FEBRUARY 4, 2006
KING’S WOMEN RALLY PAST DESALES FOR CRITICAL ROAD CONFERENCE VICTORY
CENTER VALLEY – The King’s College women’s basketball team a overcame a
61-55 deficit by outscoring host DeSales University 23-12 over the final
6:13 of play as the Lady Monarchs posted a crucial 78-73 victory over
host DeSales University Saturday in Billera Hall.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for King’s which improved to
10-11 overall and 5-5 in Freedom Conference play. DeSales slipped to
12-9 and 6-4. The win was also important to King’s as the Lady Monarchs
swept the season from DeSales and earned the head-to-head tie-breaker
should the teams finished deadlocked for a playoff position.
King’s led 48-44 with 11:40 remaining, but the Bulldogs went on a 5-0
run to take a 49-48 advantage on a pair of foul shots by Kirby Lutz with
10:12 left. DeSales would twice stretch the lead to six points, the
final time coming at 63-57 with 6:13 left when Lutz hit two more foul
shots.
But the Lady Monarchs would respond thanks to six straight points from
Andrea Hochstuhl, a traditional three-point play from Lauren Kendra, and
a three-pointer from Jenna Palumbo as Kings took a 73-67 lead with 1:29
left. After a three-pointer by LeighAnn Burke brought DeSales to within
73-70 with 1:11 left, Fiorino buried a long three-pointer from the right
wing to give the Lady Monarchs a 76-70 lead with 1:02 left.
After Amanda Kuperavage scored for DeSales to cut the lead to 76-72 with
0:45 remaining, Fiorino then scored an uncontested lay-up after King’s
broke the Bulldog’s full-court press to ice the game at 78-72 with 0:26
left.
In the first half DeSales would build an early 10-7 lead, but a Fiorino
three-pointer ignited an 8-2 Lady Monarch spurt as King’s took a 15-12
lead on a bucket by Hochstuhl with 11:56 left. After a DeSales basket,
Beth Jordan gave King’s a 19-14 lead on back-to-back buckets.
After Burke hit a three-pointer to bring DeSales to within 21-20, the
Lady Monarchs went on another 8-2 surge and took a 30-22 lead on a
Jordan basket with 3:06 left in the half. DeSales, however, would close
out the half with a 9-2 run and cut the lead to 32-31 at the break on a
three-pointer from Burke and a bucket by Jenna Stampf.
Palumbo led King’s with a career high 24 points, including five
three-pointers. Hochstuhl added 18 points with 13 rebounds while Jordan
contributed 16 points with 11 boards. Fiorino netted eight points while
Kendra chipped in with five points and seven assists.
Burke led DeSales with a 22 points while Stampf and Lutz added 15 and 13
points respectively.
King’s returns to action Wednesday at 6:0 p.m. at Lycoming College in
Williamsport.
