Box Score Jan. 2, 2009
Box Score
Bethlehem, Pa. -
Looking for their first four-game win streak since the 2002-03 season, the Fordham Rams came up short in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as four Lehigh players scored in double figures to give the Mountain Hawks a 69-55 victory over the Rams at Stabler Gym on Friday afternoon.
With the loss, Fordham is now 7-7 overall, while Lehigh improves to 11-3.
The Rams opened the game by scoring the first seven points, highlighted by a three-pointer from Kristina Bell, while defensively holding Lehigh without a point through the first 3:54. The Mountain Hawks closed within one on two three-pointers by Kristen Dalton, but Fordham extended the lead back to five, 13-8, on baskets by Randall Hurst and Becky Peters.
The Rams continued to penetrate the Lehigh defense, hitting three mid-range jumpers by Peters twice and once by Bell to pull ahead, 20-11 with 7:57 remaining in the half. The Rams still led by nine, 24-15, before Dalton hit her third three-pointer of the period to leave Fordham ahead, 24-18, with 3:37 to go. Lehigh then closed out the half with a 12-4 run over the final 2:24 to leave the game knotted at 30 at the break. The Mountain Hawks got two three-pointers from Erica Prosser and one from Dalton in that span.
At the break, Lehigh was 6-of-10 from three-point range, four of which came from Kristen Dalton. Fordham had a balanced attack on offense, as eight players scored in the first half, led by Randall Hurst's eight points and five rebounds.
Lehigh started out right where they left off in the first half, as Prosser hit another three, as the Mountain Hawks eventually got out to a 39-35 lead with 15:52 remaining. Haley Crites and Courtney Molinaro then hit two jumpers apiece to push the Lehigh lead to 45-39 with 13:23 on the clock.
Lehigh built their lead up to 54-41, holding the Rams to one basket over a seven-minute stretch before Hurst converted on a basket with 7:03 to go, putting the Rams' deficit at 54-43. Dalton responded with her fifth three-point make of the afternoon, while Molinaro hit two more shots to leave Lehigh ahead, 65-48, with less than four minutes on the clock.
Peters would hit two baskets late to get Fordham within 12, but that was as close as the Rams would get, falling 69-55.
For Fordham, Randall Hurst registered her second double-double of the season with game-highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Becky Peters had 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Lehigh had six players with at least nine points in the game, led by Kristen Dalton, who finished with 15 points on five three-pointers, and Courtney Dentler, who ended the game with 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Fordham women's basketball team will have their final non-conference game of the season on Monday, January 5th, when they host Navy at the Rose Hill Gym, beginning at 7:00 PM.
