Wednesday, January 19
Stabler Arena
7:00:00 PM
Lehigh University
75
vs
57
Colgate
Mountain Hawks earn first league win with 75-57 victory over Colgate
1/20/2011 2:41:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women's basketball team (11-8, 1-3) picked up its first Patriot League win of the season on Wednesday night with a 75-57 victory over Colgate. Four players scored in double figures for the Mountain Hawks, who have now won 11 straight games over the Raiders.
"It feels good to get on the board and get a win after having a couple of tough losses," said Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan. "We came out with a lot of energy and we showed the way we are capable of playing."
Junior Alexa Williams led the way for the Mountain Hawks, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds. Senior Courtney Dentler added 15 points and junior Emily Gratch chipped in 14 points, as the three forwards combined for 44 points.
Senior point guard Erica Prosser was effective, as she scored nine points and dished out nine assists. Senior Kristen Dalton drained 11 points, giving the Mountain Hawks four players in double figures for the first time since March 7, 2010 against Holy Cross.
"I was really pleased with the way everyone stepped up tonight," said Troyan. "It's good for us to have different people step up and contribute in a game."
The Mountain Hawks got out to a quick 7-2 lead to start the game, as Williams opened the game with a layup, followed by an Aly Byorick three and a Dalton layup. Lehigh then extended its lead to 12-5 off a pair of Williams free throws and a three-pointer by senior Dentler, who leads the Patriot League in three-point field goal percentage. The Mountain Hawks took a 12-8 lead into the first media timeout.
With Lehigh leading 14-12 with 14:33 remaining, the Mountain Hawks went on a 6-0 run, thanks to layups from Dentler, Gratch and Williams. Lehigh increased its lead to 20-12 in a one minute span.
With 7:11 remaining in the first half, the Mountain Hawks went on a 6-2 run to get their biggest lead of the game to that point. During the run, Gratch had two layups, followed by a layup form sophomore Sarah Pearce. Lehigh upped its lead to 37-26 with 3:41 remaining in the first half. The Mountain Hawks headed into halftime with a 39-29 advantage, its first halftime lead in Patriot League play this year.
Lehigh continued its dominance in the second half, outscoring the Raiders by eight. Dalton opened the half with a jumper to increase Lehigh's lead to 12. The Mountain Hawks went on a 7-0 run later on in the half, which was capped off by a three from Dalton to increase their lead to 17.
Lehigh would eventually grab a 20-point lead and go ahead 58-38 with 11:51 remaining in the game. A three-pointer by freshman Hillary Weaver and a jumper by Dentler then put Lehigh up by 24 with 9:08 remaining in regulation. The lead got to 28 when Williams hit back-to-back baskets to make the score 68-40 with 7:42. Lehigh led by as many as 29.
For the game, the Mountain Hawks scored a season-high 45 points in the paint and outscored the Raiders in fast break points, 18-10. Lehigh also forced 27 turnovers which resulted in 28 points. The Mountain Hawks shot 45.5 percent from the field while Colgate hit 35.3 percent of its shots. The Raiders won the battle of the boards, 44-38.
The Mountain Hawks return to action on Jan. 22 and will play host crosstown rival Lafayette. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from Stabler Arena. Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased on Lehighsports.com or by visiting the Stabler Arena box office on game night.
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