This Week – Tues., Jan. 6^th at Marywood University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9^th vs. Juniata College, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10^th vs. Susquehanna University, 4:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

Moravian used a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures including a career high 17 points from freshman guard/forward Nelson Leon (Reading, PA/Reading HS) to rally from an early seven-point deficit to an 85-74 victory over Misericordia University in the first round of the 31^st Annual Greyhound Starters Classic in Johnston Hall. The Cougars scored first, and Misericordia led 7-0 at the 17:00 minute mark. Moravian finally got on the scoreboard with a lay-up from sophomore guard Charlie Rigoglioso (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS) with 16:39 on the clock, but the Greyhounds still trailed by seven points, 14-7, at the 14:41 mark. Moravian then ran off seven straight points, tying the contest at 14-14 on a Rigoglioso three-pointer with 12:09 until the intermission The Greyhounds would get their first lead of the game on a lay-up from junior forward Joseph Munley (Macungie, PA/Emmaus HS) at the 6:16 mark, putting Moravian up 25-23. However, the lead was short lived as Misericordia tied the game 14 seconds later on a pair of free throws after a technical foul on Moravian sophomore guard Maurice Young (Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy) that gave Young four fouls in the contest. The Greyhounds would eventually get the lead back and headed to the locker room with a 36-32 advantage after a three-pointer from Leon in the corner as the clock expired. Moravian made 15 of 34 field goal attempts (44.1 percent) in the first 20 minutes, and the Greyhounds were five-for-16 on three-pointers and made their only free throw attempt. Moravian also had a 20-17 edge in rebounds while the teams combined for 21 turnovers, ten by the Greyhounds.

The Cougars scored the first seven points of the second half to build a 39-36 lead at the 17:51 mark. The teams would trade the lead and have the contest tied six times over the next ten minutes before Moravian eventually retook the lead for good on a jumper in the lane from junior forward Eric Weaver (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury HS) to give the Greyhounds a 58-57 lead with 7:22 to go. Sophomore forward Chris Cullen (East Islip, NY/East Islip HS) would hit a three-pointer at the 6:14 mark to give Moravian a 63-59 lead, and from that point on, the Greyhounds had just two field goals, lay-ups from Young and freshman guard Sergio Camacho (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS), but the team connected on 18 of 21 free throw attempts to seal the victory. Moravian was 11 of 26 from the floor (42.3 percent) in the final 20 minutes, and the Greyhounds connected on five of 12 three-pointers and 22 of 26 free throw attempts in the second half. Moravian also finished with a 35-32 edge in rebounds and also had just two second half turnovers. Leon’s 17 points, the first double-digit performance of his career, led five Greyhounds in double figures, and Leon added four rebounds. Weaver also tossed in 17 points for Moravian to go with a game high nine rebounds while Rigoglioso netted a career high 16 points. Camacho scored 11 points with three rebounds while Young had ten points, four assists and three rebounds. Freshman guard Shane Painter (Bedminster, NJ/Bernards HS) tossed in five points off of the Moravian bench while Munley finished with four points, two boards and a pair of steals. Cullen added three points while freshman forward Jeff Cullinan (Beidgewater, NJ/Immaculata HS) had two points and two rebounds.

Rigoglioso tossed in a career high 23 points including six three-pointers and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 31^st Annual Greyhound Starters Classic while leading the host Moravian to a 72-65 victory over rival Muhlenberg College in the championship game in Johnston Hall. The Greyhounds opened the scoring with Rigoglioso’s first three-pointer just 11 seconds into the game, and Moravian would hold that lead the entire contest. The Greyhounds built a quick 14-point lead, 16-2, after Rigoglioso’s third three-pointer of the contest at the 15:50 mark. The Mules responded with a 10-0 run to pull within 16-12 with 13:06 remaining in the first half. Moravian pushed its lead back to double digits on a lay-up by Cullen at the 7:57 mark, and the Greyhounds would get their 14-point lead back at 29-15 after a pair of Cullen free throws with 6:10 to go in the half. The Mules finished the half with a 19-9 run to pull within 38-34 at halftime after a three-pointer just before the buzzer. The Greyhounds were ten-for-27 from the floor (37.0 percent) from the floor, six-for-15 behind the three-point line and 12 of 14 at the foul line in the first 20 minutes of the game. Moravian also had an 18-15 edge in rebounds while committing eight first half turnovers.

