BOX SCORE

Reading, PA (Jan. 4, 2006) – Alvernia College turned the ball over 15 times in each half and suffered a 73-60 loss to DeSales University Wednesday evening in non-conference women’s basketball action at the Physical Education Center.

            The Crusaders (1-7) turned the ball over 10 times and went 2-for-7 from the floor in the opening eight minutes of play as the guest Bulldogs (5-5) built an early seven point lead, 11-4.  Alvernia got back in the game with a 10-2 spurt and held a two-point edge on Ashley Shrawder’s (Dalmatia, PA/Line Mountain) second 3 of the night with 1:34 to go in the opening half.

            DSU tied the score at 28-all on an Erica Sovak (Tuxedo, NY/George F. Baker) layup and rattled off six straight points in just over a minute to take a 32-28 lead.  Alvernia missed a layup on its next possession and DSU freshman LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) canned a 3 on a baseline restart to give the Bulldogs a 35-28 lead at the break.

            Alvernia opened the second half with a turnover and the gap stayed between seven and 11 until Amanda Kuperavage (Port Carbon, PA/Nativity BVM) hit a layup with 13:23 left that put DSU up 12, 47-35.  Shrawder nailed a pair of 3s in another 10-2 Alvernia run that cut the lead to four, 49-45, but DeSales pushed the gap back to 12 with a 9-1 run of its own.  Sovak started the run with a layup and sophomore Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) scored four of her eight points as the guests led by 12 with 8:25 to play.

            The lead grew to as many as 17 for DeSales with 4:10 to play, and Alvernia made one final push to pull within nine, 68-59 with 2:19 to play but could get no closer.

            DeSales junior Kirby Lutz (Easton, PA/Pan Argyl) tallied 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and Burke added 13.  Alvernia got 16 points from junior Camrell Gholston (Westminster, MD/McDonogh School) and Shrawder totaled 14 on four 3s.

DeSales 73, Alvernia 60