HANOVER, N.H.- Senior guard Makayla Andrews and junior forward Halee Smith erupted for a combined 35 points in the team's 57-55 win over Dartmouth on Thursday morning. The Leopards shot an efficient 80 percent from the charity stripe, which proved to be crucial down the stretch.

Andrews sealed the team's fifth win of the season with three clutch free throws with 12 seconds remaining in the game. 

Both teams exchanged buckets early in the first quarter, but Lafayette grabbed its second lead of the game after senior forward Kayla Drummond (eight points) finished a tough layup assisted by freshman guard Grace Montgomery. Sophomore guard Sauda Ntaconayigize (eight points) tacked on three more points with under a minute to play. After 10 minutes, the Leopards held a 14-12 lead.

Lafayette went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter thanks to baskets by junior guard Kylie Favours (four points) and Andrews. The Big Green then responded with a 7-2 spurt which cut their deficit (22-21) to just one point with 1:25 to go. Two triples from Smith and Andrews gave the Maroon and White a 28-21 lead heading into the intermission.

Coming out of halftime Smith kept cooking, scoring seven straight points for Lafayette. After a gritty offensive board and lay in by Andrews as well as a Smith floater, the Leopards grabbed their largest lead of the game (16) with 4:13 to go in the quarter. With one second left in the period, Nina Minicozzi cut Lafayette's lead to eight points after knocking down a triple. The Leopards led 42-34 after three quarters.

In the fourth, Smith reclaimed a 10-point lead for Lafayette after draining a pull-up jumper to start the fourth quarter. The Big Green were down nine points (52-43) prior to going on a 8-2 run which brought them within three points of tying the game with 23 seconds left. After Dartmouth resorted to intentionally fouling, three clutch free throws by Andrews sealed the victory for Lafayette, 57-55.

The difference in Thursday's game came at the foul line. Dartmouth shot 4-for-8 from the line compared to the Leopards 8-for-10.  Lafayette also shot an efficient 50 percent from downtown while Dartmouth shot 37.5 percent.

Lafayette opens the new year with its first conference game against Army at 6 p.m. on Jan. 3 in West Point, N.Y.