Muhlenberg hit a pair of free throws to open the second half to pull the Mules within two points, 38-36, but Muhlenberg wouldn’t be able to get any closer. Rigoglioso would give Moravian another double-digit lead, 46-36, with 15:45 remaining on another three-pointer. Muhlenberg closed within two points again, 60-58, at the 3:38 mark. The Greyhounds answered with a 7-0 run fueled by a three-pointer from Cullen to take a 67-58 lead with 1:28 to play. Both teams struggled shooting the ball in the second half. Moravian was nine-for-28 from the floor (32.1 percent), four of 11 on three-pointers and 12 of 20 at the foul line. However, Moravian finished the contest with a 40-35 edge in rebounds and had just three second half turnovers. Rigoglioso’s 23 points marked the third straight game he has set a new career high, and he led three Moravian players in double figures. Cullen tossed in a career high 17 points to go with six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots while Weaver, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, had 11 points and four rebounds. Young tossed in eight points with three assists while Camacho had five points and two boards. Senior forward Dave Bowden (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South HS) grabbed a game and career high 13 rebounds off of the bench for the Greyhounds to go with three points and three assists while Munley had three rebounds and two points for Moravian.

Greyhound Weekly Update, January 5, 2009 (-3333-)

Women’s Basketball -- 9-1 (Landmark Conference 1-0)

Last Week – Defeated Muhlenberg College, 98-87. *Landmark Conference Game.

This Week – Mon., Jan. 5^th at Alvernia University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9^th vs. Juniata College, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10^th vs. Susquehanna University, 2:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

Junior forward Alyssa Bisci (Easton, PA/Easton HS) was a perfect 14-for-14 at the foul line and had a career high 21 points, and Moravian made 29 of 32 free throws to overcome poor shooting from the floor and a six-point deficit with 7:37 remaining to defeat Frostburg State University, 67-63, in the first round of the 8^th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic in Johnston Hall. Moravian shot just 31 percent (18 of 58) from the floor but shot over 90 percent at the foul line for the second time this season. The Greyhounds have attempted more free throws than their opponents in their last three contests, and Moravian has been to the foul line at least 25 times during each game of its winning streak and shot over 70 percent at the charity stripe in the last five contests. The Bobcats were just five-for-six at the foul line in the game. The Greyhounds jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a pair of free throws from junior forward Kirsty Stearns (East Norwich, NY/Oyster Bay HS), two free throws from Bisci and a jumper from junior guard/forward Kate Harrison (Cold Spring Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor HS). Frostburg State would finally get on the scoreboard with a free throw at the 17:13 mark. Moravian led 10-3 after another two free throws from Stearns with 15:41 remaining in the first half, and the Greyhounds were up by seven points, 14-7, after two Bisci free throws. Frostburg State responded with an 8-0 run to take a 15-14 lead with 9:56 to go. The teams would trade the lead with Moravian eventually retaking the lead for the remainder of the half on a jumper from freshman guard Hilary Murray (Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon HS) with 7:08 on the clock. Murray’s bucket started an 8-0 Moravian run as the Greyhounds would build a 26-19 lead at the 4:24 mark on a lay-up from sophomore guard/forward Emily Smith (East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg South HS), her first bucket of the season after missing the first eight games of the year. The Bobcats would close the Moravian lead to two points on four occasions before heading to the locker room down 34-32 at the intermission. Moravian was just 11 of 35 from the floor (31.4 percent) in the first 20 minutes, and the Greyhounds missed all four of their three-point attempts. However, Moravian was 12 of 13 (92.3 percent) at the foul line, and the Greyhounds had just seven first half turnovers to maintain the lead.

