Feb. 13, 2013

EASTON, Pa. - Despite a strong first half and multiple comeback efforts in the second stanza, Army proved to be too much for the Lafayette women's basketball on Wednesday evening inside Christl Arena as the Leopards fell, 70-57. Sophomore Maddie Peabody tallied a career-high 14 points in the loss.

Along with Peabody, junior co-captain Danielle Fiacco was the only other Leopard in double figures as she finished with 11 points to go along with seven rebounds. Sophomore co-captain Emily Homan added nine points and six rebounds for the Lafayette attack. On the other side, Army's Anna Simmers and Kelsey Minato led the game in scoring with 23 and 20, respectively.

Lafayette connected on 21 of its 58 shots from the floor (36.2%) and went 6-for-21 from three-point range (28.6%). Additionally, the Leopards knocked down nine of their 16 free throws (56.3%). The Black Knights went 24-for-51 from the field (47.1%) and 2-for-7 from distance. Army dropped in 20 of its 24 attempts from the charity stript (83.3%).

The Leopards scored on their first possession as junior Madeline Fahan drove down the right side of the lane and finished near the end of the shot clock to take the early 2-0 lead. Sophomore Linnel Macklin and Homan knocked down back-to-back shots two possessions later and Lafayette took a 6-4 lead into the first media timeout.

Simmers' bucket out of the break tied the game at six apiece with, but Fiacco hit on a post move through contact to put the Leopards back on top, 9-6. Peabody's three from the right corner at the 13:15 mark extended Lafayette's lead to four and a jumper from junior Kelly Loughney two possessions later put the Leopards up six, 14-8.

Liddle became the seventh Lafayette player to score in the opening 10 minutes when her jumper from the left elbow went through the net to push the score to 16-11. However, the Black Knights would score the next nine to force a timeout from head coach Dianne Nolan as Army took over the lead, 19-16, with 8:49 on the clock.

Loughney's fourth three of the 2012-13 season gave the lead back to Lafayette with 6:16 to go, 21-19. Army answered, though, as Simmers drained one from the corner and put the Black Knights back on top, 24-23, at the 5:15 mark.

Fahan would give the game its fourth lead change as she hit one of two from the line with 4:03 to go to put the Leopards up, 25-24. The teams would exchange buckets on the next two possessions before Army's Kelsey Minato finished an old-fashioned three-point play after a drive down the middle of the lane with 1:48 remaining to put Army on top, 30-27.

Neither team would score again in the final 1:48 and the Leopards went into the locker room trailing, 30-27.

After almost two minutes of scoreless basketball to open the half, Homan put the Leopards on the board first as she knocked down two free throws to pull within one, 30-29. Lafayette would tie it up at 32 apiece on a Fahan free throw, but two freebies from Olivia Schretzman with 15:32 to play put Army in the lead again, 34-32.

Peabody nailed a three from the top of the key to put Lafayette on top, 38-36 with 14:42 to play. She would hit another from distance on the following possession, but Minato connected on a jumper to tie it up at 38.

Lafayette held Army's lead to within three points for the next seven minutes before Schretzman knocked down two free throws with 6:59 to play to put the Black Knights up five. Army's Ciara Jackson extended the Black Knights' lead into double figures with a bucket at the end of the shot clock and 3:53 to play to make the score, 56-46.

With the lead staying between nine and 11 points over the next two minutes, the Leopards began to foul. Army connected on its free throws and iced away its victory, 70-57.

Lafayette moves to 10-14 on the year and 3-6 in the Patriot League, while Army notches its seventh League win to move to 7-2 in the League and 18-6 overall.

The Leopards continue their tough week on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Lewisburg, Pa. to take on Bucknell at 7 p.m.