BOX SCORE

King's, PA (February 13, 2010) – Senior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) scored a school-record 41 points and head coach Scott Coval won his 299th career game as the DeSales University men's basketball team came from behind several times, gutting out a 92-89 triple overtime win over King's College for the Bulldogs first win in Scandlon Gymnasium since the 2004-05 season.

I have no idea where to begin writing a story that does this game any sort of justice. You had to be there to understand its greatness, but I will do my best.

Let's start with the end of regulation. DeSales was down 10 points (64-54) with 2:38 left on the clock. Junior Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) hit two free throws and after a defensive stop, Braswell hit a step back three-pointer cutting the margin down to five points with 1:59 left. After a foul on the other end, Dan Maguschak hit two free throws increasing the lead to seven with 1:30 left.

Braswell, however, hit his second straight three-pointer cutting the deficit to four points with 1:18 to go as DSU called timeout. Out of the timeout, Adam Brasky was called for a charge trying to break the press, but Braswell lost control of the ball on the ensuing drive and Kyle Stackhouse was fouled with 1:03 remaining. Stackhouse made one of two making it a six-point game.

This time with the Monarchs doubling Braswell he found fellow senior Rob Schubach (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) in the corner for an open three-pointer which found the bottom of the net making it a three-point game with 44 seconds left as DSU again called timeout. On the ensuing inbounds pass, DSU doubled the ball in the corner and senior Charles Princiotto (Woodcliff Lakes, NJ/Pascack Hills) darted in front of the next pass, stole the ball, then calmly found Braswell behind the three-point line on the left wing and his three was all cotton tying the game at 68 with 31 seconds left.

King's still had a chance to win the game but a fall away jumper from Stackhouse was off the mark as the game went to overtime.

Another three-pointer from Braswell answered a Jim Schule jumper to open the first overtime giving DSU a 71-70 lead but King's scored four straight points to go ahead 74-71 with 1:14 left to play in the first extra session. Hunter followed with a driving lay-up but a free throw from Schule, a missed jumper from Braswell, and two more free throws from Stackhouse gave King's a 77-73 lead with just 28 seconds left and once again DeSales was in scramble mode.

Scramble they did.

Hunter was fouled on the next possession, converting one free throw, but the Monarchs again had trouble with DSU's press and KC's Mike Wagner was called for a walk, giving the ball back to DeSales with 15 seconds left underneath the Monarch basket. Braswell was left wide open on the inbounds pass, but his three came up short. Senior Matt Zwetolitz (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) was there for the rebound, kicked it back out to Braswell, whose three this time did nothing but tickle the nylon and a last second running jumper from Stackhouse was blocked by Hunter sending the game into a second overtime.

King's scored the first four points of the second overtime on foul shots and continued to lead by four on a lay-up from Kevin Conroy with exactly one minute left but as shown though thru the end of regulation and the first overtime, the Bulldogs just refused to call it quits.

Hunter again came up big with a driving lay-up on the other end while being fouled. His free throw was off the mark but there was Braswell again putting on his Superman cape, grabbing the offensive board, and putting back the miss to tie the score at 83 with 50 seconds left. Maguschak missed a jumper on the other end as DSU controlled the rebounds with 14 seconds left. After a timeout, Braswell drove the left side of the lane but his pull-up jumper this time came up short and the game was headed for a third overtime.

DSU took its first lead since 71-70 to start the third OT on two free throws from Braswell. That lead was short lived however after Wagner knocked down a three on the next possession. A jumper from Braswell answered the Wagner triple and one free throw from Hunter put DSU up two with three minutes left.

Consecutive King's misses and a turnover from each team saw Braswell push the lead to four points with 56 ticks left, but Schule was left all alone on a defensive switch and his three-point play made it 90-89 with 29 seconds left. DSU broke the King's press and played keep-away for the next 18 seconds before the Monarchs were finally able to catch up to and foul Schubach with 11 seconds remaining. He calmly swished both free throws and a three by Nick Reisig was short with DSU taking possession with 0.9 seconds left. The Bulldogs inbounded the ball to Braswell who secured the ball as time ran out.

The win is #299 for Coval who will look to join DeSales' women's basketball coach Fred Richter and baseball coach Tim Neiman as the only two coaches in DeSales history in any sport to win 300 career games. The victory is the first for the Bulldogs at King's since the 2004-05 season, a span of five games.

Braswell broke the single-game scoring record of 39 points which had stood since February, 1970 and was held by DSU Hall of Famer Dennis Ramella. Braswell also pulled down 13 rebounds in 53 minutes of playing time; shot 15-for-28 from the field, 5-of-11 from three-point land, and 6-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Hunter finished with 15 points in 47 minutes of action and Schubach also had double digits with 12 points off the bench. Zwetolitz stat line reads eight points, a career-high 12 rebounds, four assists and no turnovers.

The Monarchs had five players reach double figures including Conroy with 18 points and nine rebounds. Schule had 16 points and seven rebounds, Maguschak and Wagner each had 14 points, and Stackhouse totaled 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Bulldogs don't get much time to rest their legs as they return to action on Tuesday, February 16th when they travel back up the turnpike to Wilkes-Barre, PA to take on Wilkes University as the February post-season push continues with an important Freedom Conference and Mid-Atlantic Regional game beginning at 8:00 pm.