University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Women's Basketball  

Stories & Highlights
2006-07 season

Rance Becomes Devils All-Time Scoring Leader but USP Falls in CACC Semis (3/2/07)

Shelby Rance became the all-time leading scorer in the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball history yesterday afternoon but the Devils lost a heartbreaker to cross-town rival Philadelphia University 66-64 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference semi-finals at Dominican college in Orangeburg, New York.

Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) entered the game with 1,916 career points, trailing all-time leader Leah Shumoski (1,924) by eight. Rance got on the scoreboard with a three point field goal at the 15:32 mark of the first half and added another 'trey' at the 12:08 mark. A third '3-ball' just 43 seconds later and Rance had broken the record. Rance added her third consecutive three-pointer midway through the period and finished the half with 12 points.

Rance finished the game with 23 points to close out her career with 1,939 points. Shelby also recorded her 500th career rebound, becoming just the eighth player in school history to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Rance finishes her career as the best free throw shooter in school history with an 86.0% average from the line (418-486) in 120 career games played (also a school record). In those 120 games, Rance never fouled out.

Three other players joined Rance in double figures, including senior Rashanna Edwards (West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) who finished the game with 12 points and three assists. Edwards closed out her career with 863 points (13th all-time) and 427 assists (second on the Devils-all-time list). Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) also reached double figures scoring 14 and 13 points respectively. Both players also had seven rebounds to pace USP. Senior Lori Sedina (Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with six assists. Sedina closed out her USP career with 664 points (19th all-time), 301 assists (7th all-time) and 573 rebounds (tied for 8th all-time). USP's fourth senior; Davitra Goode (Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) saw limited action on the afternoon and closed out her career with 313 points over 90 games played.

The Rams put a trio of players in double figures led by Meg Abele's 24 points (20 in second half). Alisha Ferguson added 14 points and 15 rebounds while Ashley Webster chipped in 13 points despite a team high six turnovers. Jessica Romano added 11 rebounds to go along with her eight points.

Philadelphia crafted a 20-8 run in the second half to turn a ten-point USP lead into a two point lead of their own, 59-57 with 3:40 left. The Devils had boosted their lead to 10 with a seven point outburst over a 22 second span to lead 49-39 at the 11:46 mark. The Rams scored five straight points to cut the lead in half before two free throws by Edwards increased the margin back to seven, 51-44 at the 9:23 mark. The Rams shaved four more points off the lead before Edwards added a jumper to make the score 53-48 with 7:56 left. A quick 7-2 outburst and the Rams had tied the score at 55-55 with 6:19 left. Two free throws by Weiss gave the Devils a 57-55 lead before a Rams' basket by Webster and two free throws by Abele (7-7 FT) gave the Rams their first lead since they scored the opening four points of the game. Edwards layup tied the game again at 59-59 at the 3:35 mark and the game was still tied at 61-61 when Abele made a crucial 'and-1' to boost Philadelphia's lead to three 64-61 with 54 seconds left. A free throw by Edwards made the score 64-62 with 45 seconds left. USP had two chances to tie the game but could not convert. Romano added two free throws with one second left to make the score 66-62 before the Rams were called for a technical foul for six players on the court. Rance made both free throws to make the score 66-64 and give the Devils a glimmer of hope but USP could not get a final shot off and saw their season come to an end.

The Devils finished the game shooting 37.3% (22-59, 5-13 3 FG) from the field. The Rams shot 37.5% (24-64, 1-6 3FG) from the field. The Rams however dominated on the boards 45-33 (22-15 on the offensive glass) and shot a perfect 17-17 from the free throw line compared to USP's 15 for 20 (75%). The Devils committed just nine turnovers (15 assists) while the Rams made 14 miscues (8 assists).

The Devils finish the season with a 19-10 record. Philadelphia University will advance to the CACC Championship game with a 20-8 record and take on top seed Holy Family University.

Bloomfield Bedeviled by USP (2/28/07)

The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball playoffs opened tonight as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia placed five players in double figures to defeat Bloomfield College 73-63 at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

The win improved the Devils record to 19-9 overall as they advance to the semi-finals. Bloomfield falls to 15-12.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) and Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) led the Devils with 17 points apiece. Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) added 11 points (all in the second half) and pulled down nine rebounds. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) also scored 11 points (7-8 FT) and Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) chipped in 10. Rance also had seven rebounds, six steals and three assists. Edwards recorded a game-high five assists, pulled down six rebounds and was 9-of-10 from the free throw line.

Bloomfield placed four players in double figures led by Shantae Barnes. Barnes scored 19 points and pulled down 23 rebounds. DeAnjole Felton added 12 points while Marissa Franklin had 11 points and six rebounds. Ciera Darby chipped in 10 points before fouling out with three minutes to go in the game.

The first half was one of streaks as the devils jumped out to a 9-3 lead only to have the Deacons score 12 straight points to take a 15-9 lead at the 13:32 mark. The Devils followed with an 11-0 run of their own and led 20-15 midway through the period. USP's lead fluctuated from one to three points until a Felton layup gave the Deacons a 27-25 lead with 3:20 left. Sedina sank two free throws to tie the game at 27-27 before the Deacons scored seven straight points to take a 34-27 lead with 1:37 left in the period. The Devils made a solid comeback in the final 1:37, outscoring the Deacons 8-2 over those final 97 seconds to pull within one at the break 36-35. Edwards had six of the Devils eight points (4-4 FT and a layup off a a steal at the buzzer.)

Barnes opened the second half with a layup putting the deacons up three, 38-35. The lead then changed hands three times over the next five minutes with the Deacons holding onto a 44-43 lead at the 14:42 mark. The Devils then used a 13-1 run to retake the lead and take control of the game, boosting their lead to double digits, 56-45 with 9:36 left. Weiss started the run with a pair of free throws to give the Devils a 45-44 lead. Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) followed with two layups to make the score 49-44. Franklin then made the first of two free throws before the Devils ran off seven straight points, five from Weiss. The bedeviled Deacons pulled within nine 59-50 before a Rance baseline jumper made the score 61-50 with 6:53 left. From there the rest of the Devils scoring came from the foul line as they made 12 of 15 free throws over the final six minutes to seal the win.

USP's defense in the second half played a key part in their winning effort as the deacons made just nine of 35 shots from the field in the period (25.7%) after shooting 48.1% (13-27) in the first half to finish the game shooting 35.5% (22-62). The Devils meanwhile made 11 of 25 shots in the second period (44%) to finish the game shooting 45.1% (23-51). USP also connected on 15 of 21 free throws in the period (71.4%) and finished the game with a big advantage at the charity stripe, making 24 of 31 for the game (77.4%) while the Deacons made just 16 of 18 (88.9%). Bloomfield held a slight advantage on the boards 38-37 but committed 16 turnovers (10 assists) to USP's 13 (14 assists).

The Devils will face #2 seed Philadelphia University in the first semi-final game to be held at Dominican College on Friday, March 2, 2007. Tip off time is noon. Top-seed Holy Family University will face #5 seed Goldey Beacom College at 2:00 p.m.

Devils Clinch Third Place with Win over Felician (2/24/07)

Shelby Rance scored 25 points to help lead the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team to a 72-44 victory over Felician College in their final regular season Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game this afternoon in Rutherford, New Jersey.

