The Hofstra University women’s basketball team fell 80-61 to Lehigh University on Friday, Nov. 22. The Pride lost their last two contests, falling to 2-3 on the year. The Mountain Hawks, on the other hand, have won three games straight, creating a strong 4-1 start to the year.

Juniors Chloe Sterling and Emma Von Essen were the Pride’s only double-digit scorers for the second game in a row. Von Essen led Hofstra by scoring 17 points and adding two assists and two rebounds. Sterling supported with an additional 10 points, two boards and four assists, which led the Pride.

“Those two have come out and they’ve played well, [Von Essen is] always going to step up and hit shots and hit big shots,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson.

Lehigh saw four players reach double-digit scoring marks with senior guard Maddie Albrecht leading the way. Albrecht shot 78% from the field for a total of 19 points. Albrecht also held it down defensively with two blocks and a steal.

After a tight first quarter, Lehigh went on a 6-2 run to take a 15-8 lead heading into the second.

In the second quarter, Von Essen responded with back-to-back threes to cut Lehigh’s lead down to three. Hofstra went on a 13-4 run, climbing back to take their first lead of the night at 21-19. Despite their newfound energy, the Pride could not sustain their momentum. Lehigh took the lead back and built a seven-point gap to end the second quarter leading 36-29.

The Mountain Hawks came out hot following the halftime break, going on a 9-0 run in nearly a minute and a half. Hofstra struggled to get their offense going in the third quarter, only scoring nine points. This was the fourth time in their last two games that the Pride could not break 10 points in a quarter.  Meanwhile, Lehigh found their step, reaching as much as 23 points. By the end of the third quarter, Lehigh led the game 58-38.

The Pride were determined to fight back in the fourth quarter but could only narrow Lehigh’s lead to 12. The Pride outscored the Mountain Hawks 23-22 in the fourth quarter, but the hole they dug for themselves in the third was too deep. In the end, Lehigh came out on top 80-61.

Hofstra will travel to Florida to face Jacksonville University next. The Pride will face the Dolphins on Saturday, Nov. 30. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco