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Feb. 14, 2004

Contact: 'xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />Amanda Brickell'xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office' />

HAMILTON, N.Y. ‘ The ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ women’s basketball team avenged its early season loss to Army with a 68-56 victory over the Black Knights on Saturday afternoon.  The Raiders maintained a share of first place in the Patriot League and posted the team’s 15^th victory of the season, the most since the 1985-86 team won 16 contests.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, but Army’s Katie Macfarlane kept the game close scoring the Black Knight’s first three baskets.  Sophomore Meghan Curtin (Bronx, N.Y.) increased the Raiders’ lead to 13-8 with a three-pointer at the thirteen minute mark, but Army fought back within one basket with 10:37 left to play.

The Raiders caught fire outscoring the Knights 19-6 down the stretch to head into the locker room with a 33-18 advantage.  Emily Braseth (E. Grand Rapids, Mich.) was ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s leading point producer with nine points.  Leandra Fuller (Harrisburg, Pa.) controlled the boards for ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ with seven rebounds.  Army was led by Macfarlane with six points while the Knight’s rebounding was a team effort with four players grabbing three rebounds each.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ was 13-for-29 from the field in the first shooting 44.8 percent and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc for a 50 percent average.  Army shot just 33.3 percent from the field and was unable to knock down any of its three three-point attempts.   Army held the slight edge in rebounds with 18 to ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s 17.   ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ committed ten turnovers while forcing 18.

Army mounted a five-point run early in the second half, but Burke nailed a three-pointer and converted a four-point play to end the visitors’ streak and ignite one for the home team.  Devon Warwick (Amesbury, Mass.) knocked down a lay-up with 16:27 on the clock to increase the Raider’s lead to 43-26.

Army cut into ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s lead outscoring the Raiders’ 19-6 over the next nine minutes thanks to 13 points from Macfarlane.  With 7:30 remaining in the game, ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s lead had shrunk to 53-45 and Army threatened to steal a comeback victory over the Raiders’ for the second time this season. 

The Raiders’ regained their footing with six points from Braseth and settled down to maintain their lead in the final three minutes of the game and come away with a 68-56 victory.

Braseth was ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s leading scorer with 19 points, while Burke added 17 to move into 22^nd on the Patriot League’s all-time scoring list.  Burke also moved into tenth place on ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ’s career assists list with three helpers in the game and 252 total.

Fuller just missed a double-double with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds and Curtin rounded out the scorers in double-figures with 10 to break the 300 career-point mark.  Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) broke 200 career points with eight in the contest and led the team with five assists and five steals.

Army was led by Macfarlane with 30 points and seven rebounds.  Shavonne Holden was the only other Knight in double-figures with 14 points and a team-high four assists.

The Raiders are back in action next Friday as they open up a weekend of Patriot League play at Navy in a 5:30 p.m. contest.  The Raiders defeated Navy at home earlier this season 80-57.