USP clinches third place in the league standings with the win with a 15-7 league record. The Devils overall record improves to 18-9. The Golden Falcons finish the season with a 2-28 overall record and a 1-21 league mark. USP will face either Goldey Beacom College or Bloomfield College in the quarterfinals of the CACC playoffs on Wednesday night at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

Rance's (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) 25 points led three players in double figures for the Devils. The senior guard connected on 11 of 21 shots from the field and was 3-for-4 from the free throw line. Rance also pulled down six rebounds and had a game high four steals. Joining Rance in double figures were Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.). Chesnavich scored 13 points (6-10 FG) while Weiss added 12 points and a game high nine rebounds. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) led the Devils with a game-high six assists.

Terry Sues led the Golden Falcons with 13 points and was the only Felician player in double figures. Kimberly Dunay pulled down eight rebounds and Diane Burns had 5 assists (13 TO's).

USP used a 51.7% shooting effort in the first half (15-29) to take a 35-24 lead at the break. Rance produced 17 of her 25 points in the period, connecting on seven of ten shots from the field. The Devils closed out the half with a 14-3 run, turning a tie game with 7:25 left into an 11-point advantage.

Felician opened the second half with an 8-4 run to pull within seven 39-32 before the Devils turned up the pressure both offensively and defensively. The Devils then went on a 10-1 run to take a 49-33 lead with 11:55 left. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) started the run with a short baseline jumper. Weiss followed with a traditional three-point play to make the score 44-32. Amanda Bartee then connected on the first of two free throws before the Devils ran off another five straight points on layups from Rance and Chesnavich and a single free throw by Weiss. The Devils then added a 14-4 run to take a 26-point lead 63-37 with 4:11 left, getting six points from Rance and two each from Sedina, Edwards, Weiss and Amanda Hessinger (Fr., Roland Park HS/Baltimore, Md.). The Devils closed out the game outscoring the Golden Falcons 9-7 over the last four minutes to make the final score 72-44, getting five points from Shay Nelson (Jr. Cumberland Regional HS/Woodbury, N.J.) and four from Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle city, N.J.).

The Devils held the Golden Falcons to just six second half field goals (6-28, 1-6 3FG (21.4%)). Felician finished the game shooting 31.3% (15-48, 3-11 3FG) from the field and 84.6% (11-13) from the free throw line. The Devils finished the game shooting 48.4% (30-62, 1-9 3FG) from the field and 11 of 19 (57.9%) from the free throw line. USP also outrebounded Felician 40-27 (27-13 in the second half). The Devils committed 17 turnovers (20 assists) while Felician made 26 miscues (11 assists).

The Devils will open the post-season on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at the Bobby Morgan Arena taking Bloomfield College in the quarterfinals of the CACC playoffs. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students.

Solid Shooting Propels Devils to Victory (2/22/07)

A 57 percent shooting effort in the first half by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team provided the Devils with the impetus to cruise to a 65-48 victory over Georgian Court University tonight in Lakewood, New Jersey.

The win improves the Devils record to 17-9 overall and 14-7 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Georgian Court drops to 5-21 overall and 3-18 in league games. USP maintains their third place position in the league standings as the regular season winds down.

The Devils made 16 of 28 shots in the opening 20 minutes (57.1%) and finished the game shooting 52% (26-50, 3-8 3FG) from the field. The Lions made just nine of 29 shots in the first half (31%) and finished the game shooting 32.2% (19-59, 4-10 3FG).

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 18 points and four steals. Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) joined Rance in double figures with 16 points (7-9 FG). Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) added nine points and tied her career-high with 11 assists. Edwards also had four steals on the night. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with six rebounds.

Tiffany Brown led the Lions with 12 points while Sophia Iloh and Stephanie Longdo added 11 and 10 respectively. Iloh and Brown had eight rebounds apiece as did Ashley Lobbato, helping to offset her 1-for-13 shooting effort from the field.

USP led wire-to-wire, jumping out to an early eight point lead 11-3 Georgian Court cut the lead in half before the Devils went on a 10-4 run to take a 21-11 lead with 11:12 left. After the Lions again cut the lead in half, and pulled within five, 23-18, the Devils closed out the half with a 14-4 spurt to take a 37-22 lead at the break. Baskets by Chesnavich and Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) started the run. GCU’s Shannon Brown followed with a layup before Chesnavich added a three-point play and Lentz another layup to give the Devils a 32-20 lead. Miesha Barksdale’s jumper made the score 32-22 before the Devils got layups from Rance, Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) and a single free throw from Chesnavich to close out the first half scoring.

Kamilah Bergman opened the second half scoring for the Lions, making the score 37-24 before the Devils ran off 11 straight points to take their biggest lead of the game, 48-24. Chesnavich sank two quick baskets and Rance followed with a layup and a three-point field goal. Edwards closed out he run with a layup at the 14:12 mark. Over the next six minutes, the Lions shaved five points off the lead and pulled within 19, 53-34 before Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) nailed a three-point field goal to boost USP’s lead back to 22, 56-34 with 7:59 left. The lead fluctuated between 20 and 23 points until Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) completed an “And-1” to give the Devils a 65-41 lead with 3:34 left. The Lions scored the final seven points of the game to make the final margin 17 points, 65-48.

The Lions finished the game with a 36-28 advantage on the boards (17-5 on the offensive glass) and committed 23 turnovers (11 assists), leading to 20 USP points. The Devils shot slight better from the free throw line than their hosts (10-14 for USP, 6-14 for GCU) while producing a solid assist/turnover ratio (21/20). The 20 turnovers produced nine points for the Lions.

USP will close out the regular season with a road contest at Felician College in Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday, February 24, 2007. Tip off is at 1 p.m. USP will then open their post season with a CACC Quarterfinal game on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 with a yet to be determined opponent.

Second Consecutive Appearance for Devils in Northeast Region Women's Basketball Poll (2/15/07)

Indianapolis, Ind. - The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is ranked in the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Women's Basketball Poll for the second consecutive week. The Devils are ranked tenth in this week’s poll, the same position as last week.

USP entered the poll for the first time this season last week. As of the start of this week, the Devils had a 15-8 record against Division II opponents and a 13-7 record against Division II opponents within the region.

Currently the Devils are 16-9 overall and have a 13-7 record in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) games, placing them in fourth place in the league standings. The only other CACC team in the regional poll, Holy Family University is ranked fifth and leads the CACC with an 18-0 conference record.

The Devils have two games remaining on their regular season schedule, both conference games on the road. USP will face Georgian Court University on February 22, 2007 and Felician College on February 24, 2007. The CACC playoffs will begin on Wednesday, February 28, 2007.

Tepid Shooting Effort as Devils fall to Philadelphia University (2/14/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team's usually solid shooting went cold last night as the Philadelphia University Rams knocked off the Devils 77-65 at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

The loss drops the Devils record to 16-9 overall and 13-7 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. With the loss the Devils fall to fourth place in the league standings behind third place Dominican College (12-6) and the second place Rams who improved to 16-7 overall and 14-5 in league play.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led three Devils in double figures with 17 points. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) added 15 points and four assists, while Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) added 10 rebounds and a game-high five assists.

Meg Abele poured in 34 points to lead all scorers. Alisha Ferguson recorded a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Jessica Romano added 10 points for the victors.