Stearns started the second half with a jumper n the lane to give Moravian a 36-32 lead, and Moravian was up 40-37 after a Harrison lay-up at the 16:34 mark. Frostburg State responded with a 9-0 run to take a 46-40 lead on a three-point play with 14:19 left. The Bobcats held the lead for the next nine and a half minutes, leading by as many as six points two more times, the final time at 56-50 at the 7:37 mark. Bisci connected on a pair of free throws with 6:59 to play to begin an 11-0 Moravian run that game the Greyhounds the lead for good. Moravian would get that lead on a three-point play by junior guard Jessica Foran (Annandale, NJ/Rutgers Prep HS) at the 4:52 mark for a 57-56 lead. Foran, who is Moravian’s school record holder in free throw percentage, would hit six more free throws in the final 35 seconds to seal the win, and Foran has made 26 straight free throws. The Bobcats would get within two points, 65-63, with six seconds to play, but Foran hit her final two free throws a second later to finish off the scoring. Moravian was just seven-for-23 from the floor (30.4 percent) in the second half, and the Greyhounds made two of six three-pointers. Moravian was 17 of 19 at the foul line and the squad finished the game with a 44-38 edge in rebounds. Bisci’s 21 points were a game high, and her 100 percent performance at the foul line tied the school record for percentage but Bisci’s 14-for-14 surpassed the 12-for-12 performances by Nicole Farina versus Dickinson College on February 3, 1993 and Kim Hughes versus Drew University on December 9, 2003. Bisci also had two rebounds and two assists. The only other Greyhound in double figures was Stearns with ten points, and she added five rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Moravian used 11 players in the game with ten scoring. Foran added nine points and a team high eight rebounds while Murray tossed in seven points with a team high four assists and a pair of boards. Harrison had six points and three assists while sophomore guard forward Amy Heffner (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland HS) had six rebounds and four points. Freshman forward Alexandra Blair (Hellertown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) also tossed in four points and had two blocked shots and two rebounds while Smith had three boards and two points. Junior forward Lauren Fornazor (Rivervale, NJ/Pascack Valley HS) added two points and two rebounds while junior forward Alyson Steltz (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS) netted two points.

Bisci was named the Most Valuable Player of the 8^th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic on Saturday afternoon as she remained perfect from the foul line in 2009 and had a game high 19 points in the Greyhounds’ 70-58 victory over William Paterson University in the championship game in Johnston Hall. Moravian, ranked 21^st in nation in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, won its seventh straight game to improve to 9-1 on the season as the Greyhounds captured their fifth title in the eight years of the tournament. Bisci was nine-for-nine at the foul line in the win over William Paterson after a school record 14-for-14 performance in Moravian’s first round win over Frostburg State University. Bisci has connected on 31 straight free throws dating back to December 12^th while Foran, the school record holder in career free throw percentage, has made 30 straight free throws dating back to since December 6^th. Moravian was 23 of 25 at the foul line 92.0 percent in the win over William Paterson and 52 of 57 (91.2 percent) at the foul line in the two games of the tournament.

William Paterson opened the scoring, and the Pioneers led 5-2 at the 18:50 mark. Moravian would put together a 7-0 run capped off by a pair of Bisci free throws to give Moravian a 9-5 lead with 16:32 remaining in the first half, a lead the Greyhounds for all but 28 seconds the remainder of the game. Moravian eventually pushed its first half lead to double digits, 22-12, on a pair of free throws from Stearns at the 6:28 mark. The Greyhound lead reached 11 points, 25-14, after a three-pointer from junior guard Amanda Brown (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven HS) at the 5:35 mark, and Moravian headed to the locker room with a 30-21 advantage. The Greyhounds struggled from the field in the first 20 minutes, making just nine of 29 field goal attempts (31 percent) and two of six three-pointers; however, Moravian connected on ten of 11 free throws.

