THE OPENING TIP
*    The Leopards host UMBC in a mid-week match up on Wednesday.

*    Lafayette dropped a 52-42 decision against Marist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on Sunday. Sophomore Halee Smith led the Leopards with 11 points, eight rebounds and one assist. Fellow sophomore Abby Antognoli and junior Makayla Andrews each tallied 10 points.

*    In the last meeting on Dec. 9, 2021, Lafayette defeated UMBC 62-55. The Retrievers hold a 3-1 series lead over the Leopards.

*    Last week, Antognoli averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 assists and 2.5 spg. The guard had a 19 point effort against La Salle.

*    Lafayette will travel to Columbia on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip off. 

SCOUTING UMBC
    The Retrievers are 2-3 on the season, defeating Gettysburg (79-77) and St. Francis Brooklyn (64-59). Their three losses occurred against Virginia (101-46), Loyola Md. (61-47) and Richmond (64-57). UMBC finished 3-23 last season, including a 62-55 loss to Lafayette on Dec. 9, 2021. 
    Kiara Bell is the Retrievers' leading scorer at 11.8 ppg while also chipping in 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. Bell joins two other teammates averaging double figures in Ashia McCalla and Keelah Dixon with 11 apiece.

LAST TIME OUT
    Marist pulled away on a 10-2 run at the beginning of the third quarter to down Lafayette 52-42 on Sunday afternoon.
    Sophomore Halee Smith led the Leopards with 11 points, going 4-for-9 from the floor. Fellow sophomore Abby Antognoli and junior Makayla Andrews joined her in double digits, adding 10 apiece. 
     Marist had nine different scorers with Jackie Piddock leading with 12 points, while shooting 4-for-6 from the floor. The bench chipped in 20 points for the Red Foxes.
     The contest remained close throughout the first half. Marist went into the second quarter up 10-8, scoring five points from the charity stripe off of Lafayette's five personal fouls.
     Lafayette out-rebounded Marist 13-6 in the second quarter, leading to 11 second-chance points.  Marist headed into halftime up 25-24.
     The Red Foxes started off the second half on a 10-2 run, including two jumpers and a layup by Maeve Donnelly. Smith added the Leopards' two points in the run from the free-throw line. Marist would end up leading for the rest of the game.
     Antognoli rounded out the quarter by scoring five points on a three and a a pair of foul shots, while freshman Kay Donahue chipped in two free throws. The Red Foxes went 2-for-4 from the line, and added two layups to give them the 41-33 lead heading into the final quarter.
     The Leopards played even with Marist in the earlier minutes of the quarter, putting them down 46-40. Booth and Andrews each contributed a layup, while Smith drained a three to put Lafayette within six with just under five minutes remaining
     Lafayette's comeback effort was stopped short after Smith's three, as the Red Foxes limited the Leopards to a lone Andrews layup with 30 seconds left on the clock. Marist added a layup and four free throws over that decisive span to finish off the 52-42 final.

BIG SHOES TO FILL
    With her graduation from Lafayette College in May, forward Naomi Ganpo headed to Carlow, Ireland to further her education and basketball career. Ganpo was named the 2022-23 Patriot League's female recipient of the Victory Scholarship. The Ontario, Canada native is now lacing up her shoes across the pond for South East Technical College.
Ganpo finished the 2021-22 season averaging 27.8 minutes per game, 8.0 rebounds per game, 0.7 assists per game, 0.6 steals per game, 2.2 blocks per game and 7.2 points per game, all while starting every game for the maroon and white.
    The Biology major went on to be named to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team and the Patriot League All-Academic Team.