Lehigh and Lafayette renew rivalry in PLT

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh and Lafayette meet for the 71st time in its historic rivalry, with no game having more importance than this one. The Leopards swept Lehigh during the regular season, but the Mountain Hawks come into the first round of the Patriot League Tournament as the favored third seed.

Lehigh lost its final game of the regular season, 62-55 at Holy Cross. The Mountain Hawks struggled to find the net all game, shooting just 18.2 percent in the first half, and 29.5 percent for the game. Alex Ross scored a team high 15 points, including three three-pointers, to give her the Lehigh single season school record. Erica Prosser chipped in with 11 points and five steals, en route to being named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

The Leopards nearly put an end to American’s 10-game winning streak, ultimately losing 60-57 in overtime. Vanessa Van De Venter had a team high 15 points and nine rebounds, and Emily Garner added 12 points and seven rebounds. Van De Venter was named to the first team All-Patriot League on Tuesday, leading the league in scoring (15.6 ppg), ranked fifth in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and third in field goal percentage (42%).

LaKeisha Wright was the only other Lafayette player named to an all-league team, earning All-Rookie honors. Wright had the second best shooting percentage in the league (46%) and ranked third among Patriot League freshmen in scoring (9.4 ppg). Both players played extremely well against Lehigh in their two meetings this season, as Van De Venter averaged 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and Wright averaged 15 points per game, and shot 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the field.

Lafayette leads the all-time series 40-30, but Lehigh has a 19-17 edge in Patriot League contests. The Leopards regular season sweep of Lehigh marked the first season sweep by Lafayette since 1997-98. Lafayette’s win at Stabler Arena, also put an end to the Mountain Hawks eight game winning streak at home against the Leopards.

The teams have met four times in the Patriot League Tournament, with the series tied 2-2. Lehigh won the last meeting in 2001, a 60-52 win in Annapolis, Md. That was the Mountain Hawks only win against the Leopards at a neutral site, as Lafayette had taken the four previous meetings.

Saturday’s game can be heard live from Christl Arena in West Point, N.Y. on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM, as well as Lehighsports.com, with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports. Jeff Tourial will call the action, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Date:	March 8, 2008
Opponent:	Lafayette Leopards
Time:	7:30 PM
Location:	West Point, N.Y.
Arena:	Christl Arena (5,043)
Lehigh’s Record:	17-12 (9-5 Patriot League)
Lafayette’s Record:	14-15 (6-8 Patriot League)
Series:	Lafayette leads 40-30
Last Meeting:	Lafayette 59, Lehigh 43, 2/23/08
TV:	None
Internet Video:	Patriot League All-Access
Radio:	ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM with Jeff Tourial
Internet Audio:	Lehighsports.com with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports Related Links Lehigh-Lafayette Page Listen to Saturday's game live or on-demand Game Notes

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