Kreitz & Abernathy Lead F&M Past LVC & Into ECAC Finals with 57-55 Win

by Sports Information
3/2/02

Annville, Pa. – In the semifinals of the 2002 ECAC Women’s Southern Region Basketball Championship, fourth-seeded Franklin & Marshall College (20-6) upset top-seeded Lebanon Valley College (23-5) by a score of 57-55. In the other semifinal game, second-seeded DeSales University (20-7) rallied past third-seeded Swarthmore College (20-8), 63-56. Both winners advance to Sunday’s championship game, which tips off at 12:00 p.m. in Lynch Gymnasium on the campus of Lebanon Valley College.

Despite suffering 28 turnovers, four players fouling out and 33.9 percent shooting, Lebanon Valley was able to rally from an 11-point deficit to pull within two points with 10 seconds showing. LVC's Sarah Dietrich scored a lay-up with 10 seconds left and was fouled in the process. She missed the ensuing free throw and LVC retained possession on a jump ball. With nine seconds left, freshman Erin Eaby passed up an open three-pointer which would have won the game, and drove down the lane hoping for a foul, but was blocked by F&M senior Lauren Howanski (Gap, PA/Pequea Valley) as time expired.

Amy Kreitz (Sr., Allentown, PA/Salisbury) and Amy Abernathy (So., Far Hills, NJ/American School Paris) combined for 39 points and 19 rebounds to pace the Diplomats. Kreitz scored 10 points in the first half to lead F&M to a 22-17 first-half lead and wrestled away a game high six steals. Abernathy was key in the second half as she scored 15 points, including the Diplomats first six of the session, and corralled 13 rebounds, including 11 defensive boards.

Leading the way for Lebanon Valley were junior forwards Stephanie Tighe and Christine Bigler, who each scored nine points.

The keys to the game for F&M were turnovers and defensive pressure as the Diplomats forced 28 Flying Dutchmen gaffes, 12 in the second half, to spark their offense. Overall, F&M scored 23 points off LVC turnovers, including a 13-0 advantage in points off turnovers in the first half to build a 22-17 halftime lead.

In the nightcap, Amy Yenchio scored a game high 21 points to help lead DeSales from a come-from-behind victory over Swarthmore. The Bulldogs trailed 46-34 with less than 10 minutes to play, but went on a 14-1 run to force the game’s 10th tie. Andrea Demaranville iced the game by nailing six free throws with under a minute to play. She finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Swarthmore’s Katie Robinson and Heather Kile mirrored each other with a team-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. Robinson scored 12 points in a 17-5 run to open up the second half, while Kile kept the Garnet in the game with six points in the final four minutes.

F&M is now 20-6 on the year, as the team achieved the first 20 win season since 1991 when the Diplomats went 21-6 under head coach Rebecca Lovett. The 2002 Diplomats can tie that record tomorrow with a win over DeSales.

Historically, F&M is 5-4 all-time against the Bulldogs, formerly the Allentown College Centaurs, since their first meeting in 1986-87. The two teams last meetings have come in the post-season as DeSales defeated the Diplomats in the 1989 and 1990 NCAA Tournaments.

The Diplomats last met DeSales in the 1990 NCAA Tournament as the then Centaurs shocked F&M 77-70 in overtime, the last time the Franklin & Marshall College women's basketball program appeared in the NCAA Tournament. In 1989, DeSales held off the Diplomats 74-58.