Leonards collects triple-double in 81-64 win over Dillard
February 01, 2007
Shreveport, LA---Collecting a triple-double is a feat that no player has ever conquered in an LSUS basketball uniform; at least that was true until Thursday night before Edie Leonards led the Lady Pilots to an 81-64 victory over Dillard University with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Lady Pilots offense sputtered off the tip and found themselves trailing 20-15 after Rashwanda Bolton connected on a jump shot from the free throw line with 8:44 remaining in the first half.
The Lady Pilots responded with a 16-2 run over the next six minutes to build a nine point lead and found themselves ahead 35-29 at the break.
Leonards finished with a modest four points, five rebounds, and five assists at the break, but began the scoring in the second half with a drive to the hoop for a lay-up which began 13-4 Lady Pilots run, stretching their lead to 48-33.
DU cut the lead to nine points one minute later, but that would be as close as they would come on Thursday night as they could not stop a hot shooting LSUS offense that connected on 18-of-28 (64%) field goal attempts in the second half.
All eyes turned to the 5’7 junior guard from Hackberry, LA as the crowd sensed Leonards was putting up some very impressive numbers.
A missed free throw by Chayla Green with 6:41 remaining was rebounded by Leonards which sealed a double-double performance, and left her one assist shy of a record breaking night.
In true story book fashion, Leonards sealed the deal on the first triple-double in LSUS history with an alley-oop pass to Jessica Kelly who completed the play of the night with a lay-in off the glass despite a hard foul on the shot.
Kelly finished with a game high 26 points and five rebounds while Kacie Cryer also finished with an impressive evening, adding 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
The Lady Pilots improved to 4-6 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference which is currently good enough for a tie for 6th place with Spring Hill College. They will look to make up some ground on the top of the pack this weekend when they travel to Mobile, AL to take on the 3rd place University of Mobile (7-4) Saturday night, and then will have a chance to avenge an early season loss at the hands of SHC Monday night.
