WEST POINT, N.Y. - Seniors Makayla Andrews, Kayla Drummond and junior Abby Antognoli combined for 40 points Wednesday evening in the teams' largest Patriot League victory since January of 2020. The Maroon and White shot 53.8 percent from the field, their best shooting performance of the season so far, leading to a 68-42 victory. 

To begin the game, Drummond (12 points) scored six straight points to give the Leopards a 6-2 lead with 8:09 to go in the first quarter. Buckets from Halee Smith (four points), Sauda Ntaconayigize (five points) and Emma Shields (eight points) extended Lafayette's lead to 12-points (14-2) with just under four minutes left in the first. After 10 minutes of play, the Leopards held a 20-10 lead.

Lafayette started the second quarter with a 9-5 run courtesy of baskets from Antognoli (12 points), Drummond and sophomore Kay Donahue (five points). Neither team scored for the next two minutes, but Antognoli knocked down a mid-range jumper with 3:01 to play in the half to give the Leopards a 13-point lead (30-17). At the intermission, Lafayette led 35-22.

Coming out of halftime, Kya Smith cut Army's deficit to single digits (39-30) with a second-chance bucket in the paint. Smith finished the game as the Black Knights' leading scorer, dropping in 10 points. The Leopards then proceeded to go on a 6-0 and while taking a 45-30 advantage with 5:37 to go. In the third quarter, the Maroon and White outscored Army 20-14 giving them a 55-36 lead with 10 minutes left to play.

Lafayette kept its hot shooting going by beginning the final quarter with a 8-0 spurt that helped put away the game. At the 3:44 mark, the Leopards took their largest lead of the game (26) after Andrews converted a layup under duress. When the final horn sounded, Lafayette emerged with its first conference victory of the season, as well its first win of 2024.

The Leopards ball movement was a key part to their success on Wednesday evening. Lafayette racked up 19 assists compared to Army's 10. Junior forward Halee Smith and classmate Kylie Favours, combined for nine assists. Army shot just 26 percent from the field and nine percent from downtown.

Lafayette returns to College Hill at 2 p.m. on Saturday as it continues its conference slate against Boston U. inside Kirby Sports Center.