MORAVIAN TRAVELS TO MESSIAH FOR 2007 COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team will make its fifth straight appearance in the Commonwealth Conference championship game as the third seeded Greyhounds travel to top seeded Messiah College for the championship contest on Saturday, February 24th at 3:00 p.m.

Moravian, in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, defeated second seed Albright College, 68-61, in one of Wednesday night’s semifinals while Messiah, currently ranked 5th in the nation in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, defeated fourth seeded Susquehanna University, 59-32, in the other semifinal. The winner of the championship game will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament that begins on March 2nd.

The Greyhounds, who have an overall record of 16-10 and had 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 has an all-time record of just 9-23 against Messiah, and the Greyhounds have one just once in 17 trips to Grantham with Moravian’s only win coming in its first trip back on February 12, 1994, a 107-105 overtime win. The Greyhounds have also dropped all four postseason meetings with the Falcons over the last six seasons including three on the road.

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 369-179, has the Greyhounds looking for the program’s first conference title since 1991-92.

Senior forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS), who was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference Team for the second straight season, leads the Greyhounds in scoring with an average of 14.7 points per contest, and she is second at 6.5 rebounds per game. Applegate, who has moved into sixth all-time in points with 1,456 points and seventh all-time in rebounds with 667 rebounds for her career, also has 42 steals, 41 assists and eight blocked shots while shooting 83.1 percent (123-148) at the foul line, currently ranked 33rd in the nation. Applegate has broken the school record for free throws attempted with 588 and free throws made with 453.

Senior forward Jenny Hackleman (Arroyo Grande, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS), who earned a spot on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team, is averaging 12.2 points and a team leading average of 9.1 rebounds per contest despite missing the first five games of the year with an injury. Hackleman, who was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Starters Moravian Winter Classic, has moved into fourth in school history in career rebounds with a total of 776, and she is 13th in scoring with 1,123 points. Hackleman has also contributed 47 steals, a team high 31 blocked shots and 53 assists since returning to the lineup.

Freshman guard Jessica Foran (Annandale, NJ/Rutgers Prep HS) is scoring 8.9 points per game in her debut season, and Foran has added 86 rebounds, 44 steals, 40 assists and eight three-pointers, and she is shooting 84.3 percent (75-89), currently 28th 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 4.5 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 85 rebounds, 40 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 39 three-pointers and 61 assists to go with 33 rebounds, 24 steals and an average of 6.5 points per game.

Freshman forward Alyssa Bisci (Easton, PA/Easton HS) is scoring 3.7 points per game and has added 68 rebounds, 16 assists and 11 steals while sophomore forward Cody Fedorishen (Nazareth, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) has contributed 62 points, 59 rebounds, 14 assists, ten 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 37 assists and 47 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.

Messiah, which defeated Moravian 58-54 in Grantham and lost 66-59 in Johnston Hall during the season, has a record of 24-2 entering the championship game, and the Falcons had a 13-1 slate in Commonwealth Conference regular season action. The Falcons, under the direction of 21st-year head coach Mike Miller, have won five of the last seven Commonwealth Conference Championships and been in the NCAA Division III Tournament each of those seven seasons. Miller earned Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year honors this week.

Junior guard Nikki Lobach, the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, leads Messiah in scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game, and she also has a team high 51 steals. Lobach is shooting 52.4 percent (141-269) from the floor and 78.4 percent (145-186) from the foul line while contributing 89 rebounds, 65 assists, ten three-pointers and six blocked shots. Senior forward Sarah Ringer, who was on the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team as well, has averages of 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest to go with 46 assists, 32 steals and nine blocked shots.

Sophomore forward Ashley Brooks is contributing 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game to go with 38 steals, 27 blocked shots and 24 assists while junior guard Amy Reed has an average of 8.2 points per outing to go along with 67 rebounds, a team high 67 assists, 33 steals, 21 three-pointers and eight blocked shots. Junior guard Lauren Schurr has a team high 55 three-pointers for Messiah to go with 44 rebounds, 23 assists, 16 steals and an average of 7.2 points per game.

Junior forward Gwen Avery leads the Falcons with 30 blocked shots and an average of 5.9 rebounds per game. Avery has added 95 points, 30 assists and 25 steals. Sophomore guard Katie Kalb has 90 points, 29 rebounds, 27 steals, 18 assists and ten three-pointers this winter for Messiah while sophomore guard Christa Wenrich has contributed 64 points, 22 rebounds and 16 assists. Sophomore forward Silalei Shani has 71 points, 50 rebounds, 18 assists, 22 steals and 12 blocked shots as a reserve while freshman guard Julie Henninger has contributed 51 points, 51 rebounds, 25 steals and 21 assists off the bench for the Falcons.