Jan. 13, 2007

Final Stats

Complete Box Score in PDF Format

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Margaret Knap (Sr., Chicago, Ill.) scored 12 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, including a total of six points on back-to-back possessions at a key point late in the game, to help the Navy women's basketball team post a 55-43 victory over Lafayette, Saturday afternoon in Alumni Hall.

Navy improves to 2-1 in the Patriot League and 7-9 on the entire season with the win, while Lafayette falls to 1-2 in league play and 3-14 on the year.

The Mids used a 16-2 run midway through the first half to take a 19-7 lead with four minutes remaining before halftime. Navy was 4-of-7 from the field, connected on a pair of three-point field goal attempts and was 6-of-6 from the foul line during the run, while Lafayette was 1-of-13 from the field and turned the ball over six times in the same span.

Lafayette quickly whittled the margin down to six points with 33 seconds remaining before halftime, but Knap drilled a three-pointer just before the buzzer to boost the Navy advantage back to nine points (24-15) at intermission.

Navy turned the ball over 14 times before halftime, but shot 33.3 percent from the field, while forcing Lafayette into 10 turnovers and to 4-of-22 shooting from the field (18.2%).

Lafayette again worked the margin down to six points at 28-22 early in the second half, then had possession of the ball again with the chance to slice into the deficit even more. Navy forced a turnover, however, then Knap scored on a shot taken from inside of the paint to start a 13-2 run which boosted Navy's lead to 41-24 with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

The Navy offense then went cold from the field as over the next five minutes the Mids missed all six shots from the field and a pair of free throws, while turning the ball over four times. Lafayette took advantage of the Navy struggles and scored the next seven points to make the score 41-31 with 4:45 left to play.

Knap promptly hit a three-pointer on Navy's next time down the floor then, following a Lafayette missed shot, scored while being fouled and sank the ensuing free throw to give Navy a 46-31 lead with 4:55 remaining on the clock.

Navy shot 35 percent from the field and held Lafayette to 26.4-percent shooting for the game, while sinking 21-of-30 free throws (70.0%) to Lafayette's 12-of-24 shooting from the line (50.0%). The Mids did turn the ball over a season-high 26 times, while forcing the Leopards into 17 turnovers, but Navy held a 41-36 advantage on the glass.

"I thought our defense today was very strong," said Navy head coach Tom Marryott "Lafayette has a very difficult offense to defend. They really spread a defense out and are very patient. I felt we did a very nice job of reacting to it, especially in the first half.

"Our turnovers really bother me. We can't count on our defense to bail us out in every game. We have to take better care of the basketball."

Knap converted 7-of-12 shots from the field, made a trio of three pointers and was 3-of-4 from the foul line on the night, while also grabbing six rebounds in her 36 minutes of playing time. Her tally of 20 points left her just two points shy of tying her career high.

"Margaret plays with such energy out there," said Marryott. "The rest of the team really looks to her for how hard she plays."

In addition to Knap, the Mids were led by Carly Meyer (Sr., Orlando, Fla.) who notched her second-straight double-double with 17 points and a game-high 11 caroms. Facing constant pressure up-and-down the floor, Navy point guard Kalen Kropa (So., Reidsville, N.C.) finished with seven assists, three points, three rebounds and five turnovers.

Lafayette was led in scoring by 11 points from Vanessa Van De Venter and by 10 from Jessica Spicer.

Navy will now begin a stretch of three-straight games on the road Tuesday night when the Mids play at Holy Cross. The broadcast of the game on WNAV-AM 1430 and www.wnav.com starts at 6:45 p.m., with the tip slated for 7 p.m.