Lehigh University
Binghamton
Posts come up big as Lehigh wins 76-62
11/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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VESTAL, N.Y. – For the second time this season the Lehigh women’s basketball team was able to close out a game in the second half as they defeated the Binghamton Bearcats 76-62 Tuesday night from the Events Center. Leading 40-39 early in the second half the Mountain Hawks went inside and finished the game on a 36-23 run to put away the Bearcats. Junior Courtney Dentler came up big for the second straight game and scored a career-high 17 points off the bench. With the win Lehigh improves to 4-1 on the season and earned its fourth straight over Binghamton.
“We made some adjustments at halftime and talked about wanting to get the ball inside during the second half,” head coach Sue Troyan said. “I thought we did a great job of working the ball inside out in the second half and it helped to take them out of their zone.”
Junior Erica Prosser finished with a game-high 19 points while also adding four assists and four steals. Sophomore Emily Gratch was the final Mountain Hawk to finish in double-figures as she added 13 points and four rebounds.
For the first time this season Lehigh was out-rebounded in a win 40-38, but sophomore Alexa Williams continued her dominance on the boards with a game-high 10. The Brown and White finished the game shooting 44.6 percent from the floor.
Three Bearcats finished in double-figures: sophomore Andrea Holmes (16), junior Jackie Ward (14), and senior Erica Carter (14). Binghamton finished the game shooting 34.9 percent.
The Mountain Hawks were able to jump out to 14-6 lead after holding the Bearcats to a 1-for-12 showing from the field to start the game. The Brown and White built a 20-12 lead, but Binghamton came storming back going on a 13-6 run and eventually taking a 25-23 lead.
Prosser led Lehigh with seven points and three steals in the first half. For the Bearcats, Carter had 11 of her 14 points which included three from beyond the arc. Both teams had a sloppy first half as Binghamton committed 12 turnovers and the Mountain Hawks had 11.
After attempting 18 three-pointers in the first half Lehigh executed its game plan and got the ball inside to Gratch, Williams, and Dentler in the second half. The three accounted for 23 of the Mountain Hawks’ 46 points in the second half. The Brown and White continued its tough defense and forced the Bearcats to turn the ball over another seven times.
“Our post was the difference in the game,” Troyan said. “All three of them can start, but I’ve loved what Courtney has brought off the bench so far this season.”
After eleven first half turnovers, the Mountain Hawks committed only two more after the break.
Lehigh will stay on the road when it travels to Philadelphia on Sunday to take on the La Salle Explorers at 1:00 p.m. Jeff Tourial will broadcast the game live on WLVR-FM (91.3) and Lehighsports.com beginning at 12:45 p.m.
Mountain Hawks Basketball Post-Game Extra
