EASTON, PA – FDU women's basketball (6-2, 0-0) picked up another road victory Wednesday, taking down Lafayette (2-6, 0-0) by a score of 69-62. The Knights pulled it out late following a series of clutch fourth quarter baskets.
The game started off as a defensive slugfest. The first basket by either team was not scored until the six minute mark in the first quarter, when Lafayette's Sauda Ntaconayigize sunk a three-pointer. Lafayette would only score three more points in the first frame however, and the FDU offense came alive, scoring 12 points across the final five minutes of the first quarter.
FDU took a 12-6 lead into the second quarter, where they continued to take control of the game. The Knights would build up to an eight-point lead in the first half, but a late surge by the Leopards cut things back down heading into halftime, which came around with the Knights in the lead 29-25.
The first half saw strong performances from
Lilly Parke and
Abaigeal Babore, who led the way with seven points apiece. An interesting note on the stat-sheet however, was an uncharacteristically quiet performance for freshman
Ava Renninger, FDU's leading scorer. In the first half of action, Renninger recorded just two points and was 1-for-4 from the field. That would soon change.
The second half saw the intensity turn all the way up, as well as an inspired performance from Lafayette. The Leopards came out strong to begin the third quarter, taking control of a 37-35 lead halfway through the frame. The two teams began to trade buckets, exchanging the lead back-and-forth up until late in the third quarter. Then,
Ava Renninger came alive.
With the Knights down 43-41 and with two minutes to go in the third, Renninger converted a nice jumper to tie things back up. That would kick-start a 9-0 run by the Knights across the final two minutes of the quarter, giving FDU a 50-43 lead heading into the fourth. Renninger would wind up scoring 17 points in the second half to help engineer the Knights' win.
The fourth quarter saw FDU start to bend, but they never broke, holding the lead throughout the entirety of the final frame. Lafayette came close a number of times, shortening it up to a one-point FDU lead with under two minutes left in regulation. However, the Knights broke out the clutch gene, hitting a number of late buckets to hold on to the victory.
Lilly Parke hit a crafty twisting floater to extend the lead to three, and on FDU's next possesion,
Teneisia Brown converted a three-point play with 30 seconds left to grow the lead to six for FDU. After a number of late free throws, the Knights were able to secure the 69-62 victory for their sixth win of the season.
THE STATS
- FDU was led in scoring yet again by their star freshman Ava Renninger, who tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
- 17 of Renninger's 19 points came in the second half.
- It is the fourth time this season that Renninger has led the team in scoring.
- Teneisia Brown picked up her second double-double of the season, recording 15 points and 10 rebounds.
- Lilly Parke had 15 points for FDU as well, converting 3-of-5 from downtown.
- Parke accounted for three of FDU's four made three-pointers in the victory.
- Freshman Kailee McDonald had six rebounds, with a whopping five of them coming on the offensive glass.
- FDU out-rebounded Lafayette 39 to 34.
- FDU won the turnover margin, committing just six to Lafayette's nine.
WHAT'S NEXT
FDU will stay on the road, and will visit an in-state rival in Rider on Sunday, December 8. That game will tip off at 2:00 p.m, with coverage available on ESPN+
Connect with FDU Women's Basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsWBB.
Segovia Steakhouse is the presenting sponsor of the 2024-25 FDU Women's Basketball season.
