Center Valley, PA (February 25, 2026) - The DeSales University women's basketball team used another terrific defensive effort to advance past Lebanon Valley College, 54-44, in the MAC Freedom semifinals on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.

The Basics

• Final Score: DeSales - 54, Lebanon Valley - 44
• Records: DeSales (18-8 Overall); Lebanon Valley (18-8 Overall)
• This was DSU's 29th straight appearance in the MAC Freedom postseason tournament as the Bulldogs advance to the title game for the 21st time.
• DeSales has now won 14 straight at home in the MAC Freedom postseason tournament.
• The win was also head coach Fred Richter's 699th career victory, moving him one win shy of becoming the 13th coach to win 700 career games in NCAA Division III women's basketball coaching history and the 48th coach to win 700 games in women's basketball among all Divisions.
• The Bulldogs have now won four straight vs. the Flying Dutchmen and improve to 13-3 all-time.
• DSU will host the MAC Freedom title game on Saturday vs. Stevens with tip set for 1:00 pm.

How it Happened

• DeSales scored the first six points of the game before a 7-0 LVC run saw them take a 9-8 lead.
• Sophomore Kayla Ishigami hit a three to reclaim the lead and the Bulldogs led by two (13-11) after one quarter of play.
• The Flying Dutchmen took another one-point lead to start off the second quarter.
• Leading by three mid-way thru the quarter the Bulldogs scored six straight, capped off by a four-point play from Ishigami, to take a 27-18 lead and led by nine (29-20) at the half.
• The defensive clamps continued in the third quarter holding Lebanon Valley to just nine points as the lead rose to as many as 20 points with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
• Leading by 19 with 8:07 left in the game, LVC got hot scoring 13 straight points to get within six (50-44) with 1:46 left to play.
• DSU got a stop with about a minute left to keep it a six point game and the Bulldogs iced the win hitting 4-for-4 from the charity stripe over the final 20 seconds.

Top Bulldog Performers

• Senior Lindsay Bednarek led the Bulldogs with 17 points.
• Ishigami added 16 points, hitting three 3's.
• Donmoyer finished with seven points and six boards and sophomore Aubrey Pollard had six points and seven boards.
• Senior Sammi White pulled down eight boards and had two blocks.

For the Foes

• Kailey Eckhart led all scorers with 22 points.
• Riley Hevelow added 14 points.

Inside the Box Score

• DeSales shot 38.2 percent from the field and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
• DSU had a 12-0 advantage in points off turnovers, committing just seven turnovers of their own.