WEST POINT, N.Y. – After missing the first 25 games of the season due to injury, senior Nia Holland returned when the Lafayette women's basketball team needed her the most, sinking a driving layup with 3.7 seconds left to defeat Army, 63-61, on Saturday afternoon at Christl Arena and move into the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinal.
 
The win snapped a number of losing streaks for the Leopards (8-22), including a 19-year road losing streak to the Black Knights (11-19) with the last Lafayette win in West Point coming on Feb. 10, 1999.
 
The fourth quarter started with Army leading 50-47 before Lafayette went on a 10-0 run to open the period. Senior Alex Cantwell started the run with a 3-pointer, followed by a jumper from sophomore Natalie Kucowski and a layup by classmate Drew Freeland. The spurt was capped off by one of sophomore Olivia Martino's four 3-pointers to go up 57-50 with 3:24 to play.
 
Kucowski finished the afternoon with her 15^th double-double of the season, scoring 24 points with 10 rebounds to go along with three steals and a block. Martino was also in double-figures with 14 points and four boards.
 
The teams traded baskets in the final three minutes as Army's Madison Hovren made a layup through contact to tie the game at 61 with 14 seconds left, but missed the go-ahead free throw.
 
Freshman Makaila Wilson grabbed the Hovren miss and Lafayette used its final timeout to draw up the play that gave Holland the opportunity for the game-winning basket.
 
Hovren led the Black Knights with 22 points and 21 rebounds and Army featured two others in double-figures.
 
Kucowski got going early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, but Lafayette found itself trailing 23-17 after the opening 10 minutes as Army shot it 57 percent from the field in the opening frame.
 
That streak continued into the second with the Black Knights going on an 8-2 run to go up 12-points with 7:18 to play in the quarter. The Leopards had the answer as they closed the half on a 7-0 run when Kucowski knocked down a 3-ball and made a quick layup followed by Freeland's drive to the hoop to tie things at 37 at the break.
 
The third quarter went back-and-forth as the period saw eight lead changes before Army finally closed the period with a pair of layups to take the 3-point lead into the fourth.
 
Freeland had six points and three boards on the afternoon to go along with a career-high seven assists while Holland added a season-high seven points.
 
Lafayette committed a season-low four turnovers and forced Army into 13 while the Leopard bench outscored the Black Knights' reserves, 16-4.
 
The win snapped an 11-game Lafayette losing streak, dating back to mid-January, and a nine-game losing streak to Army.
 
The Leopards will play on Monday in the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinal at American in Washington, D.C., at 7 p.m.
 
For the latest on the Lafayette College women's basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteWBB, Facebook at Lafayette Women's Basketball, and Instagram @LafayetteWBB.