2/9/2002 - Women's Basketball
Poor First Half Dooms Mids
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Lehigh scored seven of the first eight points of the game and never looked back in defeating the Navy women?s basketball team, 87-60, Saturday evening at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa.
Navy (11-13, 2-8 Patriot League) didn?t connect on its first field goal until a three-pointer by Alison Luchsinger (So., Lusk, Wyo.) nearly four minutes into the game which cut the Lehigh (11-12, 7-3) lead to 12-6. The Mountain Hawks responded by going on a 13-4 run to take a 25-10 lead with 8:35 left in the half. A three-pointer by Abi Campbell (Fr., Richmond, Va.) narrowed the deficit to 12 points ?? 25-13 ?? but Lehigh outscored Navy 23-8 during the remainder of the half to take a 48-21 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
Lehigh shot 50 percent from the field in the first half (15-of-30) and made 14-of-16 free throws attempts, while Navy shot just 25.9 percent from the field (7-of-27) and was a mere 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Lehigh totaled 24 rebounds and committed just six turnovers in the first half, while Navy grabbed only 15 boards and turned the ball over 11 times.
The second half didn?t go much better for the Midshipmen as the Mountain Hawks never led by fewer than 25 points and at one point took a 32-point lead.
The game was quite a contrast from the first encounter between these two schools, a 52-51 Lehigh victory three weeks ago in Alumni Hall.
The 27-point loss was the largest margin of defeat for Navy since a 27-point setback at Buffalo in December of 2000, and was the worst Patriot League loss for a Navy team since a 32-point defeat at Holy Cross in February of 1997.
On the night, Lehigh shot 49.2 percent from the field, made nine three-point field goals and converted 20-of-24 attempts from the foul line. Navy shot 30.2 percent from the field, made six treys and connected on 16-of-21 free throw attempts.
Courtney Davidson (So., New Oxford, Pa.), Luchinger and Campbell each scored 13 points to lead Navy. Davidson?s 13 all came in the second half, Luchsinger set a new career high with her 13 points, and Campbell tied her career-best effort.
Lehigh was led by Carli Toliver with 23 points and Anne Tierney with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
"We did not have the effort or execution in the first half we needed or expected," said Navy head coach Joe Sanchez. "Then, when we did have a good offensive possession the ball wouldn?t go in for us. When we did have a good defensive effort, they would make a shot with one or two seconds left on the shot clock."
Navy will return to Alumni Hall Wednesday night when the Midshipmen play host to Colgate in a 5:15 p.m. game.
