ANNVILLE, Pa. ­­– Kate Fitzpatrick registered 26 points for the Lebanon Valley College women's basketball team, as the program defeated Misericordia University 64-51 on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Sorrentino Gymnasium. The senior guard led three members of the Flying Dutchmen who scored in double-figures during the squad's third straight win. 

The Dutchmen (9-5, 3-0 MAC Freedom) and Cougars (6-8, 0-3) were both aggressive offensively early, trading baskets through much of the first quarter. Lebanon Valley led 5-2 after the first minute, as Samya Santiague opened the scoring with a three-pointer and Riley Hevelow knocked down a jumper. The programs then went back and forth until the score was even at 11-11 with 6:11 remaining in the frame. 

LVC followed this with a successful jumper by Fitzpatrick and a layup by Brielle Reidinger, taking a 15-11 advantage with 5:12 to go. Misericordia responded with a 4-0 stretch over the next 44 seconds, tying the contest at 15-15. The Flying Dutchmen answered back with a three by Santiague, claiming an 18-15 lead with 3:45 left in the opening quarter. The Cougars then went on a 5-0 stretch in the final minutes of the frame, closing out the first with a 20-18 advantage.

The programs battled defensively at the beginning of the second quarter, as neither team got on the board for over two-and-a-half minutes at the start. Lebanon Valley resumed the scoring with 7:23 to play, as Reidinger made a layup to make it a 20-20 game. The Dutchmen and Cougars proceeded to swap points until the contest was even at 24-24 with 3:56 remaining in the opening half. 

LVC then went on an 8-4 run over the next 3:36, taking a 32-28 lead with just 40 seconds to go in the second quarter. During this stretch, Fitzpatrick tallied five points, Abbie Reed converted a free throw and Hevelow made a jumper. Misericordia followed this with a basket with just 12 seconds left, trimming its deficit to 32-30 before the Dutchmen took the final shot of the stanza. As Lebanon Valley brought the ball back up the court, Reidinger set an excellent screen that allowed Jordan Zimmerman to dribble past the defense. Zimmerman then sent a pass to Hevelow, who connected on a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Flying Dutchmen a 35-30 advantage entering halftime.

The defenses of both squads were also dominant early in the third quarter, maintaining the score for over two minutes in the beginning. The Cougars added a pair of points on a basket with 7:46 left, narrowing their deficit to 35-32. The teams then continued to compete on the defensive end, until LVC delivered a 4-2 stretch to take a 39-34 lead with 4:13 remaining in the frame. The squad extended its advantage on a jumper by Cristina Fernandez and a stepback jumper by Hevelow.  

The Cougars later made a layup to trim their deficit to three points, before the Dutchmen closed out the third quarter with a 10-5 run. Fitzpatrick scored all 10 points for Lebanon Valley during this stretch, including a pair of three-pointers, a layup, and a pull-up jumper. This strong effort during the final 3:20 of the frame provided LVC with a 49-43 advantage at the end of the third.

The Flying Dutchmen kept the offense rolling in the fourth quarter, beginning the frame on a 6-3 run. Lebanon Valley extended its lead to 55-46 with 6:09 to play, following a jumper by Fernandez and two more successful jump shots by Santiague. Misericordia then responded with a basket before Fitzpatrick knocked down a three to make it a 58-48 game with just over five minutes left. The Dutchmen closed out the final frame with another 6-3 stretch, securing the 64-51 victory after six more points by Fitzpatrick. 

Inside the Box Score

• Lebanon Valley extended its winning streak to three games, remaining undefeated against Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom opponents. 
• Fitzpatrick led the Dutchmen with 26 points, including 10 in the third quarter. The senior guard made four three-pointers and went 4-for-4 on free-throw opportunities. Fitzpatrick also recorded four rebounds and a block.
• Hevelow scored 13 points with six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
• Santiague recorded 10 points with a rebound, an assist, and a steal. 
• Lebanon Valley blocked a total of 10 shots during the contest. 
• Fernandez led the Flying Dutchmen with a career-high six blocks. The junior guard also registered eight rebounds, seven assists, six points, and a pair of steals. 
• Reidinger posted a team-most 11 rebounds with six points, an assist and, a steal. 

Up Next 
The Flying Dutchmen will return to the court at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, as the program will travel to take on No. 21/23 DeSales University at Billera Hall Gymnasium in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. 

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