Lebanon Valley 74, Widener 65

Photo Gallery

LVC Starters
Lehr, Evans, Bamberger, Scarff, Mealey

Widener Starters
Gallagher, Ireland, Hardy, Rimmer, Pleasant

How It Happened
Four different players were in double digits in points to give Lebanon Valley's women's basketball team a key 74-65 MAC Commonwealth victory over Widener on Wednesday night at the 11th Annual Pink Game. The Dutchmen won their fourth straight and improved to 13-8 8-4 MAC Commonwealth, while the Pride dropped to 9-11, 3-8 MAC Commonwealth.

After it was a tight game at halftime at 34-28, the Dutchmen began the third quarter on an 8-3 run, capped by Anne Lehr's jumper, to go up by double-digits at 42-31 with 7:18 remaining in the third. Throughout the rest of the third, LVC held a comfortable lead, and despite Madison Ireland's layup with 44 seconds left, the Dutchmen still went into the fourth with an eight-point advantage at 58-50.

In the fourth, LVC continued its strong play on both sides of the court, but with 5:15 to go, Ireland sank a free throw and cut the Dutchmen's advantage to 63-58. On the ensuing play, the shot clock was about to expire, so Veronica Venezia took a shot from beyond the arc that tipped the backboard and went into the net, putting LVC back ahead by eight at 66-58. Later, at 4:08, the Dutchmen put the game out of reach when Morgan Bamberger drilled a 3-pointer to make it a 69-58 game. Widener never got close in the final minutes and the Dutchmen went on to win by a score of 74-65.

The game was tight early on as LVC held a narrow 10-9 lead with 6:39 left in the first. Becky Evans made a free throw and Lehr followed with a layup to increase the Dutchmen's lead to 13-9 with 6:12 to go. The Pride, however, answered with a 6-2 run to even the game at 15-15 with 5:15 remaining in the first. Then, with LVC up 21-19 with 18 seconds to go, Evans made a layup on the fastbreak the Dutchmen held a 23-19 lead after one quarter of action.

Widener began the second quarter on a 5-3 run to come to within two at 26-24 with 7:14 to go, but just like they did all game, the Dutchmen responded with a 7-0 spurt to increase their lead to 33-24 with 2:49 to go. From there, Widener got a little closer, but LVC was still up by six at 34-28 at halftime.

Inside the Numbers
 - Evans stuffed the stat sheet, totaling a team-high 22 points while adding four assists and four steals in 33 minutes of action.
 - Emily Mealey scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and the freshman added two blocks and brought in four rebounds.
 - Lehr finished with 12 points, five assists, and two steals.
 - Bamberger netted 11, including three treys, while she chipped in two assists and four steals.
 - For Widener, Devan Rimmer paced the offense with 22 points.
 - Allison Gallagher netted 13 and Ireland added 11 for the Pride.
 - The Dutchmen outshot Widener 49.2-percent to 41.4-percent.
 - LVC held the edge in total rebounds at 36-34.
 - The Dutchmen turned 21 Widener turnovers into 29 points.

Jersey Auction
In honor of the event, Lebanon Valley auctioned off specially-designed jerseys that each player wore for tonight's contest. Each jersey was auctioned online through bidding at LVC's athletic website GoDutchmen.com. Proceeds from the auction were donated to the American Cancer Society of Lebanon and the Genetics Program at the Penn State Health Cancer Institute.

For a Cure
Each year through the annual Pink Game jersey auction, the sale of Pink Game t-shirts, a bake sale run by LVC's Colleges Against Cancer (CAC), and the accepting of donations on the night of the contest, Lebanon Valley raises thousands of dollars for charitable organizations that aid in the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer, including the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Genetics Program at the Penn State Health Cancer Institute, and the CAC's annual Relay for Life.
 
Guests of Honor
Prior to tip-off, the women's basketball team was joined on the floor of Sorrentino Gymnasium by a number of longtime supporters of LVC's endeavor to spread awareness of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. Dr. Jeanne Donlevy Arnold and Ed Arnold continued their generous backing of the College when they gathered with head coach Amy Sokaitis, team captains Becky Evans and Anne Lehr, medical and administrative personnel from Penn State Health, and members of LVC's CAC chapter for a special check presentation ceremony. The Arnolds remain steadfast in their involvement in combating cancer and their presence at the Pink Game is an annual highlight of the event.

Playoff Picture
With LVC's win and Stevenson's loss to Messiah this evening, the Dutchmen are now two games ahead of the Mustangs with four conference games remaining.

Who's Next?
LVC faces a tough test on Saturday when the MAC Commonwealth's top team, Albright, pays a visit to Sorrentino Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

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