ANTOGNOLI AVERAGES
    Junior guard Abby Antognoli currently leads the Leopards in scoring, assists and field goal percentage (30 or more attempts taken), posting 14.7 ppg, 4.3 apg and 40.0 percent from the field. The Bay Head, N.J. native also has been an active defender, averaging two steals per game. Antognoli currently ranks eighth amongst the top scorers in the Patriot League.

SCOUTING LIU
    The Sharks finished the 2022-23 season with a 7-22 record. They made a Northeast Conference Tournament berth last season, but fell to Sacred Heart 66-44 in the first round.
    Lafayette has beaten LIU in two out of their last three matchups. The most recent encounter of the two teams was on Nov. 20, 2019 with the Leopards winning 65-60. 
    Nigeria Harkless and Amaya Dowdy were the leading scorers for LIU on Nov. 12. Harkless finished with a team-high 16 points, while adding seven boards and three assists. She also shot a perfect 100 percent from the charity stripe (six attempts). 
    Dowdy dropped 15 points, shooting 63.6 percent from the field. The junior forward tallied an additional six rebounds, two assists and five steals.  

LAST TIME OUT
    Junior guard Abby Antognoli and senior guard Makayla Andrews combined for 43 points, but the Leopards came up short in an 84-76 overtime final to Marist on Monday night in the Lafayette home opener. 
    Antognoli finished with 22 points (two shy of her career high) on 8-of-18 shooting including four three's and added six assists and three steals. Andrews netted 21 points on a 9-of-14 clip from the floor.
    The Red Foxes grabbed an early 10-3 lead after Zaria Shazer (29 points) knocked down a turnaround jumper from just outside the paint. Two more field goals from Shazer and free throws from Jackie Piddock (13 points) gave Marist a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
    With 7:11 remaining in the final 10 minutes of the first half, Morgan Lee (four points) gave Marist its biggest lead (14) of the game 25-11. The Red Foxes led 28-16 later in the quarter before sophomore guard Sauda Ntaconayigize and junior guard Kylie Favours (eight points) knocked down back-to-back three pointers to cut Marist's lead to single digits. The Leopards trailed 28-27 going into intermission.
    In the second half, Marist held a 40-34 four minutes into the third quarter. Antognoli quickly stopped the Red Foxes' run with a 12-foot jumper. Just 29 seconds later, Antognoli found the basket again with a driving layup. Free throws from Shazer and Julia Corsentino (23 points) gave Marist a 13-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
    Senior forward Kayla Drummond came up with a block to begin the quarter, allowing Antognoli to run the floor and drain a quick three. Marist maintained a 59-49 advantage with six minutes left in regulation, before Antognoli knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the night. The Leopards cut the deficit to four (66-62) with 1:24 remaining before Andrews drained a huge three-point bucket to cut the margin to one-point (66-65).
    Piddock went to the line for Marist, going 1-for-2 and giving the Red Foxes a two-point lead (67-65) . On the next possession, junior guard Halee Smith sent the game to overtime with a driving layup with just two seconds left on the game clock. Marist outscored Lafayette 17-9 in overtime to close out the 84-76 final.

PRESEASON PICKS
    Lafayette was predicted to finish eighth in the preseason poll, the Patriot League office announced on Oct. 12. The Leopards received 60 votes.

KEY RETURNERS
    Coach Kia Damon-Olson has nine players returning to College Hill after losing just one team member to graduation. Senior guard Makayla Andrews and junior guard Abby Antognoli are among Damon-Olson's top key returners. Andrews averaged 14.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.0 apg last season. Antognoli posted 12.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.0 apg in her second year at Lafayette. Sophomore Kay Donaue will also add depth to the Leopards back court after averaging 3.5 ppg and 2.0 rpg in 2022-23. 
    In the post, senior forward Kayla Drummond and senior center Aniya Matthews add size to Lafayette's depth chart. Drummond averaged 6.0 ppg and 7.6 rpg last season. Matthews saw time in 20 games last season averaging 2.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg. 

DROPPING DIMES
    Junior guard Abby Antognoli and sophomore guard Sauda Ntaconayigize both rank within the top 10 in the Patriot League for assists. Antognoli has supplied 16 assists so far giving her the second spot in the Patriot League's rankings. Ntaconayigize currently sits 10th in the rankings with 10 assists for a 3.3 per game average.

NEW FACES 
    Kia Damon-Olson and her staff added four new members to the Lafayette women's basketball team in freshmen Tasha Chudy, Grace Montgomery, Teresa Kiewiet and Brynn Beffert. Chudy and Beffert both stand over six feet tall and are new additions to the front court. Both possess physical attributes that will aid them at the college level. Montgomery and Kiewiet will add depth and scoring for the Maroon and White's back court. Both provide shooting and crafty play-making to the depth chart.