Defense Propels #15 DeSales past Wilkes, 69-39

Sophomore Shaina Dymond had a career-high 11 boards in the win on Saturday.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (January 3, 2009) – The 15^th ranked DeSales University women's basketball team showed some holiday rust on the offensive end, but not on the defensive end using a dominating performance on defense in a 69-39 win over Wilkes University in a Freedom Conference game to start the New Year on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (8-1, 3-0 Freedom) win their fifth straight game and improve to 3-0 on the road in Freedom Conference play with the victory. DSU held Wilkes (5-4, 1-2 Freedom) to just 22.4 percent shooting, forced 23 Lady Colonel turnovers, and enjoyed a 59-37 edge on the glass in the victory.

An offensive struggle for both team over the first 3:40 saw an early tie at two before the Bulldogs used an 18-3 run over the next six and a half minutes to build a 20-5 lead. Seniors LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) with seven points and Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) with six points led the charge during the spurt.

Wilkes chipped away at the deficit, getting within nine points, 29-20, at the 3:31 mark but an 11-2 run over the final three and a half minutes pushed the lead up to 18 points (40-22) at the break. Burke led the way with 15 first-half tallies as eight different Bulldogs scored in the opening half.

The second-half was more of the same as the DSU defense held WU to just 17 points and led by as many as 32 points before the final margin was posted.

Burke finished with a game-high 17 points and added four assists. Rarick totaled 13 points, while fellow senior Erica Sovak (Tuxedo, NY/George F. Baker) led the charge off the bench with eight points. Junior Caitlin Miller (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) totaled seven points and 10 boards and sophomore Shaina Dymond (Shickshinny, PA/Northwest) finished with five points and a career-high 11 rebounds.

Wilkes was led by Sam Lynam with 11 points.

The Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday, January 7^th when they return home to host Eastern University in a Freedom Conference game beginning at 6:00 pm. You can follow the game's progress online via LIVE Stats or LIVE Audio if you are unable to attend.

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