DALLAS, Pa. – Brielle Reidinger scored her 1,000th career point as the Lebanon Valley women's basketball team used a dominant defensive effort to shut down host Misericordia University for an important 45-32 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Anderson Center in Dallas.
 
The Flying Dutchmen (15-4, 6-2 MAC Freedom) used a strong defensive effort to keep the Cougars (9-10, 4-4 MAC Freedom) to just 14 second-half points on an afternoon where the offense struggled to find a groove. Misericordia scored the first points of the game on a layup. LVC came right down the floor, and Reidinger grabbed an offensive rebound and knocked down a jumper in the middle of the paint to go over 1,000 in her career. The Dutchmen forced a turnover, and Abbie Reed made a layup. Riley Hevelow pushed the advantage to 6-2 as she lost her defender off the dribble and knocked down a corner jumper just inside the line. The Cougars responded with a pair of three-pointers to take an 8-6 lead. Adrianna Stricek knocked down a jumper with a few feet in front of the line in the right corner before MU put back a missed layup. Reidinger cut the deficit in half with the front end of two shots at the line with two minutes to play in the opening quarter. Neither team was able to score over the final two minutes, and Misericordia took a 10-9 lead into the second quarter.
 
LVC started the second quarter with Stricek grabbing her own offensive rebound and then kicking out to Hevelow for a three-pointer on the left wing. The Cougars responded with an 8-0 run over the next minute, including a pair of three-pointers to take their biggest lead at 18-12 with eight minutes left in the half. The Dutchmen called a timeout and locked down defensively the rest of the quarter, holding the Cougars scoreless over the final eight minutes. Offensively, they slowly cut into the advantage as Alexa Holcomb made a free throw and then scored an easy fast-break layup off a Reed steal and long pass up the court. It took a little over three minutes for the next score in the game, as Reed swished a three-pointer on the left side off a pass from Holcomb. Hevelow then gave the Dutchmen a 20-18 halftime lead as she pulled up for a jumper at the left elbow.
 
Misericordia ended its scoreless drought with the first bucket of the second half to even the score. LVC responded right back as Megan Albrecht drove for a layup. Reed hit a baseline jumper, and then Holcomb grabbed a loose ball and put it off the glass for a layup to push the advantage to six points. The Cougars made a free throw before Reed drove to the rim for another layup. The junior gave LVC a 10-point lead at 21-21 with a three-pointer on the right wing with four minutes left in the quarter. Misericordia made a pair of free throws with 1:31 left before Hevelow knocked down a pair of free throws to give LVC a 33-23 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
 
The Cougars started the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws. Hevelow knocked down a jumper in the paint and then got out in transition for a pull-up bucket on the right side. LVC held a 12-point lead for the next four minutes as neither team scored until Stricek scored in the paint with 3:17 on the clock. Misericordia cut the lead to 39-28 before Holcomb found Stricek under the rim for two points. The Cougars scored the next four points to get within nine at 41-32 with a minute left. Reidinger found Hevelow for a layup to end any chance of a comeback. Hevelow and Albrecht each made a free throw over the final two possessions to set the final score.
 
Inside the Box

• The Dutchmen held Misericordia to 25 points and just 11 made field goals. It is the second-best defensive performance of the season behind the 75-25 victory over Lancaster Bible.
• Hevelow scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. The senior was 6-for-12 from the floor and 3-for-4 at the line.
• Reed had a strong game with 12 points, three rebounds, three steals, and one assist. It is her second consecutive game scoring in double figures while playing all 40 minutes.
• Holcomb had five points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
• Stricek finished with six points and three rebounds.
• Reidinger pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and scored three points. She became the team's second 1,000-point scorer this season.
• Albrecht made her first career start and scored three points with three rebounds and a steal.
• The Dutchmen scored 20 points in the paint and had 14 points off 22 Misericordia turnovers.
• LVC has now won six straight in the all-time series against the Cougars.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will look to avenge one of their two conference losses on Wednesday, Feb. 4, as they make the trip east to DeSales University. The tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. against the Bulldogs in Billera Hall for what will be a battle for first place.

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