Bethlehem, PA, (March 4, 2005) – The DeSales University women’s basketball team defeated Lebanon Valley College, 71-54, in the semifinals of the ECAC South Region Women’s Basketball Tournament to advance to the championship game on Saturday at 2:00 pm in Johnston Hall at Moravian College.

 

        The Bulldogs (22-7 overall) will play the #1 seed, Moravian College, who defeated the #4 seed University of Pitt.-Greensburg in the other semifinal, 79-63.  DSU forced 26 Flying Dutchmen turnovers in the game on Friday night and shot 39.4 percent from the field to record the win.

 

        DeSales led the entire game and took its largest lead of the first half at 23-7 lead with 6:12 remaining in the opening half.  LVC closed the half on an 8-3 run to cut the margin to eight points, 32-24, as the two teams headed for the locker rooms.  Senior Alyssa Antolick (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) totaled 12 points to lead DeSales and Allie Butler contributed eight for LVC in the first half.

 

        The Flying Dutchmen chipped away at the lead to start the second-half and got within two points at 41-39 before DeSales used a game-clinching 10-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 12-point lead, 51-39, with 8:51 left to play.  Senior Holly Liebl (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) scored six points and freshman Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) scored the other four during the spurt.  LVC never got any closer than nine points as DeSales cruised the rest of the way.

 

        Antolick led the attack with 20 points as she became just the third player in DeSales women’s basketball history to score 1,500 career points.  She currently ranks third all-time with 1,507 points.  Antolick also tied her career-high with six steals in the game.  Liebl recorded her 13^th double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, senior Jen Netwall (Allentown, PA/William Allen) added 13 points and seven assists and sophomore Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pen Argyl) also scored double digits with 11 points.