Box Score
LANCASTER, Pa. - The Lebanon Valley College women's basketball team set a pair of school free throw records, riding a 24-of-26 performance at the line to beat rival Franklin & Marshall College, 84-74, at the Mayser Center Monday.
The Flying Dutchmen pushed their program-best start to 10-0 and will enter the new year unbeaten for the first time in history.
LVC broke the team single-game free throw percentage record with a 92.3 percent night, besting the old mark of 91.7 percent, also set against F&M in 1993.
Freshman Andrea Hoover went 11-for-11 from the charity stripe, marking LVC's best single-game foul-shooting performance without a miss, besting teammate Megan Bish's 9-for-9 effort at Juniata in 2006.
Freshman Suzie Noyes paced the Dutchmen with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Hoover and freshman Eryn Schultz scored 15 apiece. Six players scored in double digits for LVC, including freshmen Lori Lidlow's 13 points, senior Jenna Gambino's 11, and freshman Mindy Bennett's 10.
The Diplomats (5-3) led for much of the first half, extending their lead to 11 points with five minutes to go. After an ice-cold start that saw the Dutchmen go 1-for-13 from the floor in the opening minutes, Lebanon Valley caught fire at the tail end of the half, keyed by a three-point play and a three-pointer in succession by Noyes to cut F&M's lead to three with 3:40 to go.
Amanda Miceli stopped the run with a layup, but Bennett's jumper and a three-pointer by Lidlow tied the game at 34 with 1:46 left. Amie Bickert sank another three-pointer and after a pair of Diplomat free throws, LVC took a one-point lead into the half.
After F&M tied the game to start the half, LVC took the lead back for good with a pair of Hoover free throws and never looked back. The Dips kept it close, but LVC went on a 6-0 run starting at the 13:05 mark to increase its lead to 11 points.
The Diplomats chipped away, and after a three-point play and a layup by Sara Meisenberg were down by just four points. With their lead in danger, the Dutchmen responded with a 9-1 spurt capped by a Lidlow three-pointer to give her team its largest lead of the game at 12.
The Dutchmen managed to preserve the lead down the stretch thanks to its outstanding foul shooting, making 13 of 14 tries in the last 3:09 of the game.
Lebanon Valley will break for the holidays before returning to LVC Gymnasium Jan. 4 against Keystone College.
