March 5, 2004
Contact: ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />Amanda Brickell?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />
UPPER MARLBORO, MD. – The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women’s basketball team defeated Lafayette 73-57 to advance to the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Senior Malissa Burke (Traverse City, Mich.) broke the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø career three-point record and junior Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) notched her first career double-double in the win.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø pulled ahead in the first half on three straight baskets from Milaina Lagzdins (Burlington, Ont.) to take a 16-11 lead with 9:11 on the clock. A ten-point Raider scoring run two minutes later increased the deficit to 26-13 with 3:50 remaining. The Raiders led by as many as 14 and carried a 35-23 lead into the locker room.
Lagzdins provided the first half firepower with 15 points and four rebounds. Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) led 51³Ô¹ÏÍø on the boards with five caroms. Kristin Doherty was the leading point scorer for the Leopards with eight points.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø made 13-of-36 attempts from the field shooting 36.1 percent in the first, while Lafayette knocked down 8-of-25 from the floor shooting 32.0 percent. The Raiders held the edge in rebounding with 22 boards to the Leopards 19. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø forced 16 turnovers while committing eight.
Lafayette scored six unanswered points to open the second and cut the deficit to 35-29. Despite the Leopards surge, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø maintained its composure and moved out to a 44-36 lead at the ten minute mark. The Raiders continued to roll and built a 20 point advantage with four minutes remaining to put the game out of reach and claim the 73-57 victory.
Malissa Burke (Traverse City, Mich.) broke the school record for three-pointers with her 137th trey five minutes into the second half. She scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Ozor led the Raiders on the boards with a career-high 12 rebounds to go with 10 points for her first career double-double. She also dished a game-high five assists.
Emily Braseth (E. Grand Rapids, Mich.) surpassed the 900-point career scoring mark and moved into sixth place on 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s season scoring board with a game-high 21 points and seven boards and 484 points this season. Lagzdins added 15 points and seven rebounds to the effort.
Leandra Fuller (Harrisburg, Pa.) moved into a tie for second place on the season blocks list with one swat on the afternoon and 46 on the season. Fuller added eight points and nine rebounds to the win.
Elecia Kruise posted a double-double for the Leopards with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Colleen Fitzpatrick and Kristin Doherty added 13 and 11 points respectively.
The Raiders pick up their 19th win of the season, tying the school record for season victories set in 1980-81. They improve to 19-9 on the season. Lafayette finishes the 2003-04 campaign with a record of 1-27.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø will continue its run towards the 2004 Patriot League Championship and NCAA tournament berth at noon on Sunday in the Show Place Arena. The Raiders will face the #5 seed Bucknell which ousted #4 Holy Cross 94-75 in the first round.