Center Valley, PA, (December 5, 2005) – The DeSales University defense held Widener University to 25.4 percent shooting and forced 23 Pioneer turnovers leading the Bulldogs to a 61-54 defeat in non-conference women’s basketball action in Billera Hall on Monday evening.

 

        DSU (3-4 overall) wins its second straight and Widener (6-1 overall) falls for the first time all season.  The win is also the seventh straight in the series for the Bulldogs.  The Pioneers entered the game shooting 43.7 percent as a team but converted just 16-for-63.  WU committed 17 of its 23 miscues in the first-half.

 

        Widener led early, 19-16, before a 13-4 run to end the half gave DSU a 29-23 halftime edge.  The Pioneers made a living on the offensive glass with 15 offensive rebounds for 12 second chance points, but the 17 turnovers DSU forced led to 12 Bulldog points.  The freshmen trio of LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan), Erica Sovak (Tuxedo, NY/George F. Baker) and Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) combined for 23 of the 29 first-half points.

 

        DSU increased its lead out of the locker room by five with a quick 9-4 run that was capped by a Burke three-pointer at the 16:02 mark.  Senior Celeste Baumgardner took over for the next four minutes scoring eight of WU’s next 10 points to cut the lead down to three, 40-37.

 

        The lead went back to seven points before a 10-1 run by Widener gave them its first lead of the second half on a three-pointer from Megan Sipple at the 5:55 mark.  Sovak answered with a lay-up plus one on the other end and junior Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pen Argyl) added a lay-up to push the DSU advantage back to three points.

 

        A jumper from Chelsea Luhta cut the margin down to two points before a Burke jumper, two Rarick free throws and a lay-up from Lutz made it 57-50 and DSU made 4-of-4 from the charity stripe down the stretch to seal the win.

 

        Burke led the way with 18 points including two treys.  Rarick added 13 on 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line, Sovak totaled 12 and also hit two three’s and Lutz rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 tallies.  Lutz also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

 

        Luhta had a team-high 18 points and snagged a game-high 11 rebounds and Baumgardner totaled 15 as the only two Widener players in double digits.