Wilkes-Barre, PA, (February 23, 2005) – The DeSales University women’s basketball team did to King’s College exactly what the Lady Monarchs did to the Bulldogs last season.  After losing both regular season meetings to KC, DSU traveled on the road and defeated King’s, 47-41, in the semifinals of the Freedom Conference playoffs on Wednesday evening in Scandlon Gymnasium.

 

        The Lady Monarchs (22-4 overall) were swept by DeSales last season in the regular season only to defeat the Bulldogs on their home floor last year.  The win advances DeSales (20-6 overall) to the Freedom Conference title game for the fifth time overall and the second time over the last three years.

 

        The Bulldogs have two MAC/Freedom Conference Championships coming in 1997-98 and 1999-00.  They last appeared in the title game in 2002-03, losing to King’s.  The win also gives DSU its sixth straight 20-win season and marks the ninth time in the last 10 years head coach Fred Richter has guided DeSales to 20 wins.

 

        DeSales only trailed twice in this game, once at 4-2 and once at 9-8.  They were tied at 19 with 2:26 left in the first half before senior Jen Netwall (Allentown, PA/William Allen) hit a jumper and fellow senior Alyssa Antolick (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) hit a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 24-19 advantage heading into the locker rooms.

 

        The second half started out all DeSales as they built a 13-point advantage, 31-19, on the strength of a 7-0 run out of the locker rooms.  The lead continued to be double digits, 11 points, with 6:09 left before King's used a 7-0 run to cut the margin down to four points with 3:31 left to play.

 

        Senior Maria Viercinski (West Wyoming, PA/Bishop Hoban) stopped the spurt with a jumper at the 3:24 mark and Netwall canned her only trey of the evening one minute later and DeSales led, 43-34, with 2:23 remaining.  Another 7-0 run by the Lady Monarchs starting with consecutive Beth Jordan field goals and a three-pointer from freshman Jenna Palumbo made the score 43-41, DeSales, with 19 seconds left.

 

        During the 7-0 KC run, DeSales missed three consecutive 1-and-1 opportunities on the offensive end of the floor.  Following the Palumbo field goal, senior Holly Liebl (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) converted a lay-up with 13 seconds left pushing the lead back to four points and after a failed possession by the Lady Monarchs, Netwall knocked down two free throws with two seconds remaining to post the final score.

 

        Netwall scored a team-high 15 points and added seven rebounds to lead DeSales.  Liebl and Antolick each totaled 11 points with Antolick grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists and Liebl clutching eight boards.  Sophomore Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pen Argyl) totaled eight points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win.

 

        Jordan was the lone Lady Monarch in double figures with a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds.  Senior Kristin Yeasted was held to nine points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss.