Lehigh University
Lafayette
Balanced attack keeps Lehigh perfect at Lafayette
1/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Easton, PA – All five starters for the Mountain Hawks hit for double figures Friday night, and the balanced effort led Lehigh to a 64-53 victory over Lafayette. Jessica DePalo and Dawn Gorynski led the team with 13 points apiece, helping Lehigh (7-10, 4-0) stay perfect and in first place in Patriot League play.
Leading scorer DePalo was held in check for the first half, as she took an accidental elbow above her left eye and was visibly bothered by it. DePalo had only two points in the first half, but her teammates picked up the slack as the Mountain Hawks cruised to a 30-23 lead at the break. Lehigh played stellar defense, holding Lafayette (0-17, 0-4) to just 29.6% shooting in the first stanza. In the second half, Lehigh maintained control by pounding the boards inside and taking advantage of second chance opportunities. DePalo shook off the early injury to score 11 second half points to help Lehigh expand their lead to as many as 14. For the game, the Mountain Hawks outrebounded the Leopards 40-28, leading to a 19-3 lead in second chance points. "We got off to a great start," said Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan. "I was confident in our depth, but we knew they were going be tough so we had to come out and play hard." Joining DePalo and Gorynski in double figures was Mary Frances Hynoski, who tallied season-highs with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Jana Ransom had 10 points and 8 rebounds, and Sara Ellis had 10. Colleen Fitzpatrick led Lafayette with 13 points and 7 rebounds. The Mountain Hawks well get very little rest, as they turn right around and travel to Army for another Patriot League game on Sunday. Game time is set for 1:00, and audio coverage can be heard live on 91.3 WLVR Bethlehem as well as on Lehigh’s website at www.lehighsports.com.
