The AU women's basketball team led from the opening whistle to the final buzzer on Saturday, defeating Lafayette 60-46 in the final home game of the season. With the victory, the Eagles clinched the fourth seed in the Patriot League tournament and will face Navy in Annapolis, Md., this Saturday.
After Liz Hayes hit a three-pointer to open the scoring, the Eagles would go on a 13-3 run over the first 10 minutes of the game. Lafayette would be held to only a single free throw during this stretch, missing all 11 shots taken from the field.
The two teams traded baskets over the remaining nine minutes of the half, with the Leopards coming within six following a 7-3 run of their own. This would be as close as Lafayette would get all half as the Eagles held onto a 28-19 lead entering the break.
Unlike the first half, the Leopards came out of the locker room on a run, cutting the Eagles lead down to five only four minutes into the second period.
AU would not be deterred, as they continued to build their lead throughout the half. A 9-2 run midway through the half stretched the lead to 14 on a three-pointer by Nicole Ryan. The Eagles kept this lead for the rest of the game to cruise to victory.
The biggest key to this game for AU was its three-point shooting. The team went seven of 15 from beyond the arc, including 6-11 in the first half, to build their lead. Liz Hayes led the way shooting three of seven while teammates Rachel Brazell and Nicole Ryan each went two of three.
"We have got a lot of three-point shooters. To be honest, I really credit our screeners here. They set up those shots for us," Coach McFerrin said.
With the fourth seed in the Patriot League tournament, the Eagles will face Navy on Saturday in Annapolis, Md. AU previously played Navy on the road last Wednesday, losing 65-58.
Coach McFerrin stated that although she is happy with the victory, there are certain things that need to be improved entering post-season play.
"We need to shoot the ball well, to get to the offensive boards better. When we are motivated to play, we don't have to worry about our defense. Our offense will be able to carry us," Coach McFerrin said.
