Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh travels to Easton for battle with rival Leopards
1/25/2013 4:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After losing to Bucknell on Wednesday night, the Lehigh women's basketball team will turn look to continue success on the road when it travels to Easton, Pa. to take on crosstown rival Lafayette at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Mountain Hawks have won four straight road games and will be searching for five inside Kirby Sports Center this weekend.
Lehigh scored a season-low 37 points in its loss to Bucknell on Wednesday night, dropping its second consecutive home Patriot League game, this time at the hands of the Bison. Freshman Kerry Kinek poured in 18 points in her seventh consecutive double figure performance, but the Mountain Hawks were unable to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit.
Kinek leads the team, averaging 12.7 ppg this season and is the fourth leading scorer in the Patriot League. The Whitehall, Pa. native is averaging 17.0 points against league opponents in her first season of collegiate basketball, while also proving she can perform behind enemy lines, averaging 14.0 ppg on the road this season.
Sophomore Katie O'Reilly is averaging 10.5 ppg over her last 11 contests, bumping her average up to 8.5 ppg since taking over a starting role for an injured Kelly Peterson. The Colts Neck, N.J. native is the second best free throw shooter in the Patriot League, shooting at an 82.1 percent clip from the charity stripe.
Senior co-captain Kelly Peterson played six minutes in Wednesday's loss to Bucknell, seeing her first action after missing eight games with an injury. Peterson was averaging 9.3 ppg and had eclipsed double figures in the two games before suffering the injury (13 vs. Niagara, 16 vs. Sacred Heart).
The Mountain Hawks have had success this year on Saturdays, posting a 5-0 record including two road Patriot League victories over the past two weeks. Lehigh defeated Holy Cross 67-65 on a last second layup by O'Reilly on January 12 and the knocked off Colgate last Saturday behind 18 points from Kinek and junior Hilary Weaver in Hamilton, N.Y.
The Leopards come into Saturday's game holding an 0-4 record in Patriot League play, but have lost their last two league games by a combined six points. Lafayette battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit to take a lead just over four minutes into the second half, but couldn't hold on as a six minute scoring drought helped Holy Cross rally for a 60-55 victory.
Junior Danielle Fiacco and sophomore Emily Homan lead Lafayette with 10.6 ppg apiece, while Fiacco averages 8.7 rbg and ranks third nationally with 3.89 blocks per game. Sophomore Brya Freeland and freshman Jamie O'Hara each average 6.4 ppg for the Leopards, while O'Hare sets up the offense with 54 assists on the season (2.8 apg).
The Leopards rank last in the Patriot League, averaging 51.4 ppg, but lead the League in blocked shots with 6.4 rejections per game as a team. Four of Lafayette's 12 losses this season have come by less than 10 points, three of which have been by less than five points.
Lafayette has dropped two straight inside the Kirby Sports Center, with the Leopards' last home win coming on January 5 against Brown, 56-32.
After Saturday's game against Lafayette, the Mountain Hawks will return to Stabler Arena for a 7 p.m. tip-off against Navy on Wednesday, January 30 which will open a three-game homestand that will also feature Army on February 2 and Holy Cross on January 10.
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Date:
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January 26, 2012
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Opponent:
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Lafayette
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Tip-off:
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2:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Kirby Sports Center/3,500
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Location:
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Easton, Pa.
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Lehigh's Record:
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10-9 overall, 2-2 Patriot League
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Lafayette's Record:
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7-12 overall, 0-4 Patriot League
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Series:
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Lafayette leads, 41-40
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Radio:
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Live on WLVR 91.3 and Lehighsports.com with Matt Markus Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:45 PM
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Television:
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None
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Internet Video:
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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MHT EP10 - Women's Basketball
Friday, February 27
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Basketball
Tuesday, February 17
Interview after win vs Colgate 1/10
Saturday, January 10
Interview after Bucknell win 1/3/25
Saturday, January 03
