Monday,
February 19, 2007
MORAVIAN TRAVELS TO ALBRIGHT IN COMMONWEALTH
CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball
team will make its sixth straight appearance in the Commonwealth
Conference playoffs, and the Greyhounds are the third seed, traveling
to second-seeded Albright College a semifinal contest on Wednesday,
February 21st at 7:00 p.m.
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 24th for the Commonwealth Conference championship,
and the winner of that game will receive the conference’s
automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship
Tournament.
The Greyhounds, who finished the 2006-07 regular season with an
overall record of 15-10 and a 9-5 slate in the Commonwealth Conference,
have competed in the championship game the last four years, losing
to Messiah in Grantham, 75-52 last season, falling to Messiah in
Bethlehem, 57-51, two years ago, losing to Widener in Johnston Hall,
71-68, in 2003-04 and falling at Messiah, 73-52, in 2002-03.
Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk has the Greyhounds
in the playoffs for the 17th time in her 20 years as head coach.
Spirk, who has an overall record of 368-179, has
the Greyhounds looking for the program’s first conference
title since 1991-92.
Senior forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS)
leads the Greyhounds in scoring with an average of 14.6 points per
contest, and she is second at 6.4 rebounds per game. Applegate,
who has moved into sixth all-time in points with 1,441 points and
seventh all-time in rebounds with 658 rebounds for her career, also
has 40 steals, 40 assists and six blocked shots while shooting 83.9
percent (120-143) at the foul line, currently ranked 41st in the
nation. Applegate has broken the school record
for free throws attempted with 583 and free throws made with 450.
Senior forward Jenny Hackleman (Arroyo Grande, CA/Rutgers
Prep {NJ} HS), who was named to the All-Tournament Team
at the Starters Moravian Winter Classic, is averaging 11.9 points
and a team leading average of 8.8 rebounds per contest despite missing
the first five games of the year with an injury. Hackleman
has moved into fourth in school history in career rebounds with
a total of 760, and she is 14th in scoring with 1,104 points. Hackleman
has also contributed 46 steals, a team high 26 blocked shots and
52 assists since returning to the lineup.
Freshman guard Jessica Foran (Annandale, NJ/Rutgers Prep
HS) is scoring 8.6 points per game in her debut season,
and Foran has added 85 rebounds, 44 steals, 36
assists and seven three-pointers, and she is shooting 84.5 percent
(71-84), currently tied for 30th in the nation, at the foul line.
Both Applegate and Foran were
named to the All-Tournament Team at the Mike Durgala Memorial Tournament
at Johns Hopkins University to open the 2006-07 season.
Freshman forward Kirsty Stearns (East Norwich, NY/Oyster
Bay HS) is averaging 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game,
and she has 12 blocked shots to go along with 22 steals and 18 assists.
Freshman guard Kate Harrison (Cold Spring Harbor, NY/Cold
Spring Harbor HS) has 43 steals this season, and she has
added 82 rebounds, 39 assists, six blocked shots and an average
of 7.6 points per contest while freshman guard Amanda Brown
(Schuylkill Haven, PA/Schuylkill Haven HS) has team highs
of 38 three-pointers and 57 assists to go with 30 rebounds, 23 steals
and an average of 6.6 points per game.
Freshman forward Alyssa Bisci (Easton, PA/Easton HS) is
scoring 3.8 points per game and has added 67 rebounds, 16 assists
and 11 steals while sophomore forward Cody Fedorishen (Nazareth,
PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) has contributed 62 points,
58 rebounds, 14 assists, nine steals and five blocked shots for
the Greyhounds. Senior guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St.
Rose HS) has added 63 points, 32 rebounds, 20 assists,
13 steals and eight three-pointers while junior guard La'Toya
Blake (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) has netted 61 points while
contributing a team high 65 steals to go with 35 assists and 43
rebounds.
Sophomore forward Rachelle Elneus (Easton, PA/Notre Dame
HS) has 23 points, 11 rebounds and five steals while junior
guard Megan Kocon (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) has
15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Senior guard Kristina
Adams (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery HS) has 11 points, four
rebounds and five steals while junior guard Tina Moll (Kintnersville,
PA/Palisades HS) has added seven points and four rebounds.
Freshman guard Alexis DiFazio (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover
Park HS) has contributed eight points and three rebounds
in limited action.
Albright, which defeated Moravian 72-57 in Reading and 61-60 in
Johnston Hall during the season, finished the regular season with
a 17-8 overall record and a 10-4 slate in Commonwealth Conference
action. The Lions, under the direction of fifth-year head coach
Janice Luck, have lost three of their last five games after a nine-game
winning streak that included both wins over the Greyhounds.
Sophomore guard Annie McMahon leads Albright in scoring with an
average of 12.4 points per game, and she is grabbing 4.4 rebounds
per contest. McMahon also leads the Lions with 44 steals and 34
three-pointers to go with 33 assists and 25 blocked shots. Senior
forward Jaqueline Hardwick has a team high average of 7.7 rebounds
per game to go with a scoring average of 10.6 points per outing.
Hardwick has added 26 assists, 17 steals and ten blocked shots.
Senior guard Marie Levins is contributing 8.3 points per game
with 69 rebounds, 78 assists, 34 steals and 13 three-pointers while
senior guard Natalie Bizzaro has an average of 6.2 points per game
to go with a team high 79 assists, 72 rebounds, 32 steals and 11
blocked shots. Junior center Staci Waligorski is netting 6.1 points
and grabbing 5.2 rebounds per contest with 13 assists, eight blocked
shots and six steals while freshman guard/forward Mallory Olsheski
has an average of 5.0 points per game to go with 68 rebounds, 16
assists, 16 three-pointers, 11 steals and ten blocked shots.
Sophomore guard Charlotte Ciccone is scoring 4.8 points per contest
for the Lions with 93 rebounds, 50 assists and 38 steals while sophomore
forward Jen DuPrau in contributing 5.4 rebounds per game with 88
points, 18 rebounds and nine steals. Junior center Meredith Berger
has blocked a team high 31 shots for Albright with an average of
5.0 rebounds per contest to go with 72 points, six steals and four
assists.
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