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Sunday, January 06, 2008
Road catches up to Lafayette
(Originally posted 7:46 p.m., links added at 8:55 a.m.)
The road warriors from Lafayette finally hit the wall Saturday in Jackson, Miss., losing 77-53 to Misssissippi State.

It was Lafayette's seventh game of an eight-game road swing that started promisingly with three wins in the first four games. The loss was the third straight since breaking briefly at Christmas with a three-game win streak and an 8-3 record.

Three of the four losses on the road trip have been to major conference sides -- Rutgers and Pitt of the Big East and Miss. State, which plays in the Southeast Conference. This was the first time on this road swing, which ends Wednesday at Princeton, that the Leopards got blown out. It was also the first time their shooting touch abandoned them en mass.

Lafayette shot a season-low 28.1 percent (9-32) in the first half, then rewrote the season superlatives list with an even icier 10 for 40, 25 percent in the second half. Needless to say, the 26.6 percent total was the worst shooting night all season for Lafayette.

The Easton Bombers were held to 6 three-pointers on 25 attempts. The 6 makes and 24 percent shooting from the arc were also season lows for Lafayette. Andrew Brown, the team's top scorer and best three-point shooter, was 1 for 7 from three. Matt Betley, who MSU obviously saw drain six against Pitt, only got two chances. He made one.

Bilal Abdullah, who led Lafayette with 21 points, hit 4 of 9 from the arc. No other Leopard connected. It was the first time since the season opener against Wagner that the 'Pards hit less than 10 threes.

Unlike the Pitt game, whwere Lafayette led at the half, this one got out of control early. Missississippi State led by as many as 20 in the first half and took a 37-25 lead to the break.

Lafayette made a run early in the second half, pulling within 4 on an Abdullah three with 15:36 to go. But MSU responded with a 10-0 run, then pulled away.
Box score | NE Miss. Daily Journal | Clarion-Ledger (sidebar) | Jackson Clarion-Ledger (gamer) | Commercial Dispatch | Dawgs Bite

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Published at 8:55 AM by Hoop Time.
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