Jan. 30, 2008

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EASTON, Pa. - Junior guard Andrew Brown hit nine three-pointers for a career-high 34 points and led the Leopards to an 83-58 victory over Army on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center. Brown's nine three's matched the Lafayette school record set earlier this season by Brown and tied the Kirby Sports Center mark established in 1995.

Lafayette (14-7, 5-1) opened the game a 12-0 run over the first six and half minutes that included two buckets from Bilal Abdullah, six points from Brown and a basket by Ted Detmer. Abdullah scored 10 points, pulled down three rebounds and finished with a team-high four assists in the game.

A 15-footer from Brown at 8:08 gave Lafayette the 18-8 lead before a Doug Williams three-point play, two Tyrell Thompson free throws and a layup from Williams brought the Black Knights (9-11, 2-4) to within four points (19-15) with 5:39 remaining in the half. Williams scored 19 points and was 6-for-12 from the floor on the night.

Brown had five three's in the first 20 minutes. The Lafayette defense held the Black Knights to 31 percent shooting in the first half and limited the Patriot League's second-leading scorer Jarell Brown to two points from the free throw line. The Leopards took their second 12-point advantage of the half into the locker with a 33-21 halftime score.

Just four minutes into the second half, Matt Betley's three gave Lafayette a 42-25 lead. At 15:48, Brown went 3-for-3 from the line after Army's Nelson Marcus fouled him in the corner. The Leopards led 45-27. A three-point play by Deirunas Visockas at 12:27 put the Leopards ahead 52-35. Betley was the third Lafayette player in double-figures with 10 points and a team-high six rebounds. The Leopards out rebounded the Black Knights 30-23.

At 9:36 in the second half, Brown hit his ninth three-pointer of the night, giving Lafayette a commanding 60-39 lead. Visockas went to the line twice in a minute and half, converting each of four opportunities, the last handing Lafayette a 25-point advantage at 7:14. Visockas finished the game with eight points, going 6-for-7 from the line.

Lafayette led by no fewer than 14 points at any time in the second half and finished the night with a season-best 58.1 shooting effort from the floor. Jeff Kari's trey with 18 seconds remaining gave the Leopards their largest margin of the game at 27 points before two free throws by Army's Rickey Royal brought the game to the game 83-58 final.

Army was without Jarell Brown, who came into the game averaging 19.8 points per game, for the final 10 minutes as the junior guard was forced to leave the game with back spasms.

The Leopards, who rest atop the Patriot League standings, return to action when they host American on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off at Kirby.

GAMES NOTES:
• Junior guard Andrew Brown set the school record at Mount St. Mary's (12/21) with nine three's, snapping his own record eight netted at Holy Cross last season (2/28/06).
• Brown has led the Leopards in scoring 11 times this season in 20 games played.
• Bilal Abdullah has scored in double-figures for 10 consecutive games this season and is averaging 14.7 points.
• Brown tied the previous record for three's at Kirby Sports Center was held by Brian Lloyd of Brown on Jan. 9, 1995.
• The Leopards are 6-0 in games that they have shot 50 percent clip from the floor in 2007-08 and set a new high mark against the Black Knights with a 58.1 percent shooting effort.
• When scoring 80-89 points, Lafayette is undefeated winning each of its five contests this year.
• This is the second game of season that the men's basketball team has won by 20 or more points.
• Freshman Deirunas Visockas made his first appearance for Lafayette since missing several games due to injury and finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists.
• Each member of the Leopards played in the contest against Army on Wednesday night.