Jan. 10, 2009
Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Michelle Kirk
scored a career-high 21 points but it was not enough as American
fell in its Patriot League opener to Lehigh by a 77-69 score in
women's basketball action at Stabler Arena on Saturday. The Eagles
made a push down the stretch to close what was once a 20-point
lead, cutting the margin to eight before time expired.
American (10-6, 0-1 PL) scored the first two baskets of the game
but Lehigh answered with a 12-1 run to lead by a 12-5 margin with
12:39 left in the first half. The Mountain Hawks got baskets from
five different players before the Eagles connected on their first
field goal in just under six minutes on a Liz Leer jumper to trail
12-7. Lehigh maintained a five point lead at the 7:40 mark and
stretched the margin to nine after Courtney Molinaro scored her
third-consecutive bucket after coming off of the bench.
Lehigh (12-4, 1-0 PL) led 27-19 heading out of the final media
timeout of the first half and despite three straight stops on the
defensive end of the court, American could not cut into the
deficit. Alex Ross hit her second three at the two minute mark to
give the Mountain Hawks and Lehigh would hold an 11-point 34-23
edge at the end of 20 minutes. Turnovers plagued both sides in the
first half, as the Eagles committed 11, while the Mountain Hawks
were guilty of 13.
An 8-2 Lehigh run to start the second half gave the Mountain
Hawks a 42-25 lead with 15:40 to play, led by four Erica Prosser
points. Back-to-back Molinaro hoops built the Lehigh advantage to
48-26 as American could not get its shots to fall.
The Eagles trailed 52-33 with 10:35 remaining in the game before
embarking on a 7-2 run to close the deficit to 14 (54-40), but a
pair of threes from Lehigh's Prosser and Courtney Dentler rebuilt a
19-point margin with 7:38 to play. American pulled within 16 but
struggled to get much closer as Lehigh began to put the game away
at the free throw line with Prosser and Ross combining for eight
points from the line giving the Mountain Hawks a 72-53 lead with
3:35 on the clock.
Ashley
Yencho hit a three-point basket at 2:09 to get the Eagles
within 14 (72-58) but the Mountain Hawks continued to connect from
the line and held off a late American surge to take the 77-69 win.
American outscored Lehigh 11-5 over the final two minutes .
Kirk led all scorers with 21 points, while grabbing a game-best
eight rebounds and was the lone Eagles to tally in double-digits.
Prosser led Lehigh with 18 points and eight assists, while
Dentler and Molinaro each finished with 12 points apiece. Dentler
led the Mountain Hawks with seven boards.
American will continue its league schedule with another road
contest at Bucknell on Jan. 14 at 7 p.m.
