A Legacy on the Court: The History of Lafayette College Basketball

Lafayette College, nestled in Easton, Pennsylvania, boasts a rich basketball history for both its men's and women's programs. Competing in NCAA Division I, the Lafayette Leopards have strived for excellence within the Patriot League. While the path has been marked by both triumphs and challenges, the dedication and passion of the student-athletes and coaches have shaped a compelling narrative.

Women's Basketball: Building a Tradition

The Lafayette Leopards women's basketball team began its intercollegiate journey in 1973, coinciding with the early years of women's admission to the college. The program has an all-time record of 509-710 (through 2018-19).

Early Success and ECC Dominance

For the first two decades, the women's basketball team established a winning tradition. This era saw five 20-win seasons and five appearances in the ECC Championship game within seven seasons of league play. In their fourth season, the Leopards achieved a 10-1 record, followed by a 15-3 season in 1976-77. Under head coach Barbara Young, the Leopards earned their first postseason bid to the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) playoffs (NCAA predecessor), defeating Kutztown University before losing to Princeton University.

The Pat Fisher Era

Pat Fisher took over the squad in 1980-81 and would coach the Leopards for the next 20 seasons. Her first season entailed another AIAW bid, but the Leopards lost at home to Saint Peter's University, then Saint Peter's College. Her leadership solidified the team's position as a force to be reckoned with. From 1982-83, the Leopards started ECC play and quickly established their dominance in the league. Lafayette won 20 or more games for five straight seasons, including their best record ever of 24-6 in 1984-85 and 1986-87. Lafayette won the 1985 ECC Tournament Championship by crushing Lehigh by 20 and defeated the Mountain Hawks for the second title in 1987.

Standout Players of the 1980s

During the 1980s, the Leopards were led by their best players in history. Maureen McManus and Stacey Cagnello, who played together from 1983-1987, finished first and second on the all-time career scoring list with 1,813 and 1,520 points, respectively. McManus also led the team in rebounding for two seasons. The squad was also led by Beth Mowins, who finished her career as the all-time leader in assists with 703, more than 400 ahead of the current second place leader, and is also ranked 11th in all-time scoring.

Patriot League Era and Heidi Caruso's Steals Record

The Leopards entered Patriot League play in 1990-91 and posted two 19-win seasons in 1992 and 1993. In December 1992, Heidi Caruso tied the all-time women's NCAA individual record for steals in a game against Kansas State University with 14. She still holds the record and led the nation in steals in 1992, 1993, and 1994, with her 1993 and 1994 mark being the third and fourth best individual marks to date. She is the NCAA women's third all-time steals leader.

Recent Challenges and Promising Talent

After going 7-5 in Patriot League play and 15-13 overall in 1997-98, the Leopards have not had a winning record in Patriot League play or in a season. Pat Fisher stepped down following 2001 with a 295-284 career mark in 21 years. Tammy Smith promptly took over the program, but the Leopards won only 55 games in nine seasons, including 27 wins in the Patriot League. However, the Leopards made a miracle run to the 2009 Patriot League Championship game. Diane Nolan took over the program in 2010 and led the Leopards to their second double-digit win total in 13 years. The Leopards are currently led by phenom shot-blocker Danielle Fiacco, who despite missing a portion of the 2010-11 season to injury, managed to finish with 71 blocks as a freshman. Halfway through her sophomore campaign, she set a new Lafayette record with 161 blocks and counting.

Despite not having appeared in the NCAA Tournament, the women's team's history is marked by periods of strong performance and individual accolades. The Leopards went to the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) playoffs in 1977, 1978, and 1981.

Men's Basketball: A Tradition of Competition

The Lafayette Leopards men's basketball team represents Lafayette College in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Patriot League and plays home games in Kirby Sports Center. Fran O'Hanlon is the winningest coach in program history.

Early Years and Post-War Popularity

Basketball gained popularity at Lafayette following World War II. Up until that point, Lafayette's teams were competitive but did not achieve much national or regional distinction. Pete Carril, the legendary hall of fame coach of the Princeton Tigers, played for the Leopards in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Lafayette was coached during the era by Butch Van Breda Kolff, the first coaching job of the future Princeton Final Four and Los Angeles Lakers coach. Van Breda Kolff led the Leopards to their first postseason appearance, the 1955 National Invitation Tournament.

NIT and NCAA Tournament Appearances in the 1950s

The NIT was considered the more prestigious postseason tournament at the time, possibly because all games were played at Madison Square Garden. The Leopards fell to Niagara University in the first round. Under new head coach George Davidson, the Leopards returned to the NIT in 1956, where they fell to St. The Leopards qualified for their third straight postseason tournament the following year, but were invited to the 1957 NCAA Tournament instead.

The Tracy Tripucka Era

Lafayette basketball re-emerged as a power in the late 1960s under Hal Wissel, a future NBA and Division II national championship coach. Wissel was responsible for recruiting the best player in Lafayette history, Tracy Tripucka. Tracy went on to score 1,973 points, the most in Lafayette history, while leading the Leopards to its first postseason victory. In the 1972 NIT, Jay Mottola sunk a free throw with three seconds left to upset the University of Virginia. Lafayette was eliminated in the next round by Jacksonville University. Aside from being the all-time leading scorer, Tracy was profiled in a Sports Illustrated article. Following the season, he was selected in the 1972 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.

The Tripucka Legacy Continues

The 1972 squad was coached by Tom Davis, a future longtime coach of the University of Iowa. Another Tripucka, Tracy's younger brother Todd, led the Leopards to the 1975 NIT, where Lafayette lost to St. John's University (New York). Todd Tripucka was second in all-time leading scoring behind his brother before being surpassed by Phil Ness in 1978. Todd Tripucka ranks sixth all-time in scoring as of 2012.

Upset Victory over Notre Dame

Legendary coach van Breda Kolff returned to coach the Leopards in 1984 and orchestrated one of the most dynamic upsets in Lafayette basketball history. In an unusual decision, the University of Notre Dame, coached by Digger Phelps and coming off of a sweet sixteen appearance in 1987, traveled to the Kirby Sports Center for a nationally televised game. The Leopards dominated 83-68 as Otis Ellis, Lafayette's second all-time leading scorer behind Tracy Tripucka, scored a career high 35 points.

Recent NCAA Tournament Appearances

The Leopards returned to the NCAA Tournament under current coach Fran O'Hanlon in 1999 and 2000. The Leopards were the first basketball team to ever return two conference players of the year from two different seasons (Stefan Ciocisi and Brian Ehlers). The Leopards were seeded 15 both seasons and fell to Miami and Temple.

Scholarships and Patriot League Competition

Up until 2006, Lafayette was the only team outside of the Ivy League that did not award athletic scholarships in men's basketball. Other Patriot League teams did not award scholarships, but the policy was gradually dropped by fellow Patriot League schools, leaving Lafayette the lone hold out. With a full scholarship team, the Leopards returned the Patriot League Championship in 2010 for the first time since 2000 and fell to Lehigh. Lafayette lost the 2011 championship game to Bucknell, but the Leopards' double overtime buzzer-beater by Jim Mower against American University in the semifinals was highlighted as a top ten play on ESPN.

Tournament Records

The Leopards have appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. The Leopards have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments.

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