Box Score
Center Valley, PA (December 19, 2006) – The DeSales University men’s basketball won its sixth straight game, 71-63, over local rival Muhlenberg College on Tuesday evening in Billera Hall as the Bulldog bench lead the way scoring 45 of the 71 points.
The first half featured five ties and nine lead changes until DSU (8-2 overall) took control with an 11-4 run to end the half and take a 34-28 lead into the locker room. During the spurt to end the half sophomore Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had four points and junior Jamie McCloskey (Newark, DE/St. Mark’s) added three points.
The Mules (4-5 overall) came out storming in the second half using a 16-3 run to begin the half to take a seven-point lead, 44-37. Jimmie Riggins led the way for Muhlenberg with eight points during the spurt. Consecutive buckets by senior Sedale Walton (Levittown, PA/Harry S. Truman) and a lay-up from sophomore Jeff Raimo (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) cut the margin to one point with 12:07 left to play.
The game was once again back and forth over the next nine minutes with no team leading by more than three points. Leading by three at the 2:49 mark, DSU took control as freshman Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) hit a three-pointer pushing the lead to six, Riggins answered on the other end with two free throws, but junior Phil Stricker (Womelsdorf, PA/Conrad Weiser) converted a lay-up and Raimo drained his second trey of the game to push the margin to nine points and the Bulldogs never looked back.
Sophomore Matt Zwetolitz (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) had his best game in a Bulldog uniform leading the squad with a team-high 14 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting. Raimo continued his torrid play with 11 points to round out the double digit scorers. Stricker, Walton and junior Eddie Ohlson (Allentown, PA/Parkland) each had eight points in the win.
Riggins led the Mules with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Chris Pothering added 12 points and Tom Scott had 11 points in the loss.
DSU does not return to the court until 2007 when they host Immaculata University in the opening round of the Casa Mia Holiday Tournament on Friday, January 5th at 6:00 pm.
