Basketball

DeSales University 75, Delaware Valley 67

CENTER VALLEY (PA) - Kirby Lutz notched game highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead DeSales University to a 75-67, Freedom Conference win over visiting Delaware Valley College.

The Aggies fell to 10-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play while the win improved the Bulldogs to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in the Freedom.

Lutz hit 10 of 18 shots from the field (1-for-1 from 3-point land) and 4-for-8 from the foul line to lead a DeSakes attack that shot 47.5 percent from the field saw three players reach double figures in scoring. Delaware Valley was held to 35.9 percent shooting, including a 31.3 percent effort in the first half.

The Aggies came out strong with nine of the game's first 12 points - five by Juli McGowan - and they led for nearly all of the first 11 minutes of the contest. However, DeSales dominated the rest of the half and took a 35-28 advantage into the intermission.

Delaware Valley scored the first eight points of the second stanza as Moira Donohue and McGowan hit treys with a Shannon O'Neill layup sandwiched in-between for a 36-35 Aggie lead with 16:38 remaining. LeighAnn Burke answered with a 3-pointer for DeSales just 19 seconds later, but McGowan followed with a pair of free throws and a 38-38 ballgame with 15:58 remaining.

However, DeSales took the lead for a good as it used a 12-3 run to open up a 50-41 advantage with 13:16 left on the clock. Delaware Valley pulled to within three, 52-49, after McGowan sank a pair of free throws with 9:17 to go, but the Bulldogs countered with six straight and the Aggies never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

McGowan paced Delaware Valley with 22 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 31 seconds to go. Donohue had a solid all-around game with 12 points, four rebounds four assists and six steals. O'Neill finished with nine points while freshman Kristin Bone came off the bench to contribute seven points and five rebounds in 13 minutes of action.

Kim Rarick and Amansa Kuperavage joined Lutz in double figures with 18 and 16 points respectively. Rarick also added seven assists and three steals.