May 22, 2007

MARGHERA, Italy - Lafayette collected a 78-69 victory over the Marghera Giants basketball club on Tuesday in the second game of its European swing through Italy.

Marek Koltun turned in one of his best games in a Leopard uniform, scoring eight points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Koltun, who will be a sophomore in the 2007-08 season, also swatted away four shots.

For the second straight game, Lafayette opened with a big run, taking a 14-4 advantage against Marghera, a day after jumping out to a 10-0 lead over Saronno.

Four different players scored in double figures led by fellow sophomore Jesper Andersson who contributed 13 points. Andrew Brown (13), Paul Cummins (12) and Everest Schmidt (10) reached double figures with the bulk of Brown's and Cummins' points coming from the perimeter.

Lafayette will have Wednesday off from basketball, using the entire day to visit Venice and its famous canals.

Notes:

Marek Koltun's father, Jerzy, made the 10-hour journey from Krakow, Poland to watch his son, the first time he has seen him play in person.

Marghera hosted Texas A&M in a similar matchup in 2003.

For the second straight game, Lafayette played in a gym in which the temperature hovered around 80 degrees. The intense humidity made it feel much warmer. On Lafayette's trip to Venice on Wednesday, the temperature is expected to reach the high 90's.