For Immediate Release: December 4, 2010
Contact: Kevin Solan (sports1@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

BU women's basketball falls to Lehigh 72-60
Orla O'Reilly pours in a career-high 23 points

Game File

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Despite storming back from 18-down, the Bearcats could only muster 12 points over the final 14 minutes and suffered a 72-60 setback to Lehigh University in a non-conference contest Saturday evening at Stabler Arena. The Bearcats dropped its fifth straight contest to the Mountain Hawks, a program coming off a school-record 29-win season last year.

Junior guard Orla O'Reilly led all scorers with a career-high 23 points. Junior forward Viive Rebane added a season-high 16 points and sophomore forward Kara Elofson added 14 and nine rebounds as this trio acounted for 53 of BU's 60 points.

The Bearcats trimmed an 18-point early deficit to seven by the break on the strength of O'Reilly's hot-hand. She matched a career-high in points (21) and registered a personal-best five 3-pointers, all in the opening 20 minutes.

BU continued to chip away at the lead during the second half. Freshman guard Jasbriell Swain knocked down a 3-pointer to open the half, followed by a conventional three-point play by Rebane and back-to-back layups by Elofson, which gave BU the lead at 44-43. Junior point guard Andrea Holmes converted a finger-roll in the lane to cap a 12-0 spurt.

Holmes and Swain, who had scored in double-figures in all six games prior to Saturday, both struggled offensively on a combined 2-of-18 shooting. However, the duo provided the scrappy effort needed to mount such an impressive comeback. Swain posted a season-high seven assists and seven rebounds, while Holmes recorded four rebounds, steals, and six assists. Holmes moved into fifth-place on the program's career assist list with 293, passing Kim Shaw (1997-2001).

After a blocking foul pinned a second quick personal foul on Holmes at the 10:40 mark in the first half, senior guard Jackie Ward entered the game for the first time of the season. Ward, who missed the first six games of the season due to an ankle injury, played three minutes in her season debut. She averaged a career-best 10.9 points per game in 27 games last year.

Emily Gratch led Lehigh with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. The Mountain Hawks launched 27 3-pointers against BU's 2-3 zone and connected on 13 of them.

Binghamton returns home for the last time before conference play to face Siena on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Orla O'Reilly was selected as the America East Player of the Game, sponsored by Security Mutual Life.