Box Score BOX SCORE
Center Valley, PA (January 30, 2008) – Junior Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) netted a career-high 23 points to lead the DeSales University women's basketball team past Arcadia University, 81-52, in a Freedom Conference game on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.
The Bulldogs (16-3, 5-1 Freedom) have now won five straight and are a perfect 10-0 at home this season. DSU forced 31 Scarlet Knight (4-13, 2-4 Freedom) turnovers and collected 17 steals in the win, while shooting a very respectable 47.3 percent from the field. The game was the first between the two teams since the 1996-97 season and increases DeSales' all-time lead in the series to 11-0, 7-0 in Billera Hall.
Leading 10-9 early in the first half, DeSales blew the game open with consecutive runs. The first spurt was a 12-0 run over a four minute span that saw four different Bulldogs score including senior Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) and junior LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) with four points apiece.
The two teams were back and forth over the next five minutes and with DeSales holding a 30-16 lead at the 6:52 mark, Stampf jump started a quick 9-0 run that pushed the lead to 23 points, at the 4:38 mark. Stampf had five of the nine points during the spurt and finished with a game-high 13 points in the opening half as DSU enjoyed a 45-22 lead entering the locker rooms.
The second half was all Bulldogs as the lead swelled to as high as 33 points before the final 29-point margin was posted. Rarick tallied her career-best 23 tallies on 7-of-13 shooting and a perfect 9-of-9 from the line, while adding four assists and four steals. Rarick entered the game shooting 93.6 percent from the free throw line and ranked third in the country in FT shooting. Her 9-for-9 effort moves her to 97-for-103 (94.2%) from the charity stripe for the season.
In addition to Rarick, Stampf reached double digits finishing with 13 points, all of which came in the first half. She also grabbed five boards and had four steals off the bench. Burke finished with 11 points and added four assists and three steals, while sophomore Caitlin Miller (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) totaled seven points and eight boards. Senior Amanda Kuperavage (Port Carbon, PA/Nativity BVM) also had seven points in the win.
Senior Caitlin Sparks led the Scarlet Knights with 15 points and seven rebounds, while senior Stephanie Bates and sophomore Kim Mulligan each added 10 points in the loss.
As the calendar turns to February and the second-half of the conference schedule begins, the Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, February 2nd when they host Wilkes University in a Freedom Conference game beginning at 1:00 pm. For those unable to attend you can follow the game online via LIVE stats at the following link – LIVE STATS or via the radio on 1470 AM in the Lehigh Valley or on the internet at RADIO LINK.
