The American University women’s basketball team (1-29) lost to the Lafayette Leopards (10-21) by a score of 87-53 on March 8 in Easton, Pennsylvania. Director of Athletics and Recreation JM Caparro announced head coach Tiffany Coll will not return next season the following day.
Saturday’s loss resulted in a first-round exit for the Eagles, securing a 1-29 season record, the worst in program history. Prior to the game, freshman forward Cecilia Kay was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team.
Junior guard Anna Rescifina began the game with a contested hook shot to give American a quick 2-0 lead. Shots from sophomore guard Lexi Salazar and freshman guard Molly Driscoll kept the Eagles in the game, trailing 11-10 with 4:56 to go in the first.
Right out of the timeout, a Lafayette 3-pointer kickstarted the Leopards’ 13-2 run to end the first quarter. Lafayette held double the score of American, leading 24-12.
A 3-pointer from Driscoll started the scoring for the Eagles in the second quarter, bringing the deficit to 9 points. A layup from freshman guard Elizabeth Archer and three free throws from Kay accounted for the only points American scored after Driscoll’s 3-pointer.
The Leopards would outscore the Eagles 20-8 in the second quarter and lead 44-20 by the end of the half. Driscoll led the team with 9 points and was the only Eagle to score multiple baskets all half. Kay led the team with 11 rebounds.
Kay started the third quarter with a layup to bring the Eagles within 22 points. Lafayette responded by going on a 10-0 run that lasted four minutes. A layup from Rescifina ended the scoring drought, but the Leopards still held a 66-32 lead at the end of the third quarter.
While offensive production increased in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late. The Eagles and the Leopards scored 21 points apiece in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Bailey Garbee hit two 3-pointers, got 2 assists and added 1 block and 1 steal to her fourth quarter stats.
Lafayette defeated American 87-53, ending the Eagles season. The Leopards head to West Point, New York to face Army (23-6) in the Patriot League quarterfinals.
Lafayette outshot and outmade the Eagles, going 37 for 73 from the field. American went 18 for 68. The Eagles struggled from beyond the arc, only making four 3-pointers all game. They attempted 28.
Driscoll led the team in scoring with 18 points. Kay led the team in rebounds with 15. Garbee led the team off the bench in assists with 5. Freshman guard Madisyn Moore-Nicholson had a career high 3 blocks on the night.
The Eagles will go into next season under a new head coach, in hopes of returning the program back to Patriot League contention.
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Penelope Jennings and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Olivia Citarella.
