Box Score BOX SCORE
Center Valley, PA, (November 18, 2007) – The junior tandem of LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) and Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) combined for 52 points leading the DeSales University women's basketball team past William Paterson University in the championship game of the 2nd annual Starter's Pub Tip-Off Tournament in Billera Hall on Sunday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (2-0 overall) are now 4-0 all-time in the Starter's Pub Tip-Off Tournament. Burke earned Most Valuable Player honors averaging 24.5 points over the two games including a game-high 31 tallies in the championship game. Rarick, along with sophomore Caitlin Miller (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh), also earned All-Tournament honors for the Bulldogs.
DSU started quickly once again jumping out to a 24-8 lead thru the first 10 minutes of the game before the Pioneers (1-1 overall) cut the margin down to 10 points at the half. Rarick led the way in the opening half with 12 points, while totaled nine and senior Amanda Kuperavage (Port Carbon, PA/Nativity BVM) added eight points for the Bulldogs.
The lead hovered between eight and 10 points until the 11:54 mark when Asia Johnson hit a put-back lay-up to get William Paterson within six points, 48-42. Burke hit back-to-back lay-ups to push the lead back to ten points and Rarick keyed a 9-0 run at the 5:57 mark with five points that pushed a 10-point lead into a 19-point edge and ended the Pioneers hopes.
DeSales committed just 10 turnovers in the game and shot 45.5 percent from the floor. WPU committed 14 miscues and shot 36.5 percent from field and just 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from outside the arc.
Burke tallied her 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting and 7-of-10 shooting from three-point land. Her seven treys tie the school-record for most made threes in a game. Rarick set a new career-high in points for the second straight game finishing with 21 points and added a game-high seven assists.
Miller had another solid game on the boards pulling down nine caroms, Kuperavage finished with 10 points and pulled down six boards and senior Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) had an excellent game off the bench with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Paterson was led by Lori Custis with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Johnson pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Michelle Pellichero finished with eight points and was the lone Pioneer named to the All-Tournament Team.
In the consolation game, Springfield College had all five starters in double digits as they out-scored Widener University, 50-36, in the second half to erase a two-point halftime deficit, recording an 86-74 win. Christine Cotter led Springfield with 21 points and earned All-Tournament Team honors, while Megan Sipple was one of five Widener players in double digits with 12 points, earning All-Tournament Team honors for WU.
DSU returns to action on Tuesday, November 20th when they host local rival Moravian College in a non-conference game beginning at 6:00 pm. Once again LIVE stats will be available online at the following link – http://livestats.internetconsult.com/desales/wbball - if you are unable to attend you can follow that link and follow the play-by-play and individual statistics for the game. The game will also be televised locally by Service Electric TV-2 sports crew.