The Devils started off strong, connecting on seven of their first nine shots and built a 12 point lead 18-6 lead at the 11:51 mark of the first half. USP however made just six of 23 shots for the rest of the period as the Rams went on a 15-2 run to retake the lead 21-20 with 6:54 left. Chesnavich took an Edwards pass and tied the score with a layup at the 4:59 mark and later put the Devils on top with another layup, 25-23 at the four-minute mark. Edwards' assist on the first layup was the 400th of her career, making her just the second player in school history to record 400 career assists (Kate Jordan '05 holds the career mark of 451). The Rams then scored nine straight to take a seven point lead 32-25 with 2:02 left and carried that seven point advantage into the locker room at the break, 36-29.

The Devils tepid shooting continued as the second half began, making just one of their first five shots, allowing the Rams to go on a 12-2 run to open the period and take a 17-point lead, 48-31 with 14:54 left. Layups by Rance and Chesnavich along with two free throws by Chesnavich brought the Devils back within 11, 48-37 at the 13:14 mark. Over the next five minutes the Rams' lead fluctuated between 11 and 16 points with Edwards' three-point field goal made the score 55-42 with 8:34 left. But an 11-2 run by the Rams boosted their lead to 22 points, 66-44 with 4:38 left. The Devils scored the next eight points on three-point field goals from Rance and Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) (career-high seven points) and a layup by Rance to cut the lead back down to 14, 66-52 with 3:25 left. Still trailing by 16 with 2:20 left, Rance added a four-point play to make the score 71-59. However this was as close as the Devils would come as the both teams exchanged points over the final 1:32 to give the Rams a 77-65 win.

For the game, the Devils shot 36.6% (26-71, 4-18 3FG). The Rams also took 71 shots, making 31 of them (43.7%). Philadelphia was 13 of 18 from the free throw line (72.2%) while the Devils were 9-for-13 (69.2%). The Rams held a 49-41 edge on the glass with both teams doing well on the offensive boards (24-21 Philadelphia). USP had 13 turnovers (15 assists) while the Rams had 14 turnovers (13 assists).

The Devils will take to the road for their final regular season games, taking on Georgian Court University on Thursday, February 22, 2007 and Felician College on Saturday, February 24, 2007.

Frontcourt Duo Sparks Devils to Victory(2/10/07)

The frontcourt duo of Allison Weiss and Erin Chesnavich combined for 21 points in the second half as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team defeated Dominican College 59-52 at the Hennessy Center in Orangeburg, New York this afternoon.

The win improves the Devils to 16-8 overall and 13-6 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games and snaps Dominican's eight-game winning streak. The Chargers fall to 16-7 overall and 12-6 in league play.

Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-4 FT) and eight rebounds. Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) each added 13 points with Chesnavich getting 11 of them in the second half. Both Rance and Chesnavich pulled down seven rebounds. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) paced the Devils with three assists apiece. Rance and Edwards also had three steals each.

Adele Laskowski led the Chargers with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Tracey-Spitaleri added 11 (9 in second half) and six assists. Kristen Tracey chipped in nine points, all in the first half.

USP had jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the first half only to see the Chargers score 10 straight points to take a 19-17 lead with 5:34 left in the period. After the Devils tied the game at 19-19, the Chargers scored six straight for their biggest lead of the period, six points, 25-19 before settling in for the 29-25 lead at the break.

The Devils trailed by four at the break and Dana Rotio's three-point field goal made in a seven point lead for the Chargers 32-25 just 27 seconds into the second half. The Devils then went on a 16-4 run over the next 5:46 to take a five point lead, 41-36. Chesnavich and Weiss combined for 14 of the Devils 16 points during the run with Rance getting the other field goal. USP made seven of 11 shots from the field during the run.

After the run, USP's lead fluctuated between one and five points as the Chargers battled back and eventually tied the score at 47-47 with 6:39 left. Edwards then hit a three-point field goal with 5:35 left and Rance sank a pair of free throws at the 4:54 mark to put the Devils back up by five, 52-47. Laskowski pulled the Chargers within two, 52-50 with a three-point field goal at the 3:11 mark, but this would be as close as Dominican would get as the Devils ran off seven straight points to take their biggest lead 59-50 with 1:03 left. Chesnavich was fouled while making a layup and completed the traditional three point play to start the spurt. Edwards followed by making one of two free throws. Weiss added a layup and Sedina another point from the foul line to complete the run. Tracey-Spitaleri's layup with 14 seconds left provided the final score of 59-52.

Hot second half shooting and fewer turnovers were two keys to the Devils success in the second half. USP shot 13-for-21 in the period (61.9) and finished the game shooting 46.9% (23-49, 2-9 3FG)) from the field. After committing 15 turnovers in the first, the Devils made eight in the second to finish with 23 while forcing 10 Dominican miscues as the Chargers finished with 19. The Devils were also 11 of 13 from the free throw line (84.6%) while the Chargers made just four of five shots (80%). The Devils also held a big advantage on the boards, 39-25. For the game, the Chargers shot 37.5% (21-56, 6-21 3FG).

The Devils are back at the Bobby Morgan Arena for their final regular season home game on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 when they take on Philadelphia

Five Players Reach Double Figures as Devils Defeat Deacons (2/7/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia placed five players in double figures as they rebounded from Monday night's loss to Holy Family with a 71-56 win over Bloomfield College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball game tonight at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The win improves the Devils record to 15-8 overall and 12-6 in league games. Bloomfield falls to 11-10 overall and 10-7 in league games. The win moves the Devils into a tie for fourth place in the league standings with Goldey Beacom College, who lost tonight to Philadelphia University.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 15 points. Rance also had five rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots. Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) had 14 points(7-9 FG) and nine rebounds. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) had 13 points and eight assists while Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) added 11 points. Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) came off the bench for the Devils to score 10 points and pull down six boards. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) had four of the Devils season-high 10 blocks on the evening while dishing out a career-high seven assists.

Shantae Barnes recorded a double-double for the Deacons with 19 points (9-11 FT) and 14 rebounds. Emily Horrocks (4 points) and Marissa Franklin (8 points) each pulled down 10 boards.

For three-fourths of the first half, neither team led by more than four points with five ties and two lead changes. It was after the second lead change which saw the deacons go up by one 23-22 at the 6:52 mark that the devils closed out the half with a 14-6 run to take a seven point lead at the break. Weiss started the run with a pair of layups and after a Deacon score, Lentz added a layup and Weiss a jumper to make the score 30-25. Horrocks followed with a layup to cut the lead to three, 30-27 before USP ran off six straight points (five by Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.)) to go up by nine, 36-27 with time winding down. Ciera Darby's put-back at the buzzer made it 36-29 at the break.

Weiss opened the second half with a layup to make the score 38-29 and the Deacons followed with a basket by Franklin and two free throws from Barnes to pull Bloomfield within five 38-33 at the 18:45 mark. The Devils followed with a 17-2 run to boost their lead to 20, 55-35 at the 11:54 mark. Weiss had two baskets to start the run and Rance added a basket to give USP a double-digit lead for the first time, 44-33 and force a Deacon timeout. After the timeout, Weiss, Rance, Edwards and Lentz all connected and the Devils lead ballooned to 52-33. Darby's basket at the 13:20 mark stopped the onslaught temporarily but was followed by Rance's third three-point field goal of the game to end the run and give USP a 20-point lead. USP took their biggest lead of 21 points with 6:45 left on a Chesnavich jumper to make the score 62-41 before the Deacons made on last push, going on a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 13, 64-51 with 2:13 left. This was as close as Bloomfield would get as the Devils made five of eight free throws in the final two minutes and added layup by Lentz to seal the win, 71-56.

