Doylestown, PA, (February 14, 2006) – Five players reached double figures and the DeSales University women’s basketball led from start to finish in defeating Delaware Valley College, 81-62, and clinching a spot in next week’s Freedom Conference playoffs on Tuesday evening in James Work Gymnasium.

 

        The win assures DSU (15-9, 9-4 Freedom) its ninth straight trip to the MAC/Freedom Conference playoffs since joining the conference nine years ago in 1997-98.  Despite the loss, the Aggies (16-8, 8-5 Freedom) also clinch a spot in the Freedom Conference playoffs by virtue of Drew’s loss on Tuesday at FDU-Florham.  King’s College is currently in fourth place and can clinch the final playoff berth with a win in one of its final two games.

 

        DSU now sits alone in second place in the Freedom standings and can assure themselves of a first-round home game and the #2 seed in next week’s Freedom Conference playoffs with a win over The University of Scranton on Saturday.  A loss makes things very complicated and would depend on other results later this week to determine the exact seeding for next week’s playoffs.

 

        The Bulldogs controlled the play of Tuesday night’s game from the very beginning, jumping out to a 9-0 lead and opening up its largest advantage of the half just seven minutes into the contest at 25-9 on consecutive three’s from freshman Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill).  Rarick’s consecutive treys saw DSU start the game 5-for-6 from three-point land as four different players hit from beyond the arc.

 

        The Aggies made several runs at the Bulldog lead throughout the remainder of the half but DSU answered each spurt with one of its own and settled for a 13-point lead, 44-31, at the break.  Junior Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pen Argyl) had 14 and Rarick added 11 to lead DeSales in the opening half.

 

        The second-half was more of the same as DeSales pushed its lead to 18 points, 53-35, at the 15:18 mark of the half and Delaware Valley never got any closer than 13 points the entire half.  The Bulldogs led by as many as 22 points before settling for the 19-point final margin.

 

        Lutz finished with a game-high 20 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the foul line and added six rebounds and five assists.  Rarick totaled a season-high 16 points on the strength of four treys and sophomore Amanda Kuperavage (Port Carbon, PA/Nativity BVM) added 12 points.

 

        Freshmen Erica Sovak (Tuxedo, NY/George F. Baker) totaled 11 points and nine rebounds and LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) also scored 11 points and grabbed a season-high eight boards.  Sophomore Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) led the charge off the bench with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

 

        Brooke Dittmar led the Aggies with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.  Kate McCarthy tallied 14 points, Rachel Joyce added 11 markers and Moira Donohue totaled 10 points to round out DVC’s double figure scorers.