Thursday, February 24, 2005

MORAVIAN HOSTS MESSIAH IN COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONSHIP

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team will make its third straight appearance in the Commonwealth Conference Championship game, and the Greyhounds are the top seed, hosting second-seeded Messiah College in the title contest on Saturday, February 26th at 2:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.

The winner of that game will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament. Moravian advanced to the final with a 78-71 victory over fourth-seeded Widener University in the semifinals while Messiah defeated third seeded Lebanon Valley College, 60-44.

The Greyhounds, who have an overall record of 22-4 and were 12-2 slate in the Commonwealth Conference regular season, have competed in the championship the last two year, falling to Widener in Johnston Hall, 71-68 a year ago and losing at Messiah, 73-52, in 2002-03. Moravian finished in a tie for first place with Messiah during the regular season but the Greyhounds earned the higher seed on the seventh tiebreaker, point differential. Both teams won on their home court during the regular season with Moravian earning a 71-64 victory in Bethlehem on February 12th and the Falcons winning 74-67 in Grantham on February 17th giving the Greyhounds a +1 and the top seed.

Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk, who was named the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year on Monday for the second straight season and sixth time in her career, has the Greyhounds in the playoffs for the 15th time in her 18 years as head coach. Spirk, who has an overall record of 330-157, has guided the Greyhounds to their tenth 20-win in her 18 years, and the squad is looking for the program’s first conference title since 1991-92 and first NCAA tournament berth since the 1992-93 season.

Junior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS), who was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team on Monday, leads the Greyhounds in scoring with an average of 14.2 points per game. Seaman, who was named the Most Valuable Player at both the 4th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic and the Catholic Tip-Off Tournament, is also leading the team with 8.0 rebounds per game to go with 48 assists, 37 steals, ten three-pointers and 19 blocked shots. Seaman, who has eight double-doubles on the year including the last three games, was also named the Women's DIII News January Player of the Month.

Sophomore forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS), who earned a spot on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team earlier this week, has an average of 7.1 rebounds per game, and she is netting 11.8 points per contest. Hackleman, who was also named to the Starters Moravian Winter Classic All-Tournament Team, also has a team high 42 blocked shots to go with 43 assists and 25 steals. Hackleman is shooting 51.8 percent from the floor. Sophomore forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS) is averaging 9.9 points per contest to go with 122 rebounds, 13 blocked shots, 18 assists and 14 steals. Applegate is making 52.9 percent of her field goal attempts, and Applegate, Seaman and Hackleman are all shooting over 75 percent at the foul line this season.

Sophomore guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St. Rose HS) is netting 8.9 points per contest and has 42 steals. Rizman also has 73 assists, 84 rebounds, 16 blocked shots and a team high 33 three-pointers. Sophomore guard Rachel Berlin (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) is netting 7.5 points per game with 56 rebounds, 14 assists, 12 three-pointers and 28 steals.

Senior guard Jen Behagg (Hamburg, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) leads Moravian with 131 assists and 50 steals while committing just 90 turnovers this season, and she has an average of 6.0 points per game. Behagg, who is second all-time at Moravian with 364 career assists, has also contributed 108 rebounds and 13 three-pointers for the Greyhounds while playing a team high 30.1 minutes per game. Junior guard Nicole Savino (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights HS) is netting 5.9 points per game to go along with 65 rebounds, 21 steals, 14 assists and 14 three-pointers. Freshman guard Sara Steinman (Springfield, NJ/Jonathon Dayton HS) is netting 3.2 points per contest with 16 three-pointers, 19 rebounds, 31 assists and 13 steals in her debut season. Behagg and Steinman each have more assists than turnovers this season.

Junior forward Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS) has added 41 rebounds, 55 points, eight assists, six blocked shots and eight steals so far this season while junior guard Lindsay Brase (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) has 54 points, 34 rebounds, 13 assists, ten steals and four three-pointers. Junior guard Dianna DeFiore (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph HS) has 58 points, 18 assists, nine steals and 20 rebounds this season while freshman guard LaToya Blake (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) has contributed 39 rebounds, 13 steals, 18 points and eight assists in limited action this winter.

Messiah is currently ranked tenth in the nation in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll and eighth in this week’s USA Today/ESPN/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll. The Falcons, under the direction of 19-year head coach Mike Miller, are 23-3 on the season and were 12-2 in Commonwealth Conference action.

Junior guard/forward Eli Cook leads Messiah in scoring and rebounding with averages of 16.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Cook, who was named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team, also has team highs of 68 blocked shots and 67 steals while contributing 51 assists. Senior guard Kristin Sassaman, who also earned a spot on the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team, is averaging 15.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest while adding a team high 80 assists, 50 steals, 37 blocked shots and a team leading 57 three-pointers.

Senior guard Marita Rydell is scoring 8.9 points per outing and is averaging 5.0 rebounds per contest. Rydell also has 57 assists, 33 steals and 18 three-pointers for the Falcons this season. Sophomore forward Sarah Ringer has contributed averages of 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game to go with 41 assists, 29 steals and 14 blocked shots. Freshman guard Lauren Schurr has contributed 101 points, 20 rebounds, 26 three-pointers and 13 steals in her debut season while freshman guard Amy Reed has added 84 points, 62 rebounds, 43 assists, 28 steals, eight blocked shots and five three-pointers.

Senior guard Lauren Emick has 65 points, 53 rebounds, 24 assists, 14 steals and 13 three-pointers this season while freshman forward Gwen Avery has added 45 points, 48 rebounds, 12 steals, ten assists and ten blocked shots. Senior guard/forward Lane Kieffer has contributed 40 points, 29 rebounds and 12 assists for the Falcons while junior forward Christy Groves has 33 points and 40 rebounds this season.