The Devils made 28 of 55 shots (5-7 3 FG) from the field in the game to shoot 50.9%, including a 13-25 effort in the second half (52%). The strong shooting helped offset a 51-38 rebound disadvantage with 29 of the Deacons boards coming on the offensive glass. Bloomfield shot 31.4% (23-74, 1-5 3FG) for the game and was 9-18 from the free throw line (50%). The Devils also shot 50% from the free throw line (10-20) while committing 17 turnovers (20 assists). The Deacons had 18 turnovers (3 assists).

The Devils take to the road again as they travel to Orangeburg, New York to take on Dominican College in a pivotal CACC matchup on Saturday, February 11, 2007. Tip off is set for 1 p.m.

Devils Ranked in This Week's Northeast Region Women's Basketball Poll (2/7/07)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is ranked in this week's NCAA Division II Northeast Region Women's Basketball Poll, which was released Wednesday afternoon. The Devils enter this week's poll ranked tenth.

USP enters the poll for the first time this season. The Devils have won nine of their last 11 games and are 14-8 overall and 11-6 in the CACC.

The Devils are in action tonight as they take on Bloomfield College at the Bobby Morgan Arena. The game will start at 6 p.m.

Devils Ice Cold in Loss to Tigers (2/5/07)

The offense of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia became as cold as the weather outside in the second half as the Holy Family University Tigers handed the Devils their second loss in three games, 70-50 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women’s basketball game at the Campus Center in northeast Philadelphia this evening.

The loss drops the Devils record to 14-8 overall and 11-6 in CACC games. Holy Family remains undefeated in conference play with a perfect 16-0 record and improves to 19-2 overall. The loss also drops the Devils from a second place tie to fifth place in the league standings with five conference games remaining.

Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) led the Devils with 12 points apiece (Edwards 8-8 FT). Chesnavich paced the Devils with six rebounds while Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with three assists.

Holy Family placed three players in double figures led by Melissa Brooks’ 17 points. Megan Bauer added 16 points and a game high eight rebounds while Lauren Boyer chipped in 10 points.

The Tigers led by seven in the second half when the Devils went on an 8-4 run to cut the lead to three, 44-41 at the 12:10 mark, getting baskets by Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.), Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.), and Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) and a pair of free throws by Edwards. Over the next 7:49 the Devils offense went cold, while the Tigers turned it up a notch to go on a 20-0 run and take a 64-41 lead. USP went 0-for-8 from the field and 0-2 from the free throw line while committing five turnovers leading to eight Holy Family points during the span. USP closed out the game, outscoring the Tigers 9-6 to whittle the final margin down to 20, 70-50.

In the first half, the game was tied at 15-15 when the Tigers went on a 13-4 run to take a nine point lead 28-19 at the 4:58 mark with Brooks getting nine of the Tigers’ 13 points. The Devils closed out the half with a 10-4 run of their own to pull within three at the break 32-29. Edwards scored the first eight points of the USP run with a layup and shooting 6-for-6 from the charity stripe and Sedina closed out the run with a bucket with 35 seconds left. Chesnavich opened the second half with a layup to pull the Devils within one 32-31 but this was as close as they would get as the Tigers defense took over the game.

For the game the Devils made 16-42 shots from the field (38.1%) but were just 7-for-22 in the second half (31.8%). Holy Family was slightly better, shooting 39.7% from the field (23-58). The Tigers were 23-for-26 (88.5%) from the free throw line (18-19 2nd half) while the Devils made just 18 of 22 for the game (81.8%). The Tigers also held a 37-27 advantage on the boards and committed just nine turnovers to USP’s 19.

The Devils return home on Wednesday, February 7, 2007 for their fourth game in seven days as they face Bloomfield College. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Devils Bounce Back to Defeat Eagles (2/3/07)

Coming off of Thursday night’s loss to Goldey Beacom College, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team rebounded with a road victory of Post University, 68-54 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game at the Drubner Center in Waterbury, Connecticut.

With the win, the Devils improve to 14-7 overall and 11-5 in league games. Post falls to 5-16 overall and 5-11 in league games.

The Devils placed three players in double figures, led by Shelby Rance’s (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) 14 points (6-6 FT). Autumn Tully (So., Union-Endicott HS/Endicott, N.Y.) came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-6 (1-3 3FG) shooting from the field while Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) (5-9 FG) had 10 points and nine rebounds. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) and Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) paced the Devils with four assists apiece. Edwards also recorded four steals while Sedina had three blocks and six rebounds. Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) also added nine points and six rebounds.

Tadj Williams led Post with 15 points and 12 rebounds, getting nine points from the foul line (9-11) while shooting 3-10 from the field. Telisha Moultrie added 11 points and six rebounds.

The Devils held the Eagles to just 21.4% shooting in the first half while jumping out to a 36-18 lead at the break. USP scored the first eight points and led by five, 18-13 with 6:52 left in the period when they went on an 18-5 run to close out the half. Rance started the run with two free throws and Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) followed with a reverse layup with 5:44 left. Tully then sank a three-point field goal to boost the Devils lead to 12, 25-13 with 5:12 left. After an Eagles basket by Jackie Sutton, Tully and Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) added baskets to make the score 29-15. Post added a three-point field goal by LaToya Coley to make the score 29-18 before the Devils closed out the half with seven straight points.

USP opened the second half with an 11-2 run to take their biggest lead of the game 27, points, 47-20 at the 15:06 mark, getting four points each from Rance and Chesnavich along with a basket by Sedina and a free throw from Edwards. Post followed with a 15-2 outburst to pull within 14, 49-35 with 9:37 left before the Devils went on an 8-0 run to go back up by 22, 57-35 with 8:11 left, with Weiss scoring six of the eight points. Two minutes later the Devils were back up by 26, 63-27 with 6:17 left before the Eagles closed out the game with a 17-5 run to make the final score 68-54.

For the game, the Devils made 23 of 57 shots from the field (40.4%) and 18 of 25 from the free throw line (72%). Post shot 30.2% from the field (16-53) and was 19-for-28 from the free throw line (67.9%). The Devils outrebounded the Eagles 43-36 and committed 16 turnovers (12 in second half) to Post’s 18, producing a good assist turnover ratio (14/16) in the process. Post had seven assists for the game. 27 fouls were called in the second half.

The Devils will play again on Monday, February 5, 2007 when the travel to Northeast Philadelphia to take on league leading Holy Family University. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Lightning Snaps Devils Eight-Game Winning Streak (2/2/07)

Goldey Beacom College used a combination of solid shooting and good defense in the second half of last night's game against the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia at America Hall in Wilmington Delaware, as they upended the Devils 63-55, putting an end to USP's eight-game winning streak and tightened up the standings in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

The Devils drop to 13-7 overall and 10-5 in CACC games while Goldey Beacom improves to 13-7 overall and 10-5 in league games. This game, coupled with losses by Bloomfield College and Philadelphia University has produced a five-way tie for second place in the league standings with all four of the aforementioned schools and Dominican College having identical 10-5 records. The Devils still have games remaining with three of the four schools.

Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) recorded her second consecutive double-double with a 20-point 10-rebuond effort to lead the Devils. Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) had 11 points (9 in first half) while Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) came off the bench to record a career-high 11 points to join Chesnavich and Rance in double figures. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) paced the Devils with five assists.

Cherrise Graham and Toni Jones paced the Lighting with 15 points apiece. Casi Donelan added 14. Kim Rowley had seven rebounds for the victors while Courtney Harris led the Lightning with four assists.

Goldey Beacom turned in a 52.2% shooting effort in the second half (12-23) while holding the Devils to 11 for 35 shooting from the field (31.4%) and forcing 12 turnovers, leading to 13 Lightning points. USP trailed by one at the break, 28-27 and opened the second half with a 6-2 run to take a three point lead, 33-30 with 17:16 left. The Lightning rallied back to tie the score at 37-37 at the 13:55 mark. The next 4:17 saw two ties and six lead changes as neither team led by more than two points. Rance's basket at the 9:39 mark was the seventh lead change of the period and gave the Devils a one-point advantage 46-45. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) added two free throws to give the Devils their largest lead, 48-45 with 9:08 left.

The Lighting retook the lead, 49-48 on baskets by Donelan and Graham only to give it right back and Chesnavich scored on a layup with 6:08 left to make the score 50-49 in favor of USP. Two straight turnovers by the Devils led to baskets by the Lightning and the start of an 9-0 run which gave Goldey Beacom a 58-50 lead with 2:02 left. The Lightning made five of six free throws in the final minute to seal the win, 63-55.

For the game, the Devils made 23 of 62 (1-8 3 FG) shots from the field (37.1%) and were 8-for-10 from the free throw line (80%). The Lightning made 24 of 48 (3-10 3FG) shots from the field (41.4%) and 12 of 20 from the free throw line (60%), offsetting the Devils' 47-33 advantage on the boards. The Devils also committed 22 total turnovers, leading to 24 Lighting points. The Lightning committed 12 miscues, leading to just four USP points.

The Devils are on the road again for their next game, CACC contest at Post University on Saturday, February 3, 2007. Tip off is set for 1 p.m.

Devils Power Their Way to Eighth Straight Win (1/27/07)

Allison Weiss and Erin Chesnavich each recorded a double-double as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team powered their way to a 68-43 victory over Caldwell College this evening at the Newman Center in Caldwell, New Jersey.

The win, the Devils eighth straight overall and ninth straight in league play improves their record to 13-6 overall and 10-4 in Central Atlantic collegiate Conference games. Caldwell falls to 8-11 overall and 6-8 in league games. This evening's win marked the fourth consecutive game and the fifth in six games that the Devils have held an opponent under 50 points.

Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) scored 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field and a 5-of-6 effort from the free throw line while pulling down a game high 12 rebounds. Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) had 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 20 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) dished out a game high seven assists while adding seven points. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.)also had seven points to go along with her six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.

Mackenzie Lynch led the Cougars with 10 points and six rebounds. Shannon Coyle added nine points while Amy Ransom came off the bench to score seven.

The Devils took advantage of some strong first half shooting and turned a close game into a double-digit advantage with a 19-6 run midway through the period. Leading 14-9, the Devils started the run with layups from Edwards and Rance. Rance added another jumper and then stole the ball off Coyle which led to a short jumper by Sedina and a 22-9 advantage. Amy Gaudious broke the run with a layup but the Devils later added another Rance basket and traditional three point plays from Weiss and Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) to go up by 16, 31-15 with 6:34. Rance completed the run with a put-back of her own miss to make the score 33-15 with 5:38 left. Both teams exchanged baskets over the next 4 minutes until USP's Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) closed out the first half scoring with a layup as the Devils took a 41-21 lead into the locker room at the break.

Ransom started the second half off for the Cougars with a three-point field goal to cut the Devils lead to 17, 41-24 to open the half, but USP scored the next six points to take a 23-point lead 47-23 at the 17:22 mark. USP's shooting then went cold as they missed 10 straight field goal attempts over the next seven minutes, yet still maintained their big lead by making seven of nine free throws and forcing the Cougars to turn the ball over and commit eight fouls during the same period. Rance finally broke the field goal drought with a jumper at the 10:11 mark to make the score 56-33. Caldwell followed with a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 18, 58-40 with 6:35 left, before the Devils scored the next six points to go up by 24, 64-40 at the 4:47 mark. The Devils held the Cougars to just one field goal and one free throw over the final 4:47 while getting layups from Weiss and Mary Beth Christian (Jr., Villa Joseph Marie/Warrington, Pa.) to close out the scoring with a 68-43 win.

For the game, the Devils shot 45% (27-60) offsetting their 57.6% (19-33) first half effort with a 29.6% (8-27) second half attack. Caldwell shot 30.4% (17-56) for the game (9-28, 32.1% first half and 8-28, 28.6% second half). USP also held a big advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Cougars 49-30 while posting a better assist/turnover ratio (15/19 to 8/20).

The Devils next game will be at Goldey Beacom College on February 1, 2007. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Devils Win Streak Now at Seven (1/24/07)

Four players reached double figures as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team cruised to their seventh straight win, 70-47 over Wilmington College at the Bobby Morgan Arena tonight in Philadelphia.

The win improves the Devils record to 11-6 overall and 9-4 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Wilmington falls to 9-9 overall and 6-7 in league play. The win moves the Devils into a tie for third place with Philadelphia University with identical 9-4 records. Bloomfield College is in second place with a 9-3 league record.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led all scorers with 21 points and four steals. Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) added 17 points and seven rebounds while Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) recorded a double-double with 10 point and 10 rebounds. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/ Springfield, Pa.) also had 10 points, six assists and two blocks while pulling down five rebounds. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) dished out 10 assists while scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds.

The Wildcats were led by Amelia Simmons' 15 points and six rebounds. Jamie Hensley and Sherrelle Holmes each had 12 points and five rebounds for the visitors.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early 7-3 lead but the Devils regained control with a 17-2 run to lead 20-9 at the 10:31 mark of the first half. Baskets by Weiss and Sedina started the run and tied the game. Rance followed with a short jumper to give the Devils the lead before Holmes tied the game again with a pair of free throws. USP then ran off 11 straight points, seven by Chesnavich and four by Rance to complete the run.

The Wildcats came back with a 12-4 run to cut USP's lead to one, 24-23 with 7:13 left, with Simmons getting seven points and Holmes five. The Devils then closed out the half with a 16-4 run. Edwards started the run with a pair of free throws and Chesnavich followed with a layup. After a Simmons jumper made the score 28-25, Edwards countered with a long three-pointer that banked off the glass as the shot clock was winding down to boost USP's lead to six 31-25 with 4:05 left. Holmes cut it back to four 31-27 at the 3:05 mark before the Devils scored the final nine points of the period to take a 40-27 lead into the locker room at the break. The Devils made six of nine shots during the final seven minutes with all three misses followed by a second chance basket. For the half the Devils shot 55.2% (16-29) while Wilmington shot 39.3% (11-28).

The Devils used an 18-5 spurt in the second half to put the game out of reach. Still leading by 13, 46-33 at the 16:07 mark, USP ran off five straight points to go up by 18, 51-33. Simmons' two free throws made the score 51-35 before Sedina made a pair of free throws and baskets by Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.), Chesnavich and Edwards put the Devils up by 22, 59-37 at the 9:31 mark. Sedina added a basket and Rance closed out the run with her third three-point field goal of the night to give the Devils their biggest lead of the night, 64-38 with 5:35 left. Wilmington outscored the Devils 9-6 over the last five minutes to make the final score 70-47.

