LORETTO, Pa. – Lafayette women's basketball continued its non-conference schedule on Sunday and defeated the Red Flash 69-55 on the road at DeGol Arena. Guards
Sauda Ntaconayigize (18) and
Haylie Adamski (13) led the Maroon and White, combining for 31 points.
The Leopards were hot from the jump ball, knocking down three triples to establish a 9-0 lead. St. Francis then flipped a switch and posted its own 8-0 spurt to bring themselves within one with 3:51 to go in the period. Free throws down the stretch from
Talia Zurinskas and
Haley Poser handed Lafayette a 16-13 advantage to close out the first quarter.
Head coach
Kia Damon-Olson's group put on a dominant display in the second stanza, outscoring the hosts 21-5. All 21 points came from beyond the arc as the Leopards knocked down seven threes on nine attempts. Lafayette also notched assists on all seven triples, showcasing great ball movement. Junior guard
Rosie Scognamiglio drained all four of her threes in the quarter, leading the team with 12 points. After 20 minutes on the road, the Maroon and White led 37-18.
St. Francis came to life in the third period with 22 points to the Leopards' 13. Lafayette took its largest lead of the game (44-18) with 7:12 remaining, but then the hosts found their rhythm. Bati Assefa led the Red Flash with 15 points in the quarter, while Shelby Ricks and Zaiha Minnis each netted five. Zurinskas knocked down clutch free throws at the 0:14 mark that maintained a double-digit Lafayette lead (69-55).
A 19-point final quarter from the Maroon and White guided them to a second-consecutive win and a 2-0 week. Ntaconayigize found her shot, finishing with nine points in the period on 3-4 shooting. Three-point shooting was the key to Sunday's contest and the Leopards bested the hosts, making 14-of-28 attempts to St. Francis' 5-of-18 tries.
Lafayette returns to the court at 7 p.m. on Thursday, taking on Wagner in Staten Island, N.Y.
To keep up with the Lafayette women's basketball program, follow its social media pages.
X/@LafayetteWBB | Instagram/@lafayette_wbb | Facebook/GoLeopards
