Center Valley, PA, (December 3, 2005) – Three of the eight DeSales University freshmen on the women’s basketball team combined for 49 of the Bulldogs 80 points, snapping a three-game slide and leading the Bulldogs past Wilkes University, 80-58, in Freedom Conference action on Saturday in Billera Hall.

 

        The trio of LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan), Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) and Erica Sovak (Tuxedo, NY/George F. Baker) totaled 49 points on 16-of-29 shooting from the field to lead DeSales (2-4, 1-1 Freedom).  The loss drops Wilkes to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the Freedom.

 

        DeSales took an early 14-11 lead and then went on a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to take control of the contest and never looked back.  During the spurt another freshman, Lisa Brennan (Newtown, PA/Council Rock North), and sophomore Krista Gerlach (Oak Ridge, NJ/West Milford) led the charge with Brennan scoring six points and Gerlach adding four.

 

        The lead swelled to 16 points, 31-15, with 4:33 to go in the opening half and stood at 16 as the teams entered the locker rooms.  DSU forced 17 first-half Colonel turnovers and shot 46.7 percent in the opening half.

 

        The second-half was a back and forth affair with the lead hovering between 15-20 points the entire time before the final 22-point margin was posted.  The Bulldogs continued its hot shooting in the second frame, canning 50.0 percent of its attempts.  DSU also held a 41-33 edge on the boards for the game and forced 26 WU miscues.

 

        Leading the scoring attack was Burke with a game-high 18 points off the bench.  She also filled the stat sheet with a team-high eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.  Rarick had a season-high 17 points on a very efficient 6-of-9 from the field and Sovak totaled 14 on 5-of-8 shooting.

 

        Junior Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pen Argyl) and sophomore Amanda Kuperavage (Port Carbon, PA/Nativity BVM) each added eight points and two assists in the win.

 

        The Colonels had three players in double digits including Randi Corbo with 14 tallies, Rena Bolin with 11 and Lacey Andresen with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.