Terrific Shooting Lifts DeSales past Wilkes; Into Freedom Title Game

Junior Darnell Braswell and senior Ed Lapinski combined for 38 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Wilkes on Wednesday.

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Center Valley, PA (February 25, 2009) – The top seeded DeSales University men's basketball team shot 54.9 percent from the field en route to a 74-62 win over fourth seeded Wilkes University in the semifinals of the Freedom Conference playoffs on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.

The win advances DeSales (21-5 overall) to the Freedom Conference championship for the fourth time in the last five years where they will take on the #2 seed, Manhattanville College, who defeated Eastern University, 63-57, in the other semifinal on Wednesday night. The championship game is set for Saturday afternoon beginning at 4:00 pm.

The win on Wednesday marks the ninth straight win over the Colonels and the 11^th win in the last 12 meetings between the two teams. These two rivals have met four times in the Freedom Conference playoffs, with DeSales winning each of the last three meetings, following a Colonel win the first-ever playoff meeting a few years ago.

A close game to start on Wednesday saw the game deadlocked at 17 at the 10:03 mark of the first half. A three-pointer from junior Rob Schubach (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) propelled a 11-1 run that gave DSU a 28-18 lead with 6:56 left in the opening half. Four different Bulldogs scored during the run including another triple from junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) to conclude the spurt.

Wilkes got within five twice but trailed by eight after a lay-up from senior Steve Kline beat the halftime buzzer sending both teams to the locker room. In the opening half, DSU torched the nets, shooting 64.0 percent, while the Colonels converted 41.4 percent.

WU made a run at the Bulldogs lead to open the second stanza as two short jumpers from Kline and a three-pointer from sophomore Chris DeRojas made it a four-point game at the 16:59 mark but seven quick points highlighted by three-pointers from senior Matt Zwetolitz (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and freshman Bob Zanneo (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) pushed the DSU advantage up to 11 points with 14:15 left and Wilkes never got any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Braswell was once again terrific totaling a game-high 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting while pulling down six boards and dishing out four assists. Senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 boards and Zanneo came off the bench to total 10 points. Sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) finished with another solid game totaling nine points, five assists, and three steals.

Junior Tom Kresge scored a team-high 19 points and Kline finished with 18 points in the loss. DeRojas added 12 points and five assists as well for the Colonels.

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