EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette women's basketball claimed a dominant 87-53 victory over American in the Patriot League Tournament opening round on Saturday at Kirby Sports Center. The Maroon and White now prepare for a 6 p.m. quarterfinal matchup on Monday in West Point, N.Y. versus No. 2 seed Army.

The Leopards were led in scoring by senior Abby Antognoli and sophomore Teresa Kiewiet, each netting 16 points. Juniors Emma Shields and Sauda Ntaconayigize also had strong outings for Lafayette, posting 15 points apiece. Shields' points, 13 rebounds and four blocks were all career highs for the Troy, N.Y. native and it was her second double double of the season. Saturday's victory also marked the largest point total for the program since a 90-85 win over Colgate in Feb. 2017.

Freshman Molly Driscoll led all scorers with 18 points for the Eagles and classmate Cecilia Kay grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

The opening three and a half minutes were back and forth, as the game was tied at nine apiece after a Driscoll jumper. Lafayette led 14-12 with 3:46 to go in the quarter before Ntaconayigize got hot from downtown. The Quebec, Canada native drained three-consecutive triples, boosting the Leopards' lead to 12 points (24-12).

American cut its deficit to 10 points (27-17) early in the second period, but Lafayette bounced right back. Both teams exchanged buckets over the next few possessions, but with 4:58 to go Shields started an 11-1 spurt. Antognoli's seven second-quarter points guided the Leopards to a 44-20 lead at the intermission.

Lafayette continued to score at will in the second half. Kay got a fast-break layup to fall for the Eagles (8:14) right before the Leopards scored 10 unanswered points to take a 32-point lead (54-22). The Maroon and White's largest lead of the contest (66-28) came with 1:19 left in the stanza after Antognoli finished off a driving layup. With 10 minutes to play on College Hill, Lafayette led 66-32.

The Leopards punched their ticket to the quarterfinal round, when both teams scored 21 points in the final period. Lafayette's path to advancement was highlighted by assists and its three-point shooting. The Patriot League's leading sniper, Ntaconayigize, drained 5-of-7 attempts from deep and the team shot 40 percent (10-25) from beyond the arc. Lafayette also found its teammates for 21 assists.

The Maroon and White now gear up for a trip to West Point, N.Y. on Monday, when they'll play No. 2 Army at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinal round.
 

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