Center Valley, PA (January 11, 2006) – The DeSales University men’s basketball team won its sixth straight game and its first Freedom Conference game of the season defeating FDU-Florham, 70-65, in a hard fought conference battle at Billera Hall on Wednesday evening.

 

        The game featured six ties and 11 lead changes as neither team was able to pull away from the other.  The Devils (4-9, 1-2 Freedom) took control early opening up a 19-4 lead over the first eight minutes before DSU (9-3, 1-2 Freedom) answered with a 16-1 run to tie the game at 20 with 8:58 to go in the first half.

 

        From that point on each team struggled to score points with both clubs managing just four points and settling for a tie at 24 entering the locker rooms.  Both teams shot an identical 38.5 percent (10-for-26) from the floor in the first half and combined for 24 turnovers.  Junior Steve Kriczky (Birdsboro, PA/Daniel Boone) and Matt Cushing led the way for each team with 10 points including two treys each.

 

        Neither team had more than a five-point lead in the second-half until DeSales went up by seven, 64-57, with 54 seconds left.  A lay-up by James McClendon was followed by a DSU turnover and FDU capitalized on the turnover with a trey from Frank Emslie to cut the margin down to two points, 64-62, with 42 ticks left.

 

        Sophomore Eddie Ohlson (Allentown, PA/Parkland) made 1-of-2 freebies to push the lead back to three points and after an FDU turnover, Ohlson was fouled again, this time making both charity tosses giving DSU a five-point cushion with 31 seconds left.  DSU hit 3-for-4 free throws the rest of the way and FDU canned a triple to post the final margin.

 

        The combination of Ohlson, senior Drew Christman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and sophomore Phil Stricker (Womelsdorf, PA/Conrad Weiser) combined for just nine points in the first half but exploded for 28 in the second-half to lead the charge.  DSU shot 63.6 percent from the field in the second-half and forced the Devils into 23 turnovers for the game.

 

        Kriczky finished with a team-high 17 points and three steals, Christman added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds, Stricker finished 12 points and Ohlson totaled 10 points and six assists in the win.  Freshman Jeff Raimo (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) had his most productive game of the season posting eight points, four assists and three steals in 25 minutes of action.

 

        FDU was led by Cushing with a game-high 21 points on five three’s.  Emslie finished with 13 points and Pierre Schmitt added 11 points and seven rebounds in the losing effort.