BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College women's basketball team defeated DeSales University, 69-57, Tuesday night. Sophomore forward Alexis Wright had a career night after becoming the first player in the Greyhound uniform with more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. Wright finished with a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds to go with three steals and two blocks. The 20 rebounds is also the second most ever recorded in a single game.
The Bulldogs would get on the board first with a three-pointer from junior guard Sondrine Glovas. Classmate guard Alexiah Grant then made a layup while being fouled. She converted the free throw to put DeSales up 8-0 three and half minutes in. Junior guard Danielle Brogan and freshman guard Karine Polgar netted the next six points for the Hounds to make the score 8-6, DeSales five minutes into the game.
Freshman guard Alesha Marcks brought Moravian within one point of the lead after a jumper with 12 minutes to play. Two free throws made from Wright would knot the game up at 13 with 9:27 to play in the first half. The Bulldogs took the lead right back with two made free throws from Grant.
A big block from junior forward Ericka Blair would give Moravian the ball back and Wright drove to the hoop while drawing the foul. Wright made both free throws to tie the contest back up at 15 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. A baseline jumper from Glovas gave DeSales the lead right back. A rainbow three and jumper from junior guard Faith Gilbert extended the Bulldogs lead to five at 22-17 with five minutes to play.
Two free throws from junior guard Katie O'Rourke with 42 seconds remaining in the half tied the game back up. A last second shot from freshman guard Emily MacDonnell gave the Greyhounds their first lead of the game at 26-24.
Moravian shot 22-percent from the field while DeSales shot 20-percent in the first half. The Greyhounds held a 37-29 rebounding edge while the Bulldogs turned the ball over three less times. Wright already tallied a double-double for the Hounds in the first half off of 13 points and 11 rebounds while Grant is leading the Bulldogs with nine points.
Glovas started the second half with a layup to tie the contest back at 26. Junior forward Laura Jordan scored the first six points for the Hounds to give them a 32-30 lead two and a half minutes in. Layups from Marcks and Wright would give Moravian its largest lead at 42-36 with 13:31 to play.
Freshman guard Steph Peterson pushed Moravian's lead to seven at 47-40, but a layup from freshman forward Brittany Pierzga made the score 47-42 with 10:44 to play in the game. Layups from Gilbert and Pierzga brought DeSales back within two points of the lead at 50-48 with 8:15 remaining in the contest.
O'Rourke dashed through traffic to get to the hoop for the tough basket to put Moravian up 54-48 with seven minutes to play. Wright then drove to the basket and made the layup while getting fouled, but senior guard Taylor Greene came right back with a jumper to make the score 56-50, Moravian. With another layup from Wright, she surpass her career-high for points in game with 24, previously set a 23 to give the Greyhounds a 58-50 lead with six minutes left in the contest. Brogan hit a clutch three-pointer with 1:29 to play to put the game out of reach at 66-55. The Greyhounds would go onto win 69-57.
Moravian finished the game shooting 31-percent from the field while DeSales shot 25-percent from the field. The Greyhounds held a 68-54 rebounding advantage while the Bulldogs held the turnover edge at 18-27.
O'Rourke finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, four steals and a career-best eight assists while Jordan tied her career-high in blocks with five to go with six points and four boards. Brogan put up seven points, eight rebounds, three steals and three assists while Blair had seven rebounds and three points.
Glovas led DeSales with 15 points and nine rebounds while Grant had 11 points and six rebounds. Pierzga added 15 boards and ten points while Gilbert put up seven points.
The Greyhounds return to the court on Monday, November 26th as they travel to Albright College. The contest is scheduled for 7 p.m.