Moravian’s lead would reach 11 points again, 32-21, on the first possession of the second half when Harrison hit a jumper, and the Greyhounds were up ten points, 52-42, after a pair of Foran free throws at the 8:20 mark. William Paterson battled back with a 16-5 run to take a 58-57 lead on a put back basket with 3:02 remaining. However, that would be the final time the Pioneers scored. The Greyhounds took the lead back just 28 seconds later on a three-point play by Bisci, and Moravian finished the contest with a 13-0 run to seal the win. The Greyhounds were right-for-eight at the foul line in the final two minutes. Both teams heated up in the second half. Moravian was 13 of 28 from the field (46.4 percent) in the final 20 minutes while connecting on one of four three-pointers and 13 of 14 free throws. The Greyhounds also finished with a 47-43 edge in rebounds despite committing a total of 21 turnovers for the game. Bisci led all scorers with her 19 points while scoring a total of 40 points in the tournament. She also grabbed a season high 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the year. Moravian’s only other player in double figures was Stearns with ten points to go with six rebounds. Stearns also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Moravian used 11 players for the second straight game with nine scoring. Foran tossed in nine points to go with five rebounds while Harrison also had nine points to go with a career high ten rebounds and four assists. Brown had eight points and three rebounds off of the Greyhound bench while Murray tossed in seven points with four boards. Heffner had four points while Smith and Blair each had two points and two rebounds. Smith also added three assists.

Greyhound Weekly Update, January 5, 2009 (-4444-)

Men’s Track and Field -- 0-0 (Landmark Conference 0-0)

Last Week – Did Not Compete

This Week – Do Not Compete

Moravian will return to action on Saturday, January 17^th at the Orange & Maroon Classic hosted by Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

Women’s Track and Field -- 0-0 (Landmark Conference 0-0)

Last Week – Did Not Compete

This Week – Do Not Compete

Moravian will return to action on Saturday, January 17^th at the Orange & Maroon Classic hosted by Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

GREYHOUND TRACKS

Team Records as of January 4, 2009

Overall Landmark/Centennial Meets & Tournaments

GREYHOUND STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Last Week – Defeated #Misericordia University, 85-74; Defeated #Muhlenberg College, 72-65. #31^st Annual Greyhound Starters Classic, *Landmark Conference game.

This Week – Tues., Jan. 6^th at Marywood University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9^th vs. Juniata College, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10^th vs. Susquehanna University, 4:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

Last Week – Defeated Muhlenberg College, 98-87. *Landmark Conference Game.

This Week – Mon., Jan. 5^th at Alvernia University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9^th vs. Juniata College, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10^th vs. Susquehanna University, 2:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

Last Week – Did Not Compete

This Week – Do Not Compete

Last Week – Did Not Compete

This Week – Do Not Compete

GREYHOUND TRACKS

Team Records as of January 4, 2009

Overall Landmark/Centennial Meets & Tournaments

GREYHOUND STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Last Week – Defeated #Misericordia University, 85-74; Defeated #Muhlenberg College, 72-65. #31st Annual Greyhound Starters Classic, *Landmark Conference game.

This Week – Tues., Jan. 6th at Marywood University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9th vs. *Juniata College, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10th vs. *Susquehanna University, 4:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

Last Week – Defeated Muhlenberg College, 98-87. *Landmark Conference Game.

This Week – Mon., Jan. 5th at Alvernia University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9th vs. *Juniata College, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10th vs. *Susquehanna University, 2:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

Last Week – Did Not Compete

This Week – Do Not Compete

Last Week – Did Not Compete

This Week – Do Not Compete

Last Week – Defeated #Misericordia University, 85-74; Defeated #Muhlenberg College, 72-65. #31^st Annual Greyhound Starters Classic, *Landmark Conference game.

This Week – Tues., Jan. 6^th at Marywood University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9^th vs. Juniata College, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10^th vs. Susquehanna University, 4:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game

This Week – Mon., Jan. 5^th at Alvernia University, 7:00 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 9^th vs. Juniata College, 5:30 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 10^th vs. Susquehanna University, 2:00 p.m. *Landmark Conference game