Doylestown, PA (February 6, 2011) – As has become a common theme this season the DeSales University women's basketball team rode a strong defensive effort and had its best rebounding game of the season, outlasting Delaware Valley College, 70-61, in Freedom Conference action on Sunday afternoon.
As a team the Bulldogs (14-7, 7-3 Freedom) forced 30 Delaware Valley (9-12, 3-7 Freedom) turnovers and scored 24 points off those turnovers. DSU also dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Aggies, 61-45, and scored 22 second chance points for the game.
Senior Lori Lidlow totaled a team-high 26 points in the game, 23 of which came in the second half. Junior Cherelle Simmons recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds and freshman Sondrine Glovas registered her first career double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Junior Hannah Smith added seven points and senior Megan Montchyk came off the bench to score seven points and pull down a career-best 12 rebounds.
Senior Brittany Battinieri led all scorers with 28 points, sophomore Emily Soper totaled 13 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks, and Sarah Delcasale totaled 11 points. Sarah Innerst led the Aggies with 14 rebounds.
The first half was a back and forth battle with neither team leading by more than five points. Glovas led the Bulldogs with nine first-half points, while Battinieri paced the Aggies with 12 points. DSU shot just 25.6 percent from the field but did force 16 miscues out of DVC.
DeSales was quick out of the first-half gates using an 8-3 run to take a 38-30 lead. Lidlow scored all eight of the points and tossed in the first 15 points of the half for the Bulldogs.
DVC countered with eight straight points to tie the game at 38 with 14:04 left to play. Play was back and forth over the next three minutes and with the Aggies clinging to a two-point lead (47-45), DeSales used a 12-1 run over the next 3:26 to take a commanding 55-46 lead with 8:26 to go. Lidlow and Glovas each had four points during the spurt.
Delaware Valley refused to go away however as Battinieri scored the next seven points in the game to trim the Bulldog lead down to two points. Glovas answered the Battinieri surge with a three of her own and after four free throws from Simmons and Montchyk, the DSU lead was back up to eight points (62-54) with 5:07 remaining.
The lead eventually grew to as many as 12 points over the final five minutes before the final nine point margin was posted.
The Bulldogs will look to start a new winning streak on Wednesday when they return home to take on Albright College in a non-conference game beginning at 7:00 pm