Center Valley, PA (January 4, 2011) – Baruch College out-rebounded the DeSales University women's basketball team, 46-35, en route to 12 second-chance points as the Bearcats grinded out a 69-64 win over the Bulldogs in the first game of the New Year for both teams in non-conference action on Tuesday evening in Billera Hall.
Senior Lori Lidlow led DeSales (6-5 overall) with 20 points and sophomore Colleen Gavin added 15 points and nine rebounds. Junior Cherelle Simmons fell one point and one rebound shy of her sixth double-double of the season with nine points and nine boards, while senior Megan Montchyk and Megan Gallagher each had six points off the bench in the loss.
Baruch (8-3 overall) put four players in double digits led by Megan Bouwens with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Jessica Duleba added 13 points and five assists; Folashade Akinde totaled 12 points and eight rebounds, and Monique Salmons finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in the win. Camille Voitot gave the Bearcats a boost of the bench with eight points.
DeSales led early breaking a tie at 13 with a 7-0 run to open up a seven-point lead but after still leading by seven with 7:21 left in the opening half, Baruch followed with a 7-0 run of its own to re-tie the game at 22 with just over five minutes left in the first stanza.
The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half with BC clinging to a two-point advantage at the break, 31-29. Baruch shot just 36.4% percent in the opening twenty minutes but took advantage of 12 DSU turnovers with 10 points off those miscues to grab the lead.
The Bulldogs again opened the half strong quickly taking a two-point lead on back-to-back jumpers from Gavin and continued to lead by one after a triple from Lidlow at the 15:36 mark before the Bearcats answered with a second-chance lay-up to re-claim the lead which they never relinquished.
Baruch's advantage peaked at nine points on two separate occasions including the last at 61-52 with 3:32 to go. DSU made it a two-point game after four straight points from Montchyk with 1:42 left. The Bearcats hit one of two from the line next time down the court and Lidlow had a good look at a three on the other end to tie it but the shot was off the mark and Baruch hit 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
Baruch grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in the win, negating a 37.7 percent shooting performance. DSU shot a very respectable 41.3 percent and did a great job of not turning the ball over in the second half (just six second-half turnovers). The Bulldogs also forced 21 Bearcat turnovers.
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, January 8th when they travel to Eastern University, returning to Freedom Conference play with tip set for 1:00 pm