Freeland knocked down a three-pointer in the closing seconds to cut it back to nine. However, Lynch answered for the Raiders with a 30-footer at the horn to send Colgate into the locker room owning a 38-26 lead.
The Raiders' lead stood at 51-37 with 12:27 to play before back-to-back jumpers by Downey and Peabody slashed the deficit down to 10 points. However, Oakes went on the score the next four points of the game, and the margin was soon restored to 16 points at 65-49 with just 2:25 remaining. Lafayette finished the contest on an 11-4 run, but the Colgate lead proved insurmountable in an eventual 69-60 defeat.
Action returns to Kirby Sports Center on Saturday, Feb. 25 for the final home game of the 2011-12 regular season. First-place American, which needed a buzzer-beater at Bucknell this evening to improve to 13-0 in league play, visits College Hill for a 3 p.m. contest that will be broadcast live on the Lafayette Sports Network and GoLeopards.com. Seniors Melissa Downey, Sarah McGorry and Alexandra Serowoky will be honored prior to the game.
