| Hannah Smith turned the ball over just once in 39
minutes and scored a career-high nine points for
DeSales. DeSales athletics photo |
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Defense wins championships and tonight it won the game for the DeSales University women's basketball team as the Bulldogs put on a defensive clinic, shocking No. 19 Muhlenberg, 60-57 in overtime, in Billera Hall on Monday evening.
The Bulldogs (7-6 overall) held Muhlenberg (9-2) to just 30.0 percent (18-for-60) shooting and forced the Mules into 20 turnovers. MC entered the game averaging 74.5 points per game and scored just 57, despite having an extra five minutes to do so. DSU, on the other hand, also didn't shoot well (30.9 percent) but did a terrific job taking care of the ball, committing just 14 turnovers and only three in the second half and overtime.
Senior Lori Lidlow led the scoring attack with 15 points and also had four assists doing most of her scoring from the line where she was 9-for-14 in the game. Lidlow also did a tremendous job on defense as the primary defender on MC's Alexandra Chili, who came into the game averaging 22.1 points per game, but Lidlow frustrated her into a 2-for-17 shooting night and six turnovers as the Mules top gun had just 12 points.
Sophomore Colleen Gavin also reached double figures with 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds despite only playing 17 minutes before fouling out. Junior Cherelle Simmons totaled seven points and 13 rebounds, all of which came after the 15-minute mark of the second half.
Junior Hannah Smith hit big shot after big shot late in the second half and in overtime, finishing with a career-high nine points and four assists, while committing just one turnover as the point guard and while playing 39 minutes.
Sophomore Taylor Greene did a tremendous job off the bench with nine points and freshman Megan Gallagher was the offensive hero of the evening, scoring just seven points, but hitting the biggest three of her 13-game career thus far with 39 seconds left in overtime to all but seal the win for DeSales. Gallagher also pulled down seven rebounds and played "tough as nails" defense in relief of Gavin.
Chili finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, sophomore Alita Zabrecky had 11 points, freshman Leeann Lanza totaled 10 points, and senior Kelly McKeon had eight points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in just her third game back from a hand injury to lead Muhlenberg.
Despite the ugly shooting percentages for the game, both teams shot very well in the first half as Muhlenberg opened up a 4-0 lead early, led by as many as nine points (25-16) on a three from Alexandra Berlin, and held a six-point advantage (31-25) at the break. The Mules were 10-for-22 (45.5%) and DSU was 8-for-18 (44.4%) from the field in the opening half.
In the second half, DSU immediately started chipping away at the lead getting within two on two quick baskets to open the half and eventually tied the game at 35 for the first time all game at the 16:43 mark on two Lidlow free throws.
Two more Lidlow freebies at the 11:31 mark gave DSU a 41-39 lead before Muhlenberg methodically used an 8-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 47-41 advantage. Five straight free throws over the next 1:30 pulled DSU within one and after one free throw from McKeon, Smith broke an 0-for-16 Bulldog drought from the field with a gigantic three-pointer from the right corner staking DeSales to a 49-48 lead with 3:40 left.
One free throw from Lanza tied the game and with just over two minutes left in the game, DSU had the ball near the end of the shot clock when Gallagher drove the lane and converted a scooping lay-up giving the Bulldogs a 51-49 lead.
A missed Muhlenberg jumper saw Lidlow fouled on the next DSU possession and she knocked down 1-of-2 from the line with 1:35 left. After two misses by Chili and an off the mark jumper from Simmons on the other end, the Mules had the ball needing a three to tie and with 32 seconds left Chili was fouled on a three-point attempt and she calmly hit all three charity tosses to the game at 52 sending the game into overtime after a jumper from Simmons with three ticks left was short.
DeSales scored the first four points of the overtime period on a jumper from Simmons and another corner jumper from Smith. Three straight points from Lanza made it a one-point game (56-55) with 1:10 left when Gallagher again came up huge.
DSU worked the ball around feverously on its next possession and as the shot clock wound down under five seconds, Lidlow spotted Gallagher at the top of the key all alone as she let go on a three that tickled nothing but nylon giving the Bulldogs a 59-55 advantage with 39 seconds left.
Muhlenberg quickly scored with 25 seconds left and eventually fouled Greene with 17 ticks remaining. Greene missed both freebies but a short running jumper from McKeon rolled across the back of the rim as senior Megan Montchyk grabbed the defensive rebound and was fouled with eight seconds left. Montchyk was then fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass after a jump ball on the rebound, knocked down the first free throw and missed the second as a last second half-court attempt was well of the mark as the buzzer sounded.
The Bulldogs will return to action on Wednesday evening when they return Freedom Conference play with an important early-season home game with Misericordia beginning at 6:00 p.m.