Wilkes-Barre, PA, (January 15, 2005) – Senior Kyle Koch (Lehighton, PA/Lehighton Area) scored a career-high 29 points and the Bulldogs used a decisive first-half run to cruise past King’s College, 83-60, in Freedom Conference action on Saturday afternoon in Scandlon Gymnasium.

 

        The win improves the Bulldogs to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in the Freedom Conference, while the Monarchs fall to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the Freedom.

 

        DeSales used a 20-4 run over a seven-minute span in the first half extending a 13-10 lead into a 19-point edge, 33-14, with 6:50 remaining in the opening half.  The Monarchs cut the margin to 11 points and the Bulldogs settled for a 13-point lead heading into the locker rooms.  Koch tallied 17 of his 29 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the first half.

 

        In the second half the lead never fell below 13 points and peaked at 24 points, 83-59.  DeSales shot 53.0 percent from the field for the game and held a 37-30 edge on the glass.  The Monarchs turned the ball over 19 times with 16 of the miscues coming in the first half.  The Bulldogs also canned 50.0 percent of its treys, while KC shot just 28.6 percent from outside the arc.

 

        Koch’s career-high came on 11-of-16 shooting from the field and he grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in the win.  Senior Michael Venafra (Belmont Hills, PA/Lower Merion) totaled 16 points, senior Kevin Welsh (Havertown, PA/Haverford) dished out eight assists and senior David Spadt (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) totaled eight points and four steals.

 

        Junior Drew Christman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and freshman Eddie Ohlson (Allentown, PA/Parkland) led the charge off the bench as Christman totaled nine points and eight rebounds and Ohlson added seven markers.

 

        Marty O’Hora, who scored a team-high 17 points, led King’s and Vince Scalzo added 10 markers.  Leading scorer Brian Horgan was held to just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting.