Dec. 8, 2007

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, PA - Sophomore guard Alex Ross came off the bench to score a career-high 24 points -- 15 coming from behind the three-point arc-- leading Lehigh in a 73-58 women's basketball win over NJIT Saturday afternoon at the Stabler Arena.

Ross, who also grabbed seven rebounds, scored eight points in the first half and 16 in the second for the Mountain Hawks, who raised their record to 3-5 with the victory.

Senior guard Kaela Pearce added 13 points and six rebounds while center Melissa Rich netted nine and Haly Crites and Tricia Smith chipped in eight apeice for the home team.

For the Highlanders, junior guard Jackie McCaffrey posted a season-best 13 points. Following behind were twin sisters Taiwo and Kehinde Oyelola who chipped in eight apiece. Kehinde also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Freshman guard Adriana Johnson came off the bench to give the Highlanders 22 minutes and a career-high six assists.

Lehigh led at the end of first half, 36-26. Lehigh shot 47 percent from the field (14-30) and 40 percent from behind the arc (4-10).

The Highlanders went on an 8-0 run starting with 7:57 left in the first half. Freshman Jessica Gerald sparked the run by hitting a jumper in the paint. Point guard McCaffrey then put up six straight points capped by an acrobatic finish in the paint at the 5:15 mark, bringing the Highlanders within six points of Lehigh, 26-20.

Up by 10 at the half, Lehigh took its biggest lead of the day, 60-37, on a fast break lay-up by Pearce with 10:08 left in the gamefrom Ross.

From the free throw line the Highlanders shot a perfect 10-10 and picked up 20 bench points.

NJIT is slated to return to action against Long Island University on Wednesday at 7 pm in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.