Pomona, NJ (January 16, 2006) – The DeSales University women’s basketball team torched the nets in the second half erasing a five-point halftime deficit to defeat 18^th ranked Richard Stockton College, 71-62, in a non-conference game on Monday evening in Pomona, NJ.

 

        DeSales (8-6 overall) shot 74.1 percent (20-for-27) in the second half to pull away from Stockton who entering play on Saturday had posted an undefeated 11-0 record.  Tonight’s loss and a loss to Montclair State on Saturday moves the Ospreys record to 11-2 overall on the season.

 

        The Bulldogs jumped out early in the opening half building a three point lead, 12-9, at the 12:10 mark before a 9-0 run gave the hosts an 18-12 advantage.  Consecutive lay-ups by freshman LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) and junior Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pen Argyl) made it 18-16 before a 7-0 spurt by the Ospreys gave RSC a nine-point edge with 5:07 to play.

 

        DSU cut into the lead and trailed by just three at the 1:01 mark before Lisa Zak hit a short jumper in the lane with four seconds left to give Stockton the 31-26 lead heading into the locker room.  Richard Stockton shot 53.8 percent in the opening half with Zak totaling 15 of the 31 points.  Burke led the DSU attack with eight points.

 

        The lead grew back to nine points, 37-28, with 17:16 remaining before DSU took control of the game.  Burke and fellow freshman Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) led a 10-0 run over the next three minutes giving DSU a 38-37 lead.  Burke and Rarick each had four points in the run.

 

        The game featured five ties and four lead changes over the next five minutes before the Bulldogs took the lead for good with four straight points to take a 54-50 lead with 7:45 to go.  Two free throws by Danielle Wald at the 5:41 mark made it 58-56 but DeSales went on a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to lead, 67-58, and never looked back.

 

        A trey by Rarick started the spurt before Lutz made a lay-up, Burke followed with a lay-up of her own and Lutz capped the run with another fast break lay-up off a feed from Burke.

 

        Lutz finished with a game-high 26 points, 20 in the second half, on 11-of-14 shooting.  Burke equaled her season-high with 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting and Rarick also had double digits with 14 points including two three’s.  Sophomore Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) had an excellent game off the bench totaling six points, seven rebounds, a career-high six assists and five steals.

 

        Zak, who tallied 15 points in the opening half, was held to just two points in the second half finishing with 17 as the only double figure scorer for the Ospreys.  Stockton shot just 34.8 percent in the second half and committed 23 turnovers.