For the game, the Devils shot 46.4% from the field (26-56) while holding Wilmington to 29.8% shooting (17-57).The Devils, who are currently ranked 5th nationally in Division II as a team in free throw percentage(78.4%), had another stellar night at the charity stripe, making 14 of 15 shots (93.3%). Wilmington shot just as well, connecting on nine of ten (90%). The Devils held a 39-31 advantage on the boards while producing an excellent assist/turnover ratio (23/13) to Wilmington's 7/17.

The Devils are on the road for their next game, a rare Saturday evening stint at Caldwell College this Saturday, January 27, 2007. tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Devils Cruise to Sixth Straight Victory (1/22/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team placed three players in double figures as they cruised to their sixth straight win, a 68-48 triumph over Georgian Court University tonight at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

With the win, the Devils improve to 11-6 overall and 8-4 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. USP has now won six straight overall and sven straight conference games. Georgian Court falls to 3-14 overall and 1-11 in league play.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led all scorers with 19 points. Rance connected on seven of 13 shots from the field (1-2 3FG)and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Joining her in double figures were Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/ Springfield, Pa.) and Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.). Sedina made six of 11 shots from the field along with a pair of free throws for 14 points. Lori also pulled down six boards, had two assists, two blocks and three steals. Edwards scored 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field (1-2 3FG) and a pair of free throws. Rashanna also dished out a game-high six assists. Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) pulled down ten rebounds to lead the Devils.

Ashley Lobbato was the lone player to reach double figures for the Lions, scoring 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the field. Lobbato also paced the Lions with eight rebounds and four assists. Melinda Hunold added nine points for GCU. (3-6 3FG)

Hunold's three-pointer 39 seconds into the game gave the Lions their only lead of the evening, 3-2 as the Devils countered with an 22-4 run to take a 17-point lead, 24-7 at the 9:49 mark. USP scored the first 10 points of the run, getting baskets from Rance, Sedina, Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and Edwards followed by a pair of free throws by Chesnavich. Following a basket by Lobbato to snap the 10-point run, Sedina added a short baseline jumper, Edwards completed a traditional three-point play and Rance nailed her only three-point field goal of the night to boost USP's lead to 20-5. Gina Nazzaro's layup made the score 20-7 before Edwards and Chesnavich completed the 22-4 run with layups. The Lions cut USP's lead to 12 on two occasions before the Devils took a 14-point advantage into the locker room at the break, 31-17.

Edwards' three-point field goal at the 15:09 mark boosted USP's lead back up to 17, 41-24 and Rance added a traditional three-point play to give the Devils a 19 point lead, 50-31 at the 12:28 mark. The Lions cut the lead to 16, 52-36 before the Devils went on a 9-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 25 points, 61-36 with 8:08 left. Rance started the run with a 15 foot jumper and Mary Beth Christian (Jr., Villa Joseph Marie/Warrington, Pa.) followed with a 10-foot baseline swish to make the score 56-36. Rance added two free throws and Edwards completed her second 'three-point-play' of the night to complete the run. Georgian Court whittled the lead down to 20 by the 1:50 mark with a 10-5 run but that was as close as they would come as USP's Autumn Tully (So., Union-Endicott HS/Endicott, N.Y.) made a pair of free throws with 39 seconds left and GCU's Jasmin Rodriguez added a layup with three seconds left to finish the scoring as the Devils prevailed 68-48.

For the game, the Devils shot 47.2% (25-53) from the field and were 16-of-21 from the free throw line. Georgian Court made just 21 of 56 shots from the field (37.5%) and was just 2 of 6 from the charity stripe (33.3%). The Devils also held the advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Lions, 38-30.

USP's next game will be against Wilmington College on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is slated for 6 p.m.

Ware Earns 100th Career Win as Devils Crush Warriors (1/20/07)

Erin Chesnavich scored a career-high 21 points and Shelby Rance added 16 as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia crushed the visiting Nyack College Warriors 73-48 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball game at the Bobby Morgan Arena, giving Head Coach Nate Ware his 100th career women's basketball victory.

Ware's record at USP is now 100-60 (62.5%). He had previously been the men's basketball coach at Valley Forge Military College (1996-2000)where he was 98-61 over five seasons and the head men's basketball coach at Eastern University (1982-1996) where he compiled a 232-171 record in 14 seasons. Ware is currently USP's all-time winningest women's basketball coach.

The win improves the Devils record to 10-6 overall and 7-4 in league play and remain in fourth place in the league tied with Goldey Beacom College. USP has now won six straight CACC games. Nyack falls to 6-8 overall and 4-7 in league play.

Chesnavich's (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) 21 points led all scorers. Erin connected on eight of 13 shots from the field and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line in just 19 minutes of playing time. Chesnavich also led all rebounders with seven. Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) added 16 points while Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) and Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) each had eight. Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) came off the bench to add eight points as well. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) dished out a career-high 11 assists with just one turnover on the afternoon.

Kaarina Sterns was the only Nyack player in double digits with 11 points. (5-7 FG).

The Devils led wire to wire. jumping out to a 15-2 lead in the opening five minutes of the game, getting eight of those points from Chesnavich. The Devils then outscored the Warriors 19-5 over the next 8:37 to take a 34-7 lead before building the margin the 30 by the break 46-16. Chesnavich and Rance had 13 points apiece in the half as the Devils connected on 19 of 34 shots in the period (55.9%) and committed just two turnovers the entire half. The Devils defense limited Nyack to seven field goals on 25 shots (28%).

Chesnavich and Sedina started off the second half with baskets and the Devils boosted their lead to 32, 50-18 at the 17:18 mark. USP would take their biggest lead of the game, 34 points, 59-25 on a traditional three-point play by Rance at the 12:13 mark. Nyack battled back by going on a 17-4 run over the next 7:22 to pull within 21 points, 63-42 with 4:49 left in the game. USP countered with an 8-2 run to go back up by 27, 71-44 with 1:50 left in the game. Chesnavich made three of four shots during the stretch for six of the Devils eight points with Sedina accounting for the other two on a layup. Nyack scored four of the next six points to close out the scoring and make the final score 73-48.

For the game, the Devils shot 49.2% from the field (31063, 3-9 3FG) while Nyack shot 34.0% (17-50, 3-14 3FG). The Warriors were 11 of 18 from the free throw line (61.1%) while the Devils were a perfect 8-of-8. The Devils also outrebounded the Warriors 41-27 and had an excellent assist/turnover ratio (24/12). Nyack committed 15 turnovers (8 assists).

The Devils return to action on Monday, January 22, 2007 when they take on Georgian Court University at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Rance Leads Devils to Win over Rams (1/16/07)

Shelby Rance led the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia with 24 points as the Devils turned in a solid team effort to defeat Philadelphia University 65-53 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate conference women's basketball matchup tonight at the A & R Center in Philadelphia.

The win improves the Devils record to 9-6 overall and 6-4 in league games. The Rams fall to 9-5 overall and 8-3 in league play. The win is also the Devils fifth straight CACC win.

Rance's (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) 24 points led all scorers. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) joined her in double figures with 10 points. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) and Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) added eight each and Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) came off the bench to score seven points. Weiss paced the Devils with 11 rebounds, with Rance adding five and Sedina four. Edwards set up the offense for the Devils recording seven assists.

