Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. - Lebanon Valley College improved on its best start in program history Saturday, winning its seventh straight game as it beat Wilkes University, 69-60, at the LVC Gymnasium.
Freshman Lori Lidlow once again paced the Dutchmen (7-0) with 16 points. Chelsey Gosse and Sam Lynam had outstanding games for Wilkes, each scoring 21 points, with Gosse adding 14 rebounds.
The win didn't come easily for LVC, which struggled to overcome the Colonels (0-6) until a 14-3 run in the second half put the game out of reach.
Freshman Suzie Noyes scored 10 and grabbed eight boards, while classmate Shelly Lobach came off the bench for eight points and three steals. Junior Megan Bish had seven points and as many boards.
It was a bad day for ballhandling as the two sides combined for 43 turnovers, with Wilkes committing 27. LVC capitalized, scoring 25 points off turnovers and generating 15 steals.
A competitive first half saw LVC keep a single-digit lead until Wilkes worked a nine-point swing late in the half to take a two-point lead on Gosse's lay-up at 6:09. After an LVC timeout, junior Amie Bickert's layup tied the game before freshman Andrea Hoover's steal led to Lobach's layup to give the Dutchmen the lead back.
Wilkes wouldn't go down, however, as the Colonels kept it close and tied the game for the fourth time with Khadija Bates' layup with 1:57 to go. A jumper by senior Jenna Gambino and another Lobach layup gave LVC a four-point lead before Gosse sank a shot with 24 seconds left.
With the shot clock unplugged, LVC ran its offense and Bish came up with a jumper to end the half and give LVC a four-point lead.
The Dutchmen were slow to start in the second half, and Wilkes retook the lead on an Ashley Makarczyk three-pointer 4:24 into the half. Lidlow responded with a jumper to give the Dutchmen the lead for good as LVC started a run that would put it up 10 with 11:26 to go.
Sam Lynam converted a three-point play to cut LVC's lead to seven, but the Dutchmen went on a 9-2 run keyed by jumpers from Noyes and Gambino to take a 14-point lead and put the game out of reach.
Lebanon Valley will try to continue its hot start as it hosts Rowan University Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
