Men's Basketball 2/26/2009 6:45:25 PM BJ Spigelmyer - DeSales SID

DeSales/Manhattanville Battle for Freedom Conference Crown

Senior LeighAnn Burke and junior Darnell Braswell each lead the Bulldogs in scoring this season.

Center Valley, PA (February 26, 2009) – The DeSales University men's and women's basketball teams are each now just one win away from winning a Freedom Conference title and earning the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament as the Freedom Conference playoffs conclude on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.

Both games feature the top two seeds facing each other as the Bulldog women will host Manhattanville College at 1:00 pm, with the Bulldog men also hosting Manhattanville College in the second game beginning at 4:00 pm. You can follow both games via LIVE Stats (MEN or WOMEN) and D3hoops.com will also be in attendance as Gordon Mann will broadcast both games live from Billera Hall (LIVE BROADCAST).

The women's team (22-4 overall) is ranked #23 in the latest D3hoops.com national poll and is ranked #4 in the latest NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Rankings. The top seeded Bulldog women defeated King's College in the semifinal round, 71-45. Manhattanville (17-9 overall) reached the championship game with a 70-65 win over Alvernia University on Wednesday.

The men's team (21-5 overall) finished the regular season tied for first place with Manhattanville College (17-9 overall) but won the tiebreaker over the Valiants to garner the top seed and Saturday's home game. DSU is currently ranked #3 in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional rankings. DeSales advanced the title game with a 74-62 win over #4 Wilkes University, while the Valiants defeated #3 Eastern University, 63-57, to reach the championship game.

The women are making their 12^th straight appearance in the Freedom Conference playoffs since joining the conference 12 years ago. With Wednesday's win DSU has a 13-8 overall record, has advanced to eight Freedom Conference championships, and cut a championship net down three times ('97-98, '99-00, and '07-08). Manhattanville is in just its second year in the Freedom Conference and making their first playoff appearance and first appearance in the title game with Wednesday's win.

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 19.9 points per game and has a team-high 72 steals and 103 assists. She is shooting 39.1 percent from three-point land and has made a team-best 72 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 and Wednesday's semifinal with a hand injury and is questionable to return for the title game. Junior Caitlin Miller (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) is third in scoring averaging 7.5 points per game and leads the team on the glass averaging 9.1 boards per game.

The Valiants will be led offensively by senior Olivia Nastasi as the lone player averaging double figures at 14.1 points per game. Nina Johnson is second in scoring at 9.8 points per game after scoring a game-high 19 in the semifinal win.

The DSU men will be making their eighth trip to the Freedom Conference playoffs. Following Wednesday's win the Bulldogs own a 5-7 record in Freedom post-season including five trips to the Freedom Conference championship game, four of which have come in the last five years including this season's appearance. In just their second year in the Freedom Conference, the Valiants are in the playoffs for the second straight year. MC is 1-1 all-time in the post-season and is making their first appearance in the conference title game.

The Bulldogs will be led by junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen). Braswell is averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game and pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game. He is also tops on the team with 43 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 13.0 points per game and is tops in rebounding averaging 9.0 caroms per game. He is shooting 54.3 percent from the field and has a team-high 23 blocked shots. Sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) also averages double digits at 10.3 points per game and has a team-high 101 assists.

Manhattanville has three players averaging double figures including Wesly Wicks at 12.6 points per game, Trevoy Pointer at 12.1 per game, and Angelo Laroche at 10.8 points per game.

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.

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