With her four rebounds in tonight's game, Sedina becomes just the 10th women's basketball player in school history to record at least 500 points and 500 rebounds for their career. Sedina's 500th board came at the 15:40 mark of the first half. Lori now has 501 rebounds for her career.

Rance surpassed a milestone as well, as her 24 points pushed her past the 1,700 career point mark and giving her 1,707 for her career, second on the Devils all-time list behind Leah Shumoski (1,924).

Meg Abele and Ashley Webster led the Rams, scoring 13 points apiece. Alisha Ferguson added 12 points and led the Rams with six rebounds. Abele and Webster each had four assists.

The Devils came out on fire right from the opening tap as Rance made her first three shots, including two three point field goals and Edwards followed with a short jumper to give the Devils a 10-0 lead just 1:53 into the game. The Rams came back to cut the lead to 10-6 before Edwards nailed a three-point field goal and Rance a layup to boost the Devils lead back to 15-6 at the 12:52 mark. After a Ferguson layup made the score 15-8, the Devils went on a 17-6 run over the next 7:55 to take a 32-14 lead, getting points from five different players. PU closed out the half with an 8-1 run to pull within 11 at the break, 33-22. Rance finished the half with 14 points.

For the half, the Devils made 12 of 19 shots from the field (63.2%) including four of six from beyond the arc and were a near perfect 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Defensively, the Devils held Philadelphia to just 25% shooting from the field (7-25, 0-2 3FG) and outrebounded the Rams in the half 17-10, helping to offset 13 turnovers.

USP continued their hot shooting as the second half began as Rance opened the scoring with a basket and Edwards followed with a traditional three-point play to boost the Devils lead to 16, 38-22. Rance added another score, giving USP an 18 point lead, equaling their biggest margin of the game. The Rams then cut the lead to 10 points with a 14-6 run and trailed 56-46 with 6:05 left. Lentz followed with two layups to increase the Devils' lead to 14, 60-46 with 4:08 left. PU then pulled within 12, 62-50 before sending the Devils to the free throw line where they made three of five in the final two minutes. Abele added three free throws in the final seconds to make the final score 65-53.

For the game the Devils made 25 of 45 shots from the field (55.6%), including four of seven from beyond the arc (57.1%). The Devils made 11 of 14 free throws (78.6%). USP held a 31-24 advantage on the boards and committed just four turnovers in the second half to finish the game with 17. The Rams shot 19 of 51 from the field (37.3%) (0-6 3FG), and were 15 of 17 from the free throw line (88.2%) while committing 14 turnovers.

The Devils return to action this Saturday, January 20, 2007 when they host Nyack College. Tip off is set for 1 p.m.

Devils Cruise to Fourth Straight Conference Win (1/14/07)

Twelve different players scored as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team cruised to a 74-42 win over Felician College Saturday afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The win is the Devils fourth straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference triumph, improving their league record to 5-4 and their overall record to 8-6. Felician falls to 1-17 overall and 0-10 in league games.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 17 points. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) added nine points apiece; Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) had seven and Autumn Tully (So., Union-Endicott HS/Endicott, N.Y.) and Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) added six points each. Lentz also paced the Devils with seven rebounds. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with five assists while Edwards and Emily Aponte (Fr., Dumont HS/Dumont, N.J.) had four assists each.

Crystal Ferrer had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Falcons while Dee Dee Smith added eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.

The Devils led from the opening tap, jumping out to a 13-2 lead in the first 5:15. The Devils would later expand the lead to 27-10 and 38-14 before Felician scored the final six points to send the Devils into the locker room at the break with an 18-point lead, 38-20.

Still leading by 18 two minutes into the second half, the Devils went on a 20-5 run to put the game out of reach. USP opened the run with a layup by Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) and two straight layups by Lentz. Rance followed with the Devils fourth straight layup and was fouled on the play. Shelby completed the three-point play to make it nine straight points for the Devils and give USP a 52-25 lead.

Rance added two more jumpers after Felician's Diane Burns broke the streak to make the score 56-27. Burns followed with a layup and Krystal Dixon made one of two free throws to make the score 56-30. Chesnavich added a layup and Tully added a three-point field goal from the top of the key to boost the Devils lead to 31, 61-30 at the midway point of the period. Edwards added a short jumper to end the run and give the Devils their biggest lead of the game, 63-30 with 8:50 left.

Felician cut the lead back down to 26, but the Devils made eight of 10 free throws over the final three minutes to close out the game with an 8-2 run for the 74-42 win.

For the game, the Devils made 28 of 65 shots from the field (43.1%) while Felician was held to just 24.2% shooting (16-66). USP made 14 of 19 from the free throw line (73.7%) while Felician made 8 of 14 (57.1%). The Devils held a slight 48-45 advantage on the boards and forced 28 turnovers while committing 21.

The Devils return to action on Tuesday January 16, 2007 when the travel to take on area rival Philadelphia University. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Devils Rally to Defeat Chargers (1/9/07)

A combination of strong shooting and solid defense in the second half of tonight's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball game between the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and Dominican College enabled the Devils to erase a seven-point second half deficit and defeat the chargers 73-67 tonight at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

The Devils improve to 7-6 overall and 3-4 in league play. Dominican falls to 8-4 overall and 4-3 in league play.

The Devils placed three players in double figures led by Shelby Rance's (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) 18 points. Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) added 17 points and nine rebounds, connecting on eight of nine shots from the field while Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) added seven points, all in the second half to go along with five boards, five assists, three blocks and a steal. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) paced the Devils with eight assists.

Kristen Tracey led the Chargers with 18 points (6-12 FG, 5-8 3FG). Dana Rotio chipped in 17 points while Adele Laskowski added 12 and a team-high seven rebounds.

USP used a 61.5% shooting effort (16-26) in the final stanza to comeback from a five point halftime deficit and later a seven point margin. While the Devils offense was connecting on all cylinders, the Devils defense was forcing Dominican's offense to sputter as the Chargers made just seven of 28 shots in the period (25%).

The Devils trailed by five at the break, 40-35 but quickly regained the lead, making three of their first four shots to take a 41-40 lead. The Chargers responded with an 8-0 run to take their biggest lead of the second half, 48-41 at the 15:49 mark, getting five of the eight points from Jackie Tracey-Spitaleri. For the next seven plus minutes, the Devils would hold the Chargers scoreless, going on a 12-0 run to take a 53-48 lead.

Weiss' put-back started the rally and Rance and Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) followed with baskets to pull USP within one 48-47. Weiss added two more layups to give the Devils a 51-48 lead before Rance completed the rally with a short jumper at the 10:07 mark to make the score 53-48. The Chargers finally broke the drought as Kristen Tracey sank a three-point field goal at the 8:33 mark, 7:16 since their last field goal to make the score 53-51.

USP still led by two 57-55 when the Devils opened some breathing room with a 7-3 run, capped by a Sedina 'trey' to take a 64-58 lead with just 2:41 left and expanded the lead to seven, 66-59 at the 1:36 mark. Dominican would make one last surge, scoring five points in a matter of seconds off a pair of USP turnovers to pull within two 66-64 with just 1:16 left. On USP's next possession, Sedina threaded the needle with a perfect pass to DuRoss underneath for a layup and subsequent Charger foul. Kaitlin completed the three point play and the Devils led by five 69-64 with just 49 seconds left. DuRoss would finish the game with a career-high seven points (3-4FG).

