BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The nationally-ranked No. 21 Moravian College women's basketball team fell to FDU-Florham, 83-79, Thursday evening in the championship game of the 12th Annual Moravian Winter Classic. Sophomore guard Kyra Dayon was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after putting up 21 points and eight steals in the championship game.
This marks the first loss of the season for the Greyhounds as they are now 11-1 and 2-0 in Landmark Conference play.
Freshman center Rachel Groom tallied the first bucket of the game for the Devils. Junior center Laura Jordan, who has named to the All-Tournament Team, for Moravian then went up for the layup while getting fouled. She converted the free throw for the three-point play and a 3-2 lead. After exchanging baskets, the Greyhounds went on a 12-0 run with points from sophomore forward Alexis Wright, junior guard Katie O'Rourke, senior guard Amanda Kreuder, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, and freshman forward Alesha Marcks to take an 17-7 lead seven minutes into the contest.
Sophomore forward Delisha Thompson ended Moravian's run with back-to-back jumpers while starting an 8-0 run for the Devils. Kyra Dayon added a fast break layup, and junior center Melissa DeHaas netted a layup to make the score 17-15.
Junior forward Ericka Blair put an end to FDU's run with a turnaround layup. Jordan and Kreuder then went back-to-back from underneath to push the Greyhounds lead to 23-15 with nine minutes remaining in the half.
Sophomore guard Kara Dayon for the Devils hit a deep three-pointer, and then added a layup to cut the Hounds lead to 23-20 with eight minutes to play in the half. Moravian then pulled away with free throws but a three-pointer from sophomore guard Leigh-Ann Lively, and a layup from Kyra Dayon brought FDU back with three at 30-27 with 5:47 left in the half.
Wright pushed the Greyhounds lead back to 32-27 after taking a pass from Kreuder and hitting the easy lay-in with 3:44 remaining in the first half. A minute and a half later, O'Rourke took the ball coast-to-coast for the layup and the 36-30 lead. The Devils added to that total before the half, but Moravian took a 40-35 lead into halftime.
The Greyhounds shot 44-percent from the field while the Devils shot 38-percent from the field at the half. Moravian held the rebounding advantage at 22-20 while committing two less turnovers. Jordan led the Hounds at the half with 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks while Krya Dayon led the Devils with nine points and three steals.
Junior guard Danielle Brogan opened the second half with a three from the corner, and junior guard Jalessa Lewis, who has named to the All-Tournament Team, answered with a three of her own to make the score 43-38. Wright then came in with a put-back for the 45-38 lead two minutes in. Kyra Dayon then hit back-to-back layups to cut Moravian's lead to 46-42 three and a half minutes into the half.
A minute later, Wright powered to the hoop for the layup while getting fouled. She converted the free throw for the three-point play and a 51-44 lead. Freshman guard Steph Peterson and Wright went back-to-back for the 55-47 lead. Lively then hit three free throws to bring FDU back at 55-50 seven minutes into the half.
Groom and Lewis both hit layups for FDU to make the score 57-54, Moravian, eight minutes in. Blair followed that with a 15-footer to make the score 59-54 with 11:14 to play in the game. Two minutes later, a bucket from Kyra Dayon brought the Devils within one point at 61-60.
Kreuder ended FDU's when she sliced to the hole for the lay-in, but Kyra Dayon answered with a bucket of her own. A layup from Thompson gave the Devils their first lead since it was 7-5. Jordan put Moravian back on top with a layup of her own, and Wright followed up with another lay-in for the 67-65 lead with 6:31 to play.
After exchanging baskets, a three from Lewis and a layup from Kyra Dayon put FDU up by two at 71-69 with five minutes left in the contest. Two free throws from Groom put the Devils up 73-69 20 seconds later. Brogan answered with a bank shot to cut the score to 73-71 with 3:43 to play.
After a couple free throws from Groom, Jordan hit the layup and then both teams traded buckets to put FDU up 78-75 with 1:41 to play. Two free throws by Lewis put the Devils up 80-75. Jordan then went in for the layup to make the score 80-77 with 26 seconds remaining. Groom and O'Rourke exchanged scores to put the score at 82-79 with eight seconds to play, but one free throw from Lewis sealed the deal for the Devils at 83-79.
Jordan finished with a double-double off of 20 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks while Wright had a double-double off 20 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and four steals. Kreuder had 12 points, seven assists and five boards while O'Rourke added ten points, six assists, five boards and four steals. Brogan finished with ten rebounds and five points while Blair added eight points.
Lewis put up 19 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals for FDU. Groom had 15 points and six boards while Thompson had 13 points for the Devils.
The Greyhounds shot 45-percent from the field while the Devils shot 41-percent from the field in the game. Moravian held the rebounding edge 48-38 while FDU committed seven less turnovers.
Also making the All-Tournament team was senior guard Amanda Reich from Valley Forge Christian College, and junior guard Erica Marvel from Neumann University.
The Greyhounds return to action on Saturday, January 5th as they travel to Landmark Conference foe Goucher College. The contest is scheduled for 5 p.m.
