Bulldogs Stay Unbeaten with 71-65 Win over Elizabethtown

Sophomore Jim Malatesta filled the stat sheet on Saturday with eight points, five boards, four assists, and three steals.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (December 13, 2008) – For the first time in school history the DeSales University men's basketball team will open its Christmas presents without having lost a basketball game as the Bulldogs will enter the Christmas break with a perfect 8-0 record after a 71-65 win over Elizabethtown College on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.

The Bulldogs are 8-0 for the first time in school history and will take three weeks off before putting their unblemished record on the line on Saturday, January 3^rd. DSU shot 47.3 percent from the field for the game, including a 54.8 percent effort in the opening half, handing the Blue Jays their fourth loss of the season as they fall to 5-4 overall. E-Town shot just 39.0 percent for the game as both teams were sloppy with the ball combining for 41 turnovers, 21 for Elizabethtown and 20 for DeSales.

DSU never trailed in the game taking a 3-0 lead on a three-point play from junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) to start the game and held the lead throughout in the win. Leading by just two points, 23-21, at the 8:05 mark of the opening half, the Bulldogs used an 8-0 run to build a 10-point lead as sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) and Braswell combined for all eight points, five by Hunter including one three-pointer.

The lead grew as high as 14 points, 42-28, before a lay-up from Joe Flanagan to end the half provided the 42-30 halftime score as each team entered the locker room.

DeSales started out hot in the second half, pushing its lead up to 17-points, 51-34, before the Blue Jays began to chip away. The Bulldogs were held scoreless over the next six and a half minutes as EC cut the lead down to six points, before a three-point play from Hunter snapped the scoring drought and pushed the lead up to nine points, 54-45, with 8:58 to go.

Elizabethtown continued to chip away cutting the lead to six several times and got within five, 62-57, at the 2:24 mark before a lay-up from Braswell quickly pushed the game back to a three possession contest and the Bulldogs hit 6-of-8 charity tosses over the final 43 seconds to ice the game and provide the final margin.

Once again the backcourt combination of Braswell and Hunter combined for a large portion of DSU's scoring with 42 of the 71 points. Braswell led the way with 22, while Hunter added 20. Senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had nine points and pulled down a game-high 12 boards, senior Matt Zwetolitz (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) added seven points, and junior Jim Malatesta (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) totaled eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the win.

The Bulldogs will get a chance to rest their legs for three weeks before returning to action on Saturday, January 3^rd when they host John Jay College in the opening game of the Casa Mia Holiday Tournament beginning at 2:00 pm.

Print Friendly Version