DeSales Hoops Teams Two Wins Away from Freedom Conference Title

Junior Caitlin Miller and senior Ed Lapinski each average more than 9.0 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs.

Center Valley, PA (February 24, 2009) – The DeSales University men's and women's basketball teams are each two wins away from winning a Freedom Conference title and earning the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament as the Freedom Conference playoffs continue with the semifinals on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.

Both team enjoyed success during the regular season earning the #1 seed in the playoffs but now must transfer that success over to the games this week in order to assure their seasons will continue. DSU is guaranteed to play all of its Freedom Conference playoff games at home, its prize for earning the #1 seed during the regular season. The semifinals game are set for Wednesday with the women beginning at 6:00 pm and the men to follow at 8:00 pm. The Freedom Conference championship game will be played on Saturday at the highest remaining seed's home court.

The women's team (21-4, 15-1 Freedom) is ranked #23 in the latest D3hoops.com national poll and is ranked #3 in the latest NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Rankings. The top seeded Bulldog women will host fifth seeded, King's College, a 59-50 winner over Misericordia University on Monday in the lone quarterfinal game.

The men's team (20-5, 12-4 Freedom) finished the regular season tied for first place with Manhattanville College but won the tiebreaker over the Valiants to garner the top seed. DSU has been among the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional rankings in each of the past three weeks and ranked as high as #2. The Bulldog men will host #4 Wilkes University in a re-match of last season's semifinal game won by the Bulldogs. The Colonels held off Delaware Valley in the quarterfinal game on Monday at the Marts Center.

The women are making their 12^th straight appearance in the Freedom Conference playoffs since joining the conference 12 years ago. In their first 11 appearances DSU has a 12-8 overall record, has advanced to seven Freedom Conference championships, and cut a championship net down three times ('97-98, '99-00, and '07-08). DeSales' semifinal opponent, King's College, is making its 15^th straight appearance in the Freedom Conference playoffs. The Lady Monarchs have won two Freedom Conference titles ('00-01 and '02-03) and have advanced to the Freedom Conference title game five times.

Leading the Bulldogs attack will be senior LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan). Burke has been honored three times this week being named the Freedom Conference Player of the Week and to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Second-Team on Monday and on Tuesday was named a Jostens Trophy Finalist for the second straight year. She is averaging a team-best 20.1 points per game and has a team-high 68 steals and is tied for the team lead with 96 assists. She is shooting 38.8 percent from three-point land and has made a team-best 69 treys on the season.

Burke's backcourt teammate and fellow senior Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill) is second in scoring at 14.8 points per game and also has 96 assists, while shooting 50.9 percent from three-point land (27-of-53). She missed the final regular season game of the year with a hand injury and is questionable to return during the Freedom Conference playoffs. Junior Caitlin Miller (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) is third in scoring averaging 7.6 points per game and leads the team on the glass averaging 9.3 boards per game.

The Lady Monarchs will be led by senior Kaitlyn Fiorino who is the lone double figure scorer for King's averaging 16.4 points per game and has made a Freedom Conference high 76 three-pointers. As a team, KC is averaging 58.7 points per game and shooting 34.2 percent from the field.

The DSU men will be making their eighth trip to the Freedom Conference playoffs. The Bulldogs own a 4-7 record in their previous seven appearances including four trips to the Freedom Conference championship game, three of which have come in the last four years. Wilkes is making their 20^th appearance in the Freedom Conference playoffs and have claimed four conference titles ('95-96, '97-98, '98-99, and '00-01).

The Bulldogs will be led by junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen). Braswell is averaging a team-high 15.9 points per game and pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game. He is also tops on the team with 42 steals. He was named the Freedom Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging a double-double in DSU's two wins last week.

Senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) is second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game and is tops in rebounding averaging 9.0 caroms per game. He is shooting 53.6 percent from the field and has a team-high 21 blocked shots. Sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) also averages double digits at 10.4 points per game and has a team-high 96 assists.

Wilkes has three players averaging double digits including Chris DeRojas at 17.4 points per game, Tom Kresge at 16.0 points per game, and Steve Kline at 13.4 points per game. Kresge is pulling down a team-high 8.4 boards per game, while Kline is averaging 7.2 rebounds per game. Kline also leads the team with 66 assists.

Ticket prices for the games are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for senior citizens, and $2.00 for students. All children under the age of six are admitted free and all DeSales students with their ID will also be admitted for free. For those unable to attend the game you will be able to follow the progress online via LIVE Stats. Links for the LIVE stats are as follows – MEN – WOMEN.

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