BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lafayette women's basketball team defeated crosstown rivals Lehigh, 70-60, in the two squads 100^th all-time meeting on Sunday afternoon in Stabler Arena.
 
The win was the Leopards first win in Bethlehem since 2011 and the first central mini-conference win for the Leopards this season. They now sit at 1-4 in the mini-conference and 3-6 overall in Patriot League action.
 
The Leopards were led by senior Natalie Kucowski who recorded her 50^th career double double, totaling 27 points and 19 rebounds. She was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc and added three assists and a team-high two steals. Sophomore Jess Booth was the other Leopard to find herself in double figures, tying her career-high 13 points.
 
Senior Drew Freeland started off the game for the Leopards with a three-pointer off an assist from junior Naomi Ganpo to put Lafayette (1-4 Central, 3-6 PL) up 3-0 less than a minute into the game. Booth put in a layup to put the Leopards up 5-0 before Lehigh (2-5 Central, 6-5 PL) would put in its first basket of the game, a three-pointer, to bring the score to 5-3. The Leopards then went on a 7-0 scoring run to push their lead out to nine.  
 
Lehigh put in a shot from beyond the arc but Kucowski countered with back-to-back threes to put the Leopards up 20-9 with 3:16 left to play in the first frame. The Mountain Hawks scored the final five points of the quarter to bring the score to 20-14 heading into the second 10 minutes of game action.  
 
The Mountain Hawks put in a layup to start off the second quarter following up the bucket with an extra shot to pull within three of the Leopards, 20-17. But the Maroon and White were able to hold the Mountain Hawks to only three more points in the quarter and added 10 more of their own with 4:45 left in the half to hold a commanding 38-27 lead heading into the locker room at the half.
 
Ganpo started off the second half for the Leopards with a jumper, putting them up 40-27 and Kucowski followed up with a layup off an assist from Freeland to add two more to the Leopards total.
 
With 39 seconds left to play in the third quarter, the Mountain Hawks attempted to claw their way back, putting in the last five points of the quarter to pull themselves within eleven and then pulling within eight, 57-49, at the start of the fourth and final 10 minutes of game action.  
 
Kucowski put in a layup to push the Leopards lead back out to 10 and then a few minutes later, junior Makaila Wilson put in a layup to put the Leopards lead out to 12, breaking a two and a half minute scoring drought for both sides.
 
With less than a minute left to play in the game, Lehigh had pulled within seven. Kucowski drew a foul and headed to the line for two extra shots. She made both, putting the Leopards back out front by nine. A few seconds later, freshman Makayla Andrews was fouled and made both of her extra shots to put the Leopards ahead 69-58.
 
Lehigh put in its final basket of the afternoon, a three-pointer, to bring the Mountain Hawks within nine but a Lehigh foul and an extra shot made by Johnson secured the 10 point victory for the Leopards for their first win in Stabler Arena since 2011.
 
The Leopards and Mountain Hawks are back in action Monday night in Easton with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.