May 25, 2007

ROME, Italy - Lafayette basketball cracked the century mark and finished the competitive portion of its trip to Italy with a dominating 104-63 victory over College Italia Aeronautica Militare on Friday evening. The win leaves the Leopards undefeated on their 10-day European swing.

Sophomore Marek Koltun was a force in the paint for the Leopards. The Poland native scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the first half. He managed a double-double, adding 12 rebounds. Koltun helped give Lafayette the early 28-10 lead, running the floor and finishing a fast break with a dunk off an assist from Abdullah.

Five other players joined Koltun in double figures as Paul Cummins, Jeff Robinson and Andrew Brown pitched in with 13 points apiece while Jesper Andersson and Ted Detmer added 11. Matt Betley, playing in just his second game since ankle surgery, managed six points and seven rebounds.

Lafayette will spend Saturday and Sunday in Rome, the Eternal City. On Saturday, the group will visit St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in Christianity, and then the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Sunday's sightseeing will take Lafayette to ancient Rome, including stops at the fabled Colosseum, Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum.

The team will leave for Easton early Monday morning and is expected arrive in Newark via Paris on Monday at 3:40 p.m.

Notes:
Lafayette played in a Geo Tech Air Dome which featured a rubberized bubble-shaped roof and was suspended by web-like supports on the outside. The floor was a tartan surface similar to what used to fill the space at Kirby Sports Center.

Lafayette did not partake of sightseeing on Friday, as the trip from San Marino to Rome lasted over six hours with an hour stop for lunch. The team unloaded from the bus at the gym an hour and a half before the game.