Lehigh University
Army
Lehigh overcomes first half struggles to win 49-39
2/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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WEST POINT, N.Y. – After a tough first half on the offensive end, Lehigh was able to bounce back and defeat Army 49-39 Sunday afternoon in Christl Arena. The Mountain Hawks scored only 15 first half points, but were able to find their scoring touch late in the game. Junior Erica Prosser led Lehigh’s charge as she scored 13 of her 15 total points in the second half. With the win, the Brown and White improve to 22-3 on the season and 9-1 in the Patriot League to remain in a first place tie with American. Army falls to 10-14 (4-6) with the setback.
“I was most disappointed with the effort in the first half,” head coach Sue Troyan said. “We were going through the motions and we just weren’t sharp. After playing soft in the first half I thought we did a much better job in the second half. I was pleased with our offense and defensively we did a good job of limiting their looks at the basket.”
Prosser commented on the first half, “Our halftime talk was to snap us out of the slump. 15-points is unacceptable and we had to sit back and realize what wasn’t working. We knew we had to play better.”
The Mountain Hawks were able to pick up their shooting in the second half, as they shot 42 percent. For the game, Lehigh shot a season-low 28 percent. Despite junior Erin Anthony’s career-high 18 rebounds, Lehigh was able to out-rebound Army 45-32. Courtney Dentler and Emily Gratch each finished with six rebounds. The only other member of the Brown and White to finish in double figures was Dentler with 11.
For Army, Anthony also chipped in 11 points and a career-high six blocks, while freshman Molly Yardley had a team-high 12. Anthony’s six blocks are a Christl Arena record. The Black Knights also struggled to shoot the ball as they shot 29 percent for the game.
Lehigh came out of the gates strong as it jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but the game quickly turned into a defensive battle. The Mountain Hawks scored their final field goal of the half with 15:03 left off a Dentler layup. The Brown and White’s remaining seven points came off free throws as it failed to hit any field goals. At the half Lehigh narrowly edged Army 15-13 and the 15-points was a season-low in a half for the Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh shot 4-for-27 (14.8%) from the field and failed to connect on any of its three-pointers (0-for-4). The Mountain Hawks out-rebounded the Black Knights 26-20. Dentler led the Brown and White with six points and five rebounds.
Army was led by Anthony who had five points and 12 rebounds in the half. The Black Knights shot only 20 percent (5-for-25) and turned the ball over nine times.
The Mountain Hawks found their offense immediately in the second half as they used a 7-0 run to build a 22-13 lead. With 12:15 left in the game Army pulled to within four off an Anthony jumper, but Lehigh finally found its touch from the three-point line to turn the tide of the game. The Mountain Hawks rattled off three straight from beyond the arc to pull ahead by nine, 35-26. Prosser had two of the three-pointers and Ross had one.
“Erica and Alex’s run of three-pointers was the difference in the game,” Troyan said. “It really opened up the game and brought a lot of energy to us.”
Sophomore Emily Gratch followed up the three-pointers with a layup to give Lehigh its largest lead of the day 37-26 with 7:50 left in the game. The closest Army would get is within six as the Mountain Hawks were able to finish the game strong and to secure the victory.
The Brown and White is looking forward to returning back to Bethlehem for its final two games.
“We’re looking forward to returning home and closing things out strong,” Troyan Said. “The team plays with a lot of confidence at home and at this point in the season every game is important. We’re playing for the regular season championship.”
Lehigh will return home and take on the Colgate Raiders Wednesday evening at 7:05 p.m. in Stabler Arena. Tickets are available in advance by calling 610-7LU-GAME or online at Lehighsports.com, and on game day at the Stabler Arena box office 60 minutes prior to tip-off.
Photos provided by Katie Matis
Lehigh Mountain Hawks Post-Game Extra
