Sports News: Winter 2003-04

Monday, February 23, 2004

MORAVIAN HOSTS LEBANON VALLEY IN COMMONWEALTH SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team will make its third straight appearance in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, and the Greyhounds are the second seed, hosting third-seeded Lebanon Valley College a semifinal contest on Wednesday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.

Wednesday’s other semifinal contest will have top-seeded Messiah College hosting fourth-seed Widener University at 7:30 p.m. The winners of Wednesday’s semifinal games will meet on Saturday, February 28th for the Commonwealth Conference championship, and the winner of that game will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Greyhounds, who finished the 2003-04 regular season with an overall record of 17-8 and a 10-4 slate in the Commonwealth Conference, competed in the championship a year ago, losing at Messiah, 73-52. Moravian, which has won two straight games, finished in a tie for second place with Lebanon Valley during the regular season but the Greyhounds earned the higher seed on the seventh tiebreaker, point differential. Both team’s won on our home court during the regular season with Moravian earning a 67-53 victory in Bethlehem on February 11th and the Flying Dutchmen winning 67-59 in Annville back in January.

Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk has the Greyhounds in the playoffs for the 14th time in her 17 years as head coach. Spirk, who has an overall record of 306-151, is trying to guide the Greyhounds to their first 20-win season since 1993-94 and the squad’s first conference title since 1991-92.

Senior guard Kim Hughes (Manasquan, NJ/St. Rose HS) leads the Greyhounds in scoring this season with an average of 12.3 points per game. Hughes also leads the squad with 41 three-pointers, and she has added 52 rebounds, 45 assists and 32 steals. Hughes, who is ranked nationally in free throw percentage at 85.0 percent, became the 15th player in Moravian history to score 1,000 points in a career, and she is currently eight with 1,222 points. Hughes is also fourth in school history with 162 career three-pointers. Sophomore forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, Pa/Bethlehem Catholic HS) leads the Greyhounds on the boards at 8.1 rebounds per contest, and she is netting11.3 points per game. Seaman also leads the squad with 56 steals and she has added 32 assists and 14 blocked shots.

Freshman forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS) is contributing7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and she leads the team with 31 blocked shots to go along with 31 assists and 26 steals. Junior guard Jen Behagg (Hamburg, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) leads Moravian with 85 assists and is averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest. Behagg also has 13 three-pointers, 46 steals and 16 blocked shots.

Freshman forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS) is scoring 8.1 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game, to go along with 20 blocked shots, 12 steals, and 11 assists. Freshman guard Rachel Berlin (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) is adding 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game with 14 three-pointers, 30 steals, 20 assists, and eight blocked shots. Freshman guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St. Rose HS) has an average of 5.6 points per game with 14 three-point field goals, 66 rebounds, 54 assists, 27 steals, and eight blocked shots. Sophomore forward Lindsay Brase (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) is contributing 5.5 points with 80 rebounds, 20 assists, 20 steals, and eight three-pointers, while senior forward Tracie Shipman (Seaside Park, NJ/Archbishop Ryan {PA} HS) has averages of 4.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Shipman, who is out with an injury, also has 24 steals and 18 assists.

Sophomore guard Nicole Savino (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights HS) has contributed 49 points, and she has 40 rebounds, eight assists, and eight steals. Junior guard Marion Berry (Avon, NJ/St. Rose HS) has added 18 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals. Sophomore forward Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS) has 26 rebounds and 23 points, while sophomore guard Catherine Golden (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) has two points in limited action this season. Sophomore guard Dianna DeFiore (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph HS) has added five points, five rebounds, and five assists. Freshman forward Lindsay Walter (Mechanicsburg, PA/Red Land HS) has contributed 12 points and five rebounds, while junior forward Iva Havlikova (Tabor, Czech Republic) has five rebounds in limited action this season.

Lebanon Valley enters the Commonwealth Conference playoffs with an overall record of 20-4. The Flying Dutchmen have won their last two games and are under the direction of head coach Peg Kauffman.

Junior guard Erin Eaby leads Lebanon Valley in scoring and three-point field goals with 15.8 points per game and 28 three-pointers. Eaby also lead the Flying Dutchmen with 96 steals, and she has 69 rebounds and 49 assists. Junior center Jennifer Northcott leads Lebanon Valley on the board at 10.4 rebounds per game, and she also has a team high 46 blocked shots. Northcott is scoring 13.4 points per outing and she has added 49 assists and 58 steals. Junior guard Crystal Gibson has dished out a team leading 105 assists to go along with 47 steals and 19 blocked shots. Gibson is also contributing 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Junior forward Tamika Rogers is contributing 9.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and she has added 30 blocked shots, 41 assists and 21 steals. Freshman forward Monica Johnson is averaging 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game to go along with 11 steals and four assists, and two blocked shots, while classmate guard Allie Butler is second on the team in assists with 77. Butler is also adding 6.3 points per game, 58 rebounds, 27 steals, 16 three-pointers, and five blocks in her debut season with the Flying Dutchmen.

Sophomore guard Min-Leigh Myers is tossing in 4.5 points per outing, and she has contributed 44 rebounds, 20 assists, 17 steals and 19 three-pointers while junior guard Carrie Lathrop has 56 points, 50 rebounds, 26 assists, seven steals, and six blocked shots this season. Freshman guard Ashley Thompson has added 45 points, 27 rebounds, 35 steals, and 14 assists. Sophomore forward Terri Faust has contributed 42 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, four blocks, and two steals, while classmate guard Rebekah Shearn has added 26 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and one blocked shot this winter. Freshman guard Jess Baker has 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven steals, four assists, and three blocked shots in limited action for the Flying Dutchmen.