Monday, February 28, 2005

MORAVIAN SELECTED TO ECAC SOUTH TOURNAMENT; TOP SEEDED GREYHOUNDS TO HOST WESLEY (DE) COLLEGE ON MARCH 2ND

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team will make its third consecutive appearance in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Basketball Championships as the Greyhounds were selected as the top seed and will host eighth seeded Wesley (DE) College on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.

The tournament will continue with the semifinals on Friday, March 4th and the championship game on Saturday, March 5th at the highest remaining seed. If Moravian wins, those games will be in Johnston Hall at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Wednesday’s other first round games will have second seed DeSales University hosting seventh-seed Grove City College, third seeded Lebanon Valley College playing six-seed Medaille (NY) College and fourth seeded University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg hosting fifth-seed Widener University. The Moravian vs. Wesley winner will play the winner of Pitt-Greensburg and Widener. The winners of the other quarterfinals will meet in the other semifinal game.

The Greyhounds are 22-5 overall this season and will be making their ninth appearance in the ECAC Tournament. Moravian won the ECAC Championship in 1987 and has a 5-7 all-time record in ECAC games. Moravian defeated Catholic University, 90-62, in an ECAC Southern quarterfinal game last year before falling to DeSales University, 73-63 in the semifinals. The Greyhounds fell in the Commonwealth Conference Championship game for the third straight season last Saturday, losing to Messiah College, 57-51.

Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk, who was named the 2004-05 Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year, has the Greyhounds in the postseason for the 15th time in her 18 years as head coach. Spirk, who has an overall record of 330-158, has guided the Greyhounds to their second top seed in the ECAC Southern Championship Tournament in the last three years.

Junior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS), who was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team, 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 49 assists, 37 steals, 11 three-pointers and 19 blocked shots.

Sophomore forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS), who earned a spot on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team, has an average of 7.1 rebounds per game, and she is netting 11.6 points per contest. Hackleman, who was also named to the Starters Moravian Winter Classic All-Tournament Team, also has a team high 45 blocked shots to go with 44 assists and 28 steals. Hackleman is shooting 50.4 percent from the floor. Sophomore forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS) is averaging 9.9 points per contest to go with 124 rebounds, 13 blocked shots, 19 assists and 15 steals. Applegate is making 52.8 percent of her field goal attempts, and Applegate, Seaman and Hackleman are all shooting over 75 percent at the foul line this season and the trio has each attempted at leas 97 free throws this winter.

Sophomore guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St. Rose HS) is netting 8.8 points per contest and has 45 steals. Rizman also has 73 assists, 87 rebounds, 17 blocked shots and a team high 33 three-pointers. Sophomore guard Rachel Berlin (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) is netting 7.4 points per game with 59 rebounds, 15 assists, 12 three-pointers and 30 steals.

Senior guard Jen Behagg (Hamburg, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) leads Moravian with 135 assists and 51 steals while committing just 94 turnovers this season, and she has an average of 6.1 points per game. Behagg, who is second all-time at Moravian with 370 career assists, has also contributed 113 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 5.7 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 3.1 points per contest with 16 three-pointers, 20 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, 11 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 41 rebounds, 14 steals, 18 points and nine assists in limited action this winter.

DeSales enters the tournament with an overall record of 20-7, and the Bulldogs posted a 10-4 mark in Freedom Conference action. DeSales was knocked out of the Freedom Tournament in the championship with a 62-50 loss to the University of Scranton. The Bulldogs are making their seventh trip to the ECAC South Championships and won the title in 2004, 2002 and 1999.

Lebanon Valley is playing in the ECAC Tournament for the third straight year. The Flying Dutchmen enter the tournament with an overall record of 16-8 overall record and a 9-5 slate in the Commonwealth Conference. Lebanon, which lost to Messiah, 60-44 in the Commonwealth Semifinals, is playing in the ECAC Tournament for the fifth time, and the Flying Dutchmen won the ECAC Southern title in 2003.

Pitt-Greensburg enters the ECAC Southern Championships with an overall record of 19-8. The Bobcats were 15-3 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and fell to Frostburg State University in the championship game, 81-62. Pitt-Greensburg is making its first ECAC Tournament appearance.

Widener, which lost to Moravian 78-71 in the Commonwealth Conference semifinals, enters the tournament at 15-11 overall. The Pioneers, who are making their first ECAC Tournament appearance, were 8-6 in Commonwealth Conference action.

Medaille is also a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The Mavericks have an overall record of 20-6 and were 14-4 in conference action, losing to Pitt-Greensburg in the semifinals of the conference tournament, 72-70. Medaille is making its first ECAC Tournament appearance.

Grove City is a member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and was 16-9 overall. The Wolverines had a record of 8-2 in conference action, which tied for first during the regular season, and lost to Westminster College, 63-54 in the conference tournament semifinals. Grove City is making its fourth appearance in the ECAC Championships, and the Wolverines won the ECAC Southern title in 1997.

Wesley had an overall record of 19-8, and the Wolverines were 14-2 in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference action. Wesley was knocked out of the PAC Tournament in the semifinals with an 88-85 overtime loss to Gwynedd-Mercy College. Wesley is making its third appearance in the ECAC Tournament.