Providence -November 17th, 2024- In a game filled with runs, turnovers, and high-energy play, Lehigh University secured a 62-55 win over Brown University in a matchup that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Lehigh set the tone early by winning the opening tip, with Colleen McQullien cutting to the basket for a quick two points. Maddie Alberecht added to the lead, sinking two free throws, and Ella Stemmer followed with a three-pointer to make it 7-0. Brown struggled out of the gate, committing turnovers, and only got on the board after a jumper by Gia Powell made it 7-2.
Lehigh continued to extend their lead with buckets from Whitney Lind and Meghan O’Brien, pushing it to 13-5. Brown called an early timeout to regroup, but Lehigh’s Jessie Ozzauto capitalized on another turnover with an easy layup to stretch the lead to 17-5. Powell kept Brown alive with another three-pointer, bringing the score to 17-8. By the end of the quarter, Beth Nelson’s buzzer-beater gave Brown some life, cutting the deficit to 22-15
Lehigh opened the second quarter with Maddie Arbrecht scoring on a quick layup and Lily Fandre converting an offensive rebound to extend the lead to 26-15. Brown responded with a three-pointer from Grace Arnolie, narrowing the gap to 26-18. The Bears’ defense started to tighten, forcing turnovers and creating transition opportunities. A backdoor cut by Lily Fandre gave Lehigh 32-24 lead, but Brown capitalized on a five-second violation and multiple turnovers to close the half. Gia Powell’s bucket from behind the arc trimmed the margin to 32-29. At halftime, Lehigh was shooting an efficient 48% compared to Brown’s 34.4%, with Ella Stemmer and Gia Powell leading their respective teams in scoring.
The third quarter began with Lehigh maintaining their lead, with Meghan O’Brien hitting two free throws to make it 34-29. Brown fought back as Aima Ofunrein scored on consecutive plays, bringing the Bears within three points 36-33. Lehigh’s Maddie Albrecht responded with a crucial basket, but Brown found momentum when Gia Powell hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 38-38. Moments later, Mady Calhoun’s three-pointer gave Brown their first lead at 41-38. The momentum swung back to Lehigh, who capitalized on Brown turnovers to retake the lead. By the end of the third, Brown led 47-39 after a stellar defensive stretch.
The final quarter began with the Brown bench rallying behind their defense, but Lehigh’s Lilly Fandre hit a jumper to cut the deficit to 47-41. Maddie Albrecht’s layup and a free throw from Lily brought Lehigh within one at 48-47. A spin move by Albrecht gave Lehigh a 49-48 lead. Key plays from Ella Stemmer and Maddie Albrecht down the stretch helped Lehigh build a 56-50 lead. Brown’s Grace Arnolie hit a jumper and a three-pointer to bring the Bears within three at 58-55, but Lehigh closed the game and sealing the 62-55 victory.
Lehigh’s Ella Stemmer and Maddie Albrecht with clutch scoring, while Gia Powell with 18pts and 4stls and Aima Ofunrein with 15 pts and 11 rebounds stood out for Brown. In Post Game Gia described her game as fearless and Coach Monique LeBlanc spoke on Aima’s game and how some things come natural for her that don’t come natural for others and how she has a great nose for the ball. Next up Brown will play John and Wales on Tuesday November 19th, 2024, at 7pm.
