Bulldogs Stay Undefeated with Hard-Fought Win at FDU-Florham

Sophomore Brian Hunter had a season-high 18 points in the win over FDU-Florham.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Madison, NJ (December 3, 2008) – It's not how hard or how easy you earn wins. The only thing that counts at the end of each game is whether you came out on top and on Wednesday evening the DeSales University men's basketball team scrapped and clawed its way to a 71-67 win over FDU-Florham in the Freedom Conference season opener in Ferguson Recreation Center.

The Bulldogs did not post any flashy stats, nor did they ever appear to have control of the game, but what they did do was work hard for 40 complete minutes and in the end it paid off using a 10-0 run late in the second half to erase a seven-point deficit and eventually come away with a Freedom Conference road win.

DSU shot just 40.7 percent from the field and struggled all night at the free throw line converting just 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from the charity stripe, but the Bulldogs (5-0, 1-0 Freedom) committed just 13 turnovers and out-rebounded the Devils (1-4, 0-1 Freedom), 39-37, to earn the win.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring seven ties, the last of which came at 35 all with the two teams headed to the locker rooms. FDU jumped out to an early 7-0 lead only to see DeSales counter with seven straight points to the game at seven. The Bulldogs did not earn their first lead until the 8:54 mark when senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) hit a short jumper.

FDU was first out of the gates again in the second half using an 11-1 run to take its largest lead of the game, 46-36, at the 17:25 mark, but DSU refused to quit and just kept battling. A jumper from Lapinski was followed by a three-pointer in transition from sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) and the deficit was quickly cut in half at the 16:46 mark.

From that point it was back-and-forth for the next 10 minutes with FDU still holding a seven-point lead at the 6:22 mark when DeSales started to gain control of the contest. Junior Jim Malatesta (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) got the game-clinching 10-0 run started with a sweet finger roll finish that also earned him a free throw, which he canned to make it a four-point game.

Junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) cut the deficit down to one point on a three-pointer from the top of the key that hit front rim, bounced off the top of the backboard and thru as things started to bounce the Bulldogs way.

A free throw from Hunter tied the game and another freebie from Braswell gave DSU its first lead of the second half, 62-61, with 4:31 to go. After a missed triple by the Devils, Braswell drove the lane and hit an off-balance lay-up to make it 64-61. The two squads traded baskets on their next possessions and with 51 ticks leading by three, junior Charles Princiotto (Woodcliff Lake, NJ/Pascack Hills) was fouled, knocking down both charity tosses to give DeSales a five-point cushion.

Two more free throws from Hunter made it a seven-point game as FDU-Florham was never able to get within one possession of DeSales the rest of the way before the final four-point margin was posted.

Hunter had perhaps his best game in a DeSales uniform finishing with a complete line of 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Braswell also finished with 18 tallies and grabbed five boards.

Lapinski finished with 16 points and pulled down a team-high nine boards, while Malatesta was again solid off the bench with five points and four assists.

The Bulldogs will return to action and to the road on Saturday, December 6^th when they travel to Misericordia University for another Freedom Conference game beginning at 3:00 pm.

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