Center Valley, PA (March 2, 2019) - The #10/15 DeSales University women's basketball team won its 22nd straight game and advanced into the NCAA "Sweet 16" with a 70-55 win over Middlebury College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday evening in Billera Hall.

The Basics/Notes

• Final Score: DeSales - 70, Middlebury - 55
• Records: DeSales (27-2); Middlebury (20-8)
• The win is DSU's 22nd straight overall and the 21st at home in Billera Hall, tying the record for most consecutive home wins.
• The Sweet 16 appearance is the second since the brackets were expanded by the NCAA with the other appearance coming during the 2007-08 season.
• DeSales also ties the school-record for wins with 27 and equals the best-ever record posted in a season, tying the 27-2 mark set by the 1989-90 team.

How it Happened

• DeSales trailed 9-7 early before the Bulldogs used a 16-1 run to take a 23-10 lead on the first basket of the second quarter.
• The Panthers answered with seven straight points, all on free throws, to pull within six (23-17), but DSU responded with a 9-0 spurt to take its largest lead of the half (32-18) with 3:43 left in the first-half.
• The lead was still 14 (36-22) with 1:32 to go in the first-half before Middlebury responded with five straight points to head into the locker room down just nine (36-27).
• After freshman Samantha Shinkus scored early giving DeSales an 11-point lead but MC scored seven straight to get within four (38-34).
• The game went back-and-forth for the rest of the third quarter as DeSales clung to a seven-point lead (50-43).
• The Bulldogs turned up the defensive dial in the fourth quarter holding the Panthers to 0-for-11 from the fied over the first 7:10 of the quarter as DeSales built a 21-point lead capped off by a corner 3 from Shinkus and two free throws from freshman Averi Jordan before the final tally was posted.

Top Bulldog Performers

• Senior Morgan Birmelin made history finishing with a game-high 19 points and adding eight assists giving her 642 in her career, breaking the all-time record of 640 owned by DeSales' Hall of Famer Tina Costello.  She also added five steals.
• Shinkus finished with 18 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
• Jordan also reached double digits with 11 points.
• Freshman Emma Stanfield was also terrific off the bench scoring eight points and senior Bridget Walsh had eight points and two blocks.

For the Foes

• Colleen Caveney led the Panthers with a team-high 16 points.
• Maya Davis recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Betsy Knox finished with 11 points.

Inside the Box Score

• DeSales forced 24 Panther turnovers leading to 31 Bulldog points.
• DSU also dominated the paint out-scoring Middlebury, 38-14, inside the lane.
• The Bullodgs were once again terrific from the free throw line hitting 14-for-15 (93.3 percent).
• DeSales' defense held MC to just 27.8 percent shooting.

Up Next

• The Bulldogs know who they will play, Ithaca College, just not where the game will be played as the NCAA will announce Sweet 16 host sites sometime on Sunday afternoon.