Center Valley, PA (November 30, 2014) – Freshman Aaron Burton scored a season-high 20 points and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds as the DeSales University men's basketball team torched the nets, shooting 51.0 percent from the field en route to an 80-75 win over Catholic University in non-conference action on Sunday afternoon.
 
Burton shot 6-for-11 from the field off the bench and added three assists and no turnovers in the win.  Junior Cody Deal added 18 points and also shot 6-for-11 from the field.  Sophomore Brian Laird finished with nine points, sophomore Kuity Slanger had eight points and six boards, and senior Travis Bryan finished with seven points and nine boards in the win.
 
Catholic (4-2 overall), who was receiving votes in this week's D3hoops.com national top 25 poll, got a game-high 22 points from Corey Stanford and 19 points and seven assists from Bryson Fonville in the loss.
 
The first-half featured seven ties and 11 lead changes as the two teams jostled for control of the game.  DSU held the largest lead of the half (28-23) at the eight minute mark on a lay-up from sophomore Ryan Callahan and led by one at the break on a free throw from Bryan with 17 seconds left.  DeSales (5-1 overall) shot 54.2 percent from the field in the opening half.
 
The Bulldogs took control over the first 10 minutes of the second-half opening up as much as a 10-point lead twice with the last coming at 55-45 with 10:02 left to play.  Catholic responded with a 10-0 run over the next 2:06 to tie the game at 55 but DSU regained the lead on a lay-up from Slanger and never trailed the rest of the way.
 
After another tie at 57, Deal started a 7-0 run with two free throws that included a sensational tip-in from Slanger and a three from Laird to give DSU a 64-57 edge with 4:54 left.
 
The lead slowly grew to 10 points again at 71-61 with 2:12 left to play and the Bulldogs hit 7-for-10 from the free throw line over the final 1:14 to ice the win.
 
The Bulldog bench dominated out-scoring the Cardinal bench, 41-14, for the game.  DSU also controlled the glass, out-rebounding CU, 39-31.
 
DeSales returns to action on Wednesday, December 3^rd when they open Freedom Conference play on the road at Manhattanville College beginning at 8:00 pm.