18 February, 2007
by Ryan Rissmiller
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1st |
2nd |
OT |
2OT |
Final |
| Lehigh (11-16, 7-5 Patriot) |
24 |
28 |
10 |
9 |
71 |
| Lafayette (9-18, 3-9 Patriot) |
23 |
29 |
10 |
13 |
75 |
| Kirby Sports Center – Easton, PA |
Boxscore |
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An early noon time start meant a late showing for Lafayette’s Zoo Crew student section, and the Lafayette basketball team was asleep as well for the first 9 minutes. But when the Crew showed up, the spark was lit, and the Leopards stormed back to capture a double-overtime victory against arch nemesis Lehigh 75-71 in front of 2,747 fans and live across the country on Senior Day.
Andrew Brown and Bilal Abdullah each had 14 points and Matt Betley added 13 points and 11 rebounds in his third double-double of the year. The Leopards battled for every point in a high intensity back-and-forth game that is expected every time these two teams meet. Abdullah was 6-for-6 from the foul line and had 3 blocks in the game.
For Lehigh, the brunt of the load was carried by the eight-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week Marquis Hall. Hall doubled his scoring average in this one, leading the Mountain Hawks with 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting. Hall had to step up to fill the void for his usual partner in crime Jose Olivero, who struggled with only 3 made field goals. Olivero was hampered by an apparent injury to his leg during the first half, which did not stop him from playing 32 minutes before fouling out in the second overtime. Bryan White led Lehigh in rebounds with 15.
The win snapped the Leopards’ five-game losing streak, and extended their all-time record against Lehigh to 135-71.
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| Keys to the Game |
| Key sequence |
The opening 9 minutes of this game saw zero points from the Lafayette Leopards. Equally surprising, that they only allowed 11 points to a misfiring Lehigh offense. Lafayette went 0-for-13 during this span and was finally snapped by Andrew Brown on the foul line; their first field goal did not come until the 8:45 mark.
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| Key sign it was over |
This one didn’t seem like it would ever end, as the two teams went back in forth for 50 minutes. Regulation ended with Olivero hitting one of his 3 field goals on the game to tie it up at 52. A chance to win the game by Ted Detmer could not fall. The first overtime was neck-and-neck as neither team could build a lead over 3 points. Finally, in the second overtime, Lafayette was able to put Lehigh on its heels as they lost four out of their starting five to foul-outs, including Olivero. Consistent free throw shooting (9-for-13) from Lafayette in the second bonus period sealed the deal.
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| Key performance |
Olivero’s 3-for-17 shooting. He looked out of sync and could not find his shot the whole game. Going 1-for-9 from the three-point arc was equally troubling for Olivero. The only bright spot that contributed to his 15 point total was solid free throw shooting — 8-for-10 from the charity stripe.
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| Key statistic |
Jamaal Hilliard. Although Brown and Abdullah led the Leopards with 14, and Matt Betley contributed with 13, Hilliard’s 8 points all came at the foul line, providing the team with stability. The senior co-captain, playing in his last home game, has had an injury-plagued season and career at Lafayette. Playing in only 14 games this season, the talented guard has struggled all season long, but not today as he took charge leading by example, uplifting his team.
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| Notes |
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After Lehigh’s 11-0 start, the largest lead either team had all game was a 6-point lead by Lafayette in the second overtime.
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After his heroics at the end of regulation, Olivero had a shot to win it in the first overtime but missed a jumper with 1 second remaining.
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The win puts Lafayette in a tie with Army for seventh in the league. The Leopards travel to West Point to face Army Wednesday, before winding up their season at American next Friday.
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Lehigh’s place in the standings was unaffected by the loss; they’d already clinched third place in the league. The Mountain Hawks host Bucknell and Holy Cross this week to finish off the regular season.
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