Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks to open up at Princeton
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh opens the 2001-02 season Friday night with a visit to Ivy League foe Princeton. The Mountain Hawks will look to build on last season, when they compiled 16 wins and reached the Patriot League championship game. Lehigh is led by junior co-captain Anne Tierney, the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year. Tierney became the fasted player in league history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark (56 games). She paced the Patriot League with over 11 rebounds per contest, and was second with an average of 17.4 points per game. The Mountain Hawks should be strong on the perimeter this season, with the likes of sophomore Carli Toliver and junior Cat Nicholson acting as sharpshooters from the outside. Junior Billi Ford and freshman Chantal St. Laurent will be charged with running the Lehigh offense. Ford was among the league leaders in assists last season, and St. Laurent looked strong in two exhibition contests. In addition to Tierney in the paint, sophomore Jana Ransom will try to build on an excellent debut season last year, and freshman Jessica DePalo poses an immediate shot-blocking threat underneath. Meanwhile, the Tigers begin the campaign with higher expectations after a rebuilding season in 2000-01. Last year’s Tigers were 2-25, but this year’s group is young and hungry, and the team has a new leader. Richard Barron is the new man at the helm, joining the Princeton staff after five successful seasons at the University of the South. The Mountain Hawks and Tigers will get things underway at 7:00 on Friday night from Jadwin Gym in Princeton. The contest will be broadcast on the Lehigh web site at www.lehigh.edu beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45pm EST. For more information, contact
