Monday, February 21, 2011

MORAVIAN TO TRAVEL TO SCRANTON IN LANDMARK CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team will make its tenth straight appearance in the postseason as the Greyhounds are the third seed in the 2011 Landmark Conference Tournament and will travel to second seeded The University of Scranton for a semifinal contest on Wednesday, February 23rd at 5:30 p.m. in the John Long Center in Scranton.  Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Wednesday’s other semifinal contest will have top-seeded Juniata College hosting fourth-seed The Catholic University of America at 7:00 p.m.  The winners of Wednesday’s semifinal games will meet on Saturday, February 26th at the highest remaining seed for the 2011 Landmark Conference Championship and the conference’s first automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

The Greyhounds, who are the defending Landmark Conference Champions, are 14-11 overall this season, and the squad posted a 9-5 mark in conference action. 

Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk has the Greyhounds in the playoffs for the 21st time in her 24 years as head coach.  Spirk, who has an overall record of 448-209, has the Greyhounds looking for the program’s second straight conference title and third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.  Coach Spirk also has her team near the top of the nation once again in free throw shooting.  The Greyhounds are 503-of-656 at the foul line this season (76.7 percent), while Moravian’s opponents are just 283-of-422 at the foul line (67.1 percent).

Leading the Greyhounds is senior guard/forward Amy Heffner (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland HS), pictured at left, who was the Women's DIII News November Player of the Month, with averages of 18.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season, and she was named to the All-Tournament Team at Gwynedd-Mercy College as well as the D3hoops.com Team of the Week presented by Scoutware twice this season.  Heffner, who is averaging a team high 31.3 minutes a game, also has made team high of 39 three-pointers to go with 41 assists, 32 steals and 14 blocked shots while shooting 80.9 percent (140-for-173) at the foul line. 

Junior forward Alexandra Blair (Hellertown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) is contributing 11.2 points and a team high 7.6 rebounds per game with a school record 96 blocked shots to go with 41 assists and 17 steals.  Blair, pictured at right, earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the 10th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic along with senior guard/forward Emily Smith (East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg South HS).  Smith, who missed five games earlier this season with an injury, is netting 13.7 points per contest to go with an average of 6.3 rebounds per outing, 44 assists, 36 steals and eight three-pointers while shooting 82.9 percent (68-for-82) at the foul line.

Junior guard Hilary Murray (Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon HS) is netting 6.0 points per game with a team high of 72 assists to go with 51 rebounds, 29 steals, 19 three-pointers and three blocked shots while freshman guard Katie O'Rourke (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra HS) has averages of 5.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest to go with 46 assists and a team high 38 steals in her debut season at Moravian.  Murray is 38-for-44 at the foul line as well (86.4 percent).  Freshman forward/center Laura Jordan (Easton, PA/Easton HS) is contributing 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per outing with 21 blocked shots, 15 steals and 11 assists while sophomore guard Amanda Kreuder (Byram, NJ/Morris Catholic HS) is averaging 4.7 points per contest with 50 rebounds, 33 assists, 20 steals and six three-pointers. 

Freshman guard Caitlin Hrebik (Allentown, PA/Salisbury HS), pictured at left, has contributed 79 points, 37 rebounds, 14 three-pointers, 13 steals, 16 assists and four blocked shots in her first season while freshman guard Alyssa Hann (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS) has 63 points, 24 steals, 20 assists, 12 three-pointers and 22 rebounds for the Greyhounds.  Freshman forward Erika Blair (Hellertown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has 36 points, 41 rebounds, five assists, three steals and six blocked shots after missing the first nine games with an injury while senior center Amie Ballo (Andes, NY/Andes Central HS) has added 14 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and four steals in limited action. 

Freshman guard Danielle Brogan (Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills HS) has 15 points and four boards for Moravian.  Senior guard Jennie Miller (Lewisburg, PA/Lewisburg HS) has tossed in 16 points to go with five rebounds and four assists while freshman guard/forward Abbey Noble (Ashland, PA/North Schuylkill HS) has four rebounds and six points.  Junior guard Cassandra Phillips (Orwigsburg, PA/Nativity BVM HS) and freshman guard Laura Casey (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer HS) each have seven points this season for the Greyhounds with Casey adding five rebounds and three assists.

Scranton, which defeated Moravian, 64-56, in Scranton last Saturday and, 69-42, in Bethlehem on December 4th during the season, finished the regular season with an 18-6 overall record and a 12-2 slate in Landmark Conference action.  The Royals, under the direction of 31st-year head coach Mike Strong, fell to Juniata twice this season to finish second to the Eagles in the conference standings despite both squads being 12-2 in conference action.  Scranton is making its 36th straight conference tournament appearance, and the Royals are 60-16 all-time in conference play dating back to the MASCAC.  Coach Strong is 48-13 in conference tournament action, and this will be the eighth time Scranton and Moravian have met in the conference tournament with the Royals holding a 4-3 lead.