BOX SCORE

Purchase, NY (February 27, 2010) – In mid-January no one would have predicted this. But one thing that was never calculated was the heart of a champion. Starting the season just 1-3 in the Freedom Conference, the DeSales University women's basketball team did not lose another Freedom Conference game the rest of the way, capping its incredible come-from-behind season with yet another comeback win, 63-59, over Manhattanville College on the road at Kennedy Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon to win its third straight Freedom Conference Championship.

It is now time for the Bulldogs (18-9 overall) to put on their dancing shoes. Along with the Freedom Title comes an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with DSU's pairing and first-round match-up to be announced by the NCAA on Monday morning. DeSales will enter the “Big Dance” having won 12-straight games and finishing the season 13-1 in its last 14 games after starting the year just 5-8 overall and 1-3 in the Freedom Conference, an incredible turnaround by a team full of champions.

On Saturday, it once again did not look good. But as anyone close to this team knows, don't ever count the Bulldogs out until there is no time left on the clock. The Valiants (19-8 overall) came out early looking to take control of this game and did so opening up a 15-5 lead just five minutes into the game. The Bulldogs chipped away at the lead and after a three-pointer from junior Lori Lidlow (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) at the 8:52 mark the margin was down to four points.

The game went back-and-forth over the next few minutes before MVille regained control of the game taking its largest lead of the half (13 points) with just 58 seconds left. DSU however entered the locker room on a high note as senior Kelly Magrann (Sinking Spring, PA/Holy Name) hit a three-pointer and Lidlow canned two free throws with one second left, pulling DeSales within eight at the break.

In the second half, another Magrann triple cut the lead down to seven points, but the Valiants scored seven straight points to take its largest lead of the game, 47-33, at the 16:59 mark. Then the Bulldogs went to work.

A lay-up from Lidlow was followed by a lay-up from freshman Jessica Hoover (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) and DSU quickly got back within 10 points. Carol Ortiz made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe on the next possession, but a three from Lidlow, a free throw from senior Kaila Wiand (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford), and a lay-up from sophomore Hannah Smith (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) ended a 10-1 run that pulled the Bulldogs within five, 48-43, with 12:05 left to play.

The next eight minutes was back-and-forth as DSU continued to shut down the Valiant offense but the Bulldogs were just unable to get over the hump on the offensive end and seemed to trail by five points during this entire eight-minute stretch. Then Magrann took over on the offensive end, trailing by five (59-54) at the 3:52 mark, Magrann came up super clutch with a three-pointer from the left corner to finally get DeSales within one possession with just under three minutes left.

Consecutive misses by the Valiants gave DSU the ball back but a turnover on the other end gave it right back to Manhattanville, however Carey Hickey's driving lay-up rolled out and sophomore Cherelle Simmons (Lancaster, PA/JP McCaskey) came down with the rebound. On the very next possession, Magrann again found the ball in her hands as she let go on a jumper from just inside the arc that hit nothing but net as she was fouled on the follow thru.

Magrann nailed the free throw and DSU had its first lead of the game, 60-59, since the score was 5-4, with 1:19 left to play. Simona Gordon was fouled on the other end but she missed both her free throws as Smith corralled the rebound in the corner. Lidlow drove the lane and was fouled with 39 seconds left on the next possession and she hit 1-of-2 to make it a two-point game, 61-59.

This time MVille's Courtney Turner broke free for a driving lay-up but that also rolled out as junior Megan Montchyk (Bellmawr, NJ/Paul VI) grabbed the rebound with 11 seconds left. After consecutive timeouts, Lidlow was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass and she calmly went to the line, hit both free throws making it a four-point game and a missed jumper from Hickey was off the mark as time ran out and the Bulldogs celebrated its third straight Freedom Conference Championship.

Lidlow was outstanding, finishing with 23 points and six assists to earn Freedom Conference Playoffs Most Valuable Player honors. Magrann was terrific as well, scoring 18 points on a 6-for-8 shooting effort including five three-pointers. Freshman Colleen Gavin (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) added eight points in 12 minutes of action.

A huge factor in the win was the Bulldogs defense in the second half which held the Valiants to just 21 points and 30.8 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. Wiand was a huge part of that success, playing the four position for most of the half and Hoover once again played well off the bench with five points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots in the win.

Gordon led the Valiants with 16 points, Taylor Wilson added 15 points, and Turner also reached double digits with 11 points.