ANNVILLE, Pa. ­­– Kate Fitzpatrick became the 16^th player in program history to score 1,000 career points, leading the Lebanon Valley College women's basketball team to a 55-41 victory over King's College on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at Sorrentino Gymnasium. Fitzpatrick recorded a game-high 20 points and made five three-pointers during the win.  

The Flying Dutchmen (11-7, 5-2 MAC Freedom) and the Monarchs (3-15, 0-7) battled defensively early in the game, keeping it low-scoring throughout the first quarter. King's opened the contest with six consecutive points, taking a 6-0 lead with 5:14 remaining after a layup and a pair of jumpers. Lebanon Valley answered with a 7-0 run over the next 4:12, taking a 7-6 advantage with 1:02 left in the frame.

The Dutchmen initially narrowed their deficit to a point with a step-back jumper by Cristina Fernandez, a jump shot by Brielle Reidinger, and a free throw by Abbie Reed. LVC then went ahead on a pull-up jumper by Fernandez with just over a minute to play. The Monarchs later added a point on a free throw before the end of the quarter, tying the game at 7-7 with 37 seconds to go. 

King's began the second quarter with a 4-3 stretch, taking an 11-10 lead with 7:40 remaining in the frame. Lebanon Valley proceeded to post a dominant 17-0 run over the next 4:05, claiming a 27-11 advantage with about three-and-a-half minutes left in the second. The rally began with a jumper and three-pointer by Riley Hevelow before Fitzpatrick knocked down a three with just over six minutes to go, making it an 18-11 game. 

During the remainder of this offensive stretch, Fernandez made two layups, Fitzpatrick connected on another three-pointer, and Reidinger converted a pair of free throws to put LVC up 27-11. Each of the squads added two points in the final 3:35 of the first half, giving the Dutchmen a 29-13 lead entering halftime.

The Monarchs opened the scoring in the third quarter with a layup, advancing the score to 29-15 just 12 seconds into the frame. The Flying Dutchmen promptly took a 32-15 advantage 17 seconds later when Fitzpatrick surpassed the 1,000-point mark with a three-pointer. Lebanon Valley then posted a 4-2 stretch after a layup by Fernandez and a jumper by Reidinger, extending its lead to 36-17 with 7:46 to go. 

King's responded with an 11-2 run, trimming its deficit to 38-28 with 3:16 remaining in the third. The programs then exchanged baskets through the last minutes of the frame, prompting the Dutchmen to lead 44-35 at the end of three quarters. In this stretch, Kailey Eckhart converted a free throw and a layup before Fitzpatrick made another three.

The Monarchs started the fourth quarter with a layup, but LVC answered with a jumper by Fernandez to make it a 46-37 contest with 8:53 left. Both programs then went back and forth defensively until there was 5:19 remaining, when Fitzpatrick's fifth three of the night advanced the score to 49-37. The Dutchmen proceeded to close out the game with a 6-4 run, securing the 55-41 win over the Monarchs. This stretch at the end of the fourth quarter included a pair of free throws by Fitzpatrick, as well as jumpers by Reidinger and Fernandez. 

Inside the Box Score

• Fitzpatrick is the 16^th player in program history to score 1,000th career points, reaching the milestone with a step-back three in the third quarter. The senior guard finished the game with 1,010 career points, which ranks 15th on the program's all-time points list. Fitzpatrick is the first LVC women's basketball player to achieve this mark since Emily Mealey on Feb. 5, 2020, against Lycoming College.
• Fitzpatrick led the Dutchmen with 20 points and five three-pointers while going 3-for-3 on free throw attempts. 
• Fernandez led Lebanon Valley with six assists, five steals, and a block. The five steals mark the most an LVC player has recorded in a game this season. The junior guard also scored 14 points with six rebounds. 
• Reidinger posted her third double-double of the season with a game-high 15 rebounds and 10 points. The sophomore forward also had an assist. 
• Reed registered seven rebounds with three points and an assist. 
• Hevelow tallied five points with three rebounds. 
• Lebanon Valley outscored King's 22 to six in the second quarter. 
• LVC scored 12 points off turnovers during the contest. 

Up Next 
The Flying Dutchmen will return to the court at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, as the program will host Stevens Institute of Technology for Alumni Day at Sorrentino Gymnasium. 

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