Freshman Liz Lear's career-high 16 points helped lead the women's basketball team to its fourth straight victory on the road Saturday, defeating the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 62-49.
Lear's eight consecutive points in the opening minutes, combined with back-to-back three-pointers by fellow freshman Michelle Kirk and senior Talicia Jackson, gave AU a commanding 22-5 lead throughout the game's first 10 minutes.
While the offense was red hot, the Eagles' defense also played a vital role in the strong first-half play. AU was able to hold Lehigh to only 17.9 percent shooting from the floor, with the Mountain Hawks making only five of 28 shots in the half. This combination at both ends of the floor gave the Eagles a 13-point advantage heading into halftime, 29-16.
As cold as Lehigh's shooting was in the first half, it was just the opposite coming into the second half. Scoring four straight baskets, the Mountain Hawks cut the lead down to eight before going on a 7-3 run to make it a three-point game - 35-32 with 13:26 left to play.
This would be as close as AU would let Lehigh get all game, as Lear and Kirk pushed the Eagles' lead back up to 13 with 7:42 remaining. The two teams traded baskets back and forth throughout the rest of the game, with AU keeping the same lead into the final whistle to win by 13.
Lear's career-high 16 points was also the team-high, while Kirk was the only other Eagle in double-digits, tallying 11 in the win.
The win improves the Eagles' record to 5-3 in the Patriot League, pulling the team into a second-place tie with Lehigh. The team will look to continue their winning streak when they travel to Bucknell on Wednesday before returning home next Saturday for a matinee match-up against Colgate.
