Sports News: Winter 2005-06

Monday, February 20, 2006

MORAVIAN COLLEGE HOSTS WIDENER UNIVERSITY IN COMMONWEALTH
CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team will make its fifth straight appearance in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, and the Greyhounds are the second seed, hosting third-seeded Widener University a semifinal contest on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.

Wednesday’s other semifinal contest will have top-seeded Messiah College hosting fourth-seed Susquehanna University at 6:00 p.m. The winners of Wednesday’s semifinal games will meet on Saturday, February 25th for the Commonwealth Conference championship, and the winner of that game will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Greyhounds, who finished the 2005-06 regular season with an overall record of 20-5 and an 11-3 slate in the Commonwealth Conference, have competed in the championship the last three years, falling to Messiah in Bethlehem, 57-5, a year ago, losing to Widener in Johnston Hall, 71-68, two years ago and falling at Messiah, 73-52, in 2002-03.

Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk has the Greyhounds in the playoffs for the 16th time in her 19 years as head coach. Spirk, who has an overall record of 352-164, has guided the Greyhounds to their 11th 20-win in her 19 years, and the squad is looking for the program’s first conference title since 1991-92.

Leading the way on the court for the Greyhounds has been junior forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS). Applegate, who was named to the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball December Team of the Month, the Women's DIII News December Player of the Month, the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Team of the Year and the Lehigh Valley Small College Women's Basketball Player of the Year, leads Moravian at 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56.4 percent (167 of 296) from the floor. Applegate, who is ranked in the top 25 nationally in field goal percentage, has also added 33 assists, 37 steals and 24 blocked shots. Applegate became the 17th player in Moravian history to score 1,000 career points in the final regular season game and now has 1,006 points in her career.

Senior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) became the 16th player in Moravian history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau, and she is currently ninth all-time with 1,193 points. Seaman, who is also third all-time with 764 career rebounds, is contributing 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Seaman also has 42 assists, 55 steals, 16 three-pointers and 14 blocked shots.

Junior forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS), who has become the 13th Greyhounds with at least 500 career rebounds with a career total of 571 which is tied for eighth all-time, has averages of 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest to go with 43 assists, 43 steals and 27 blocked shots while junior guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St. Rose HS) is scoring 6.1 points per game. Rizman has also contributed 55 rebounds, a team high 54 assists, 18 three-pointers, 38 steals and seven blocked shots. Sophomore guard Sara Steinman (Springfield, NJ/Jonathan Dayton HS) leads Moravian with 22 three-pointers while scoring 4.8 points per contest. Steinman also has 53 assists, 33 rebounds and 28 steals.

Senior forward Lindsay Brase (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS), who will miss the rest of the season with an injury, is tossing in 5.5 points per outing with 71 rebounds, 23 steals, 22 assists, 12 three-pointers and four blocked shots while junior guard Rachel Berlin (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) is scoring 4.8 points per contest this season with 62 rebounds, 20 assists, 34 steals, five blocked shots and six three-pointers. Freshman forward Rachelle Elneus (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS), who has missed the last two games, has added 56 points, 32 rebounds, five assists and five steals while senior guard Nicole Savino (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights HS) has added 41 points, 31 rebounds, 14 assists, 19 steals and eight blocked shots this season for Moravian.

Senior forward Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS), who earned a spot on the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball January Scholar-Athlete Team of the Month, has tossed in 41 points and added 33 rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocked shots while sophomore guard LaToya Blake (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) has contributed 46 points, 55 rebounds, a team high 58 steals, 33 assists and two blocked shots. Junior guard Kristina Adams (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery HS) has contributed 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and four steals while sophomore guard Megan Kocon (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) has added 21 points, two steals, two assists and a rebound.

Senior guard Dianna DiFiore (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph HS) has 13 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and three steals this winter while sophomore guard Tina Moll (Kintersville, PA/Palisades HS) tossed in three points to go with three rebounds and two assists before an injury ended her season. Freshman forward Cody Fedorishen (Nazareth, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) has 15 rebounds, 11 points and two blocked shots off the bench while freshman guard Lindsey Williams (Kingston, PA/Bishop O’Reilly HS) has scored two points.

Widener, which lost in its last trip to Johnston Hall, 68-64 last week, finished the regular season with a 15-10 overall record and an 8-6 slate in Commonwealth Conference action. The Pioneers, under the direction of third-year head coach Alisa DiBonaventura, did defeat Moravian in Chester, 80-76 in overtime January 18th. In last season’s Commonwealth Semifinal game in Bethlehem, Widener fell to Moravian 78-71; however, the Pioneers rallied from a 40-25 halftime deficit for the win the 2003-04 Commonwealth Conference Championship in Johnston Hall.

Senior guard/forward Chelsea Luhta leads the Pioneers in scoring and rebounding with averages of 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Luhta has also added 72 assists, 52 steals, six blocked shots and 20 three-pointers. Sophomore forward Dominique Kidd is adding 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game with 43 steals, 42 assists and 20 three-pointers.

Senior guard Linette Babiarz has contributed 92 points, 94 rebounds, 121 assists, 33 steals and nine three-pointers this season while junior forward/center Shanasis Hilliard has 90 points, 32 rebounds, six blocked shots and five steals after missing the first half of the season. Freshman guard Beth Dessart Mager is netting 6.1 points per game in her debut season and has added 113 rebounds, 26 steals, 25 assists and 20 three-pointers.

Freshman guard Megan Sipple has tossed in 133 points and added 63 rebounds, 26 assists, 19 steals and 20 three-pointers for the Pioneers this season while freshman forward Kelley Guarrera has contributed 111 points, 83 rebounds, 11 steals and ten assists. Sophomore forward/center Janae Ostroswski has 45 points, 43 rebounds and 23 blocked shots this season for Widener.