CENTER VALLEY, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's basketball team jumped out to a first quarter lead and led by as many as nine points in the third quarter before falling to No. 8/9 DeSales University in non-conference action Tuesday evening in Billera Hall in the annual Tuesday before Thanksgiving game between the local schools.
The Greyhounds, now 4-2, had three players in double figures with senior forward Nadine Ewald posting her fifth consecutive and 27th career double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds to go with four assists, three blocked shots and a pair of steals as she moved into seventh in school history with 726 career rebounds. Senior guard Maddie Capuano also netted 21 points to go with five boards, two assists and two steals while sophomore guard Kayla Yoegel added 10 points and four rebounds.
Senior guard Karlie Brogan just missed her second straight double-double as she scored nine points to go with 11 rebounds and six assists while freshman guard Morgan Amy contributed six points, five assists and four boards. Senior guard Brooke Santy and freshman guard Madison Amy each scored one point with Madison Amy grabbing three rebounds and Santy dishing out two assists.
Moravian had a 47-45 edge on the boards in the game while shooting 28-of-67 from the field, 4-of-17 on three-pointers and just 9-for-20 at the foul line.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring while Yoegel hit a jumper to knot the score at 2-2 for the Hounds. Capuano hit a three-pointer at the 8:10 mark to give the Blue and Grey a 5-4 edge, and Yoegel followed with a three-pointer to make it 8-4. DeSales answered with a 5-0 run before a jumper from Capuano put the Greyhounds back in front. Ewald had a late lay-up to give Moravian an 18-15 lead after 10 minutes of action.
Yoegel opened the scoring in the second quarter, and a lay-up by Brogan stretched the edge to 23-17 with just over six minutes left in the first half. The Hounds pushed the edge to eight points, 34-26, with 51 seconds before the intermission, but the Bulldogs scored the final five points of the half to cut the score to 34-31 Greyhounds as the teams headed to the locker room.
Ewald opened the second half with a lay-up, and she scored twice more in the first 2:45 and Brogan added a lay-up as the Hounds pushed the lead to nine points at 42-33. Ewald scored two more of her 14 third-quarter points for another nine-point edge before the Bulldogs closed the gap to three points at 46-43. Ewald had another lay-up and Capuano drilled a three-pointer to push Moravian's advantage back to eight points, 51-43, with 2:42 left in the quarter before DeSales knotted the score at 52-52 in the final minute of the period. Ewald scored once more as the Blue and Grey led 54-53 after 30 minutes of action.
Morgan Amy started the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws for a three-point edge before the Bulldogs tied the game again at 58-58. Brogan hit a jumper to put Moravian back in front but a three-pointer from DeSales gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at 61-60 with 5:42 to play. DeSales made five free throws in the final 25 seconds to keep the Hounds from closing the gap.
Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, December 3 when the squad hosts rival Muhlenberg College in a non-conference contest tipping off at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.