Sedina blocked Tracey's shot on the Chargers next possession and the rebound was gathered in by Edwards who was fouled immediately. Edwards made both free throws to all but seal the win with a 71-64 lead but Tracey nailed her fifth 'trey' of the game on the Chargers next possession to make the score 71-67. Edwards was fouled again with 16 seconds left and sank both free throws to provide the final margin of victory.

For the game the Devils made 27 of 49 shots (55.1%)from the field (2-9 3FG) while the Chargers connected on just 38.4% of their shots (21-54, 7-19 3FG). The Devils held a decisive 37-22 advantage on the boards which helped offset their season high 28 turnovers. both teams shot well from the free throw line with the Devils connecting on 17 of 19 (89.5%) and the Chargers 18 of 25 (72%). The Chargers also committed 17 turnovers.

The Devils return to action on Saturday, January 13, 2007 when they take on the Felician College Golden Falcons at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip is set for 1 p.m.

Devils Snap Losing Streak with Win over Eagles (1/6/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia placed four players in double figures as they cruised to a 71-53 victory of Post University in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball game this afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Devils and evens their record at 6-6 overall. USP improves to 3-4 in league play. The Eagles drop to 1-9 overall and 1-4 in league play.

Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) and Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 14 points apiece. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) added 13 points while Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, PA) recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Weiss also added nine boards, dished out three assists and had a block and three steals. Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) led the Devils with six assists.

Stephanie Goss came off the bench to lead the Eagles with 15 points and four assists. Majorie Prado added 13 points and five rebounds.

USP took advantage of a 20-8 run late in the first half to turn a one-point deficit into a double digit lead. USP opened the run with seven straight points, getting layups from Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) and Edwards and a pair of free throws by Weiss along with a single by Lentz to take a 30-24 lead. Goss pulled the Eagles back within four with a jumper at the 6:03 mark before Rance nailed a three-point field goal to put the Devils back up by seven 33-26. Both teams exchanged baskets over their next three possessions before Lentz added a layup and Edwards two free throws to complete the run with 2:11 left to give the Devils a 43-32 lead, before heading into the locker room up eight at the break 45-37.

The Devils outscored the Eagles 14-4 to open the second half to take their biggest lead of the afternoon, 18 points, 59-41 at the 12:22 mark. After Tadj Williams opened the period with a layup to make the score 45-39, the Devils followed with four consecutive baskets, two by Rance and two by Chesnavich to go up 14, 53-39 with 15:19 left. Williams made two free throws to put the Eagles back within 12, 53-41 before Weiss added four more points, FG , 2 FT) to boost the lead to 16, 57-41. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) closed out the run with the first of three consecutive field goals making the score 59-41.

Post cut the lead to 12 on two occasions, the last at the 4:57 mark (65-53) but this would be as close as the eagles would come as the Devils scored the final six points to win by 18, 71-53.

The Devils made 15 of 29 shots (51.7%) in the first half and finished the game shooting 27 for 64 (42.2%). Post also shot well in the first half, making 15 of 31 shots (48.4%) including 6 of 14 three-point shots (42.9%) but made just seven of 28 shots from the field (25%) in the second half (0-9 3FG). USP held a big advantage on the foul line, making 14 of 22 (63.6%) while Post went to the line four times, making three. The Devils outrebounded the Eagles 47-31 and committed 15 turnovers (19 assists) to Post's 20 (9 assists).

The Devils will return to action on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 when they take on Dominican College at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is slated for 6 p.m.

Devils Trounced by Warriors (1/3/07)

The East Stroudsburg University women's basketball team outscored the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia by 20 points in the second half (48-28) as they overcame a slim halftime deficit to cruise to an easy 75-58 win over the Devils tonight at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

The loss drops the Devils record to 5-6 overall. East Stroudsburg improves to 7-2 on the season.

Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, PA) led the Devils with 19 points and game-high nine rebounds. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) chipped in 12 points and dished out a team high four assists.

Alyssa Antolick, a transfer from DeSales University and a former Division III WBCA All-American came off the bench to record 22 points to lead all scorers. Jhazmin Brown scored 11 points, while Jackie Yandrisevits pulled down a team high seven rebounds and had a game-high five assists.

The Devils led by three at the half, 30-27 as the Warriors all but erased the 10 point lead the Devils built in the first five minutes of play when they jumped out to a 10-0 advantage. USP increased their lead to six in the opening minute on a traditional three-point play by Chesnavich, 33-27 before the Warriors scored six straight points on two three-point field goals to tie the game at 33-all. ESU took their first lead of the half, 40-39 at the 14:54 mark on a short jumper by Brown and later built the lead to six 51-45 with 9:06 left.

The Devils battled back, cutting the lead to two, 51-49 at the 7:16 mark on baskets by Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) and Chesnavich, only to have the Warriors embark on an 11-3 run to take a ten point lead, 62-52 with 2:56 left. Two free throws by Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) cut the lead to eight, 62-54 with 2:41 left but that was as close as USP would get as the Warriors outscored the Devils 13-4 over the final 2:30 to make the final score 75-58.

USP's second half collapse was fueled by nine turnovers (leading to 12 ESU points) and a lackluster 9-for-25 shooting effort from the field (36%). USP also shot just 64.3% from the free throw line in the second half. For the game, the Devils made just 20 of 51 field goals (39.2%) and 16 of 25 free throws (64%- well below their league leading team average of 80%).

ESU made 16 of 29 shots in the second half (55.2%) and finished the game shooting 44.4% (28-63) from the field. The Warriors were 15 of 24 from the charity stripe (62.5%) and outrebounded the Devils 39-35. USP committed 19 turnovers, leading to 18 ESU points while ESU had just 13 (leading to 12 USP points).

The Devils return to conference action on Saturday, January 6, 2007 with a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game against Post University at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is slated for 1 p.m.

Rally Falls Short as Devils Lose to St. Michael's (12/29/06)

A 14-4 run by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in the second half cut a double-digit deficit to one point in this afternoon's women's basketball regional contest against the visiting Saint Michael's College but the Purple Knights pulled away in the final minutes, handing the Devils a 66-58 loss.

The loss drops the Devils record to 5-5 overall. St. Michael's improves to 6-5 overall.

Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) led the Devils with 14 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field. Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, PA) added 12 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) added 10 points and dished out four assists to go along with two steals and two blocked shots.

Dani Rayner led the Purple Knights with 14 points while Allison Dunn and Jevy Rayner added 13 and 11 points respectively. Jevy Rayner led St. Michael's with eight boards. Meg O'Shea dished out four assists for the victors.

Trailing by 11, 39-28 at the 16:11 mark of the second half, the Devils ran off eight straight points over the next 2:05 to pull within three 39-36. Edwards started things off with a 10 foot jumper from the right side. Sedina followed with a pair of free throws and Chesnavich added a layup. Edwards added another short jumper at the 14:06 mark to pull the devils within three and force a timeout by the Purple Knights.

Saint Michael's came out of the time out and scored to go back up by five before Chesnavich added another layup to bring the Devils back within three 41-38. After both teams exchanged points on the foul line, Sedina added a put-back layup to make the score 43-42 at the 11:55 mark, completing a 14-4 run over the last 4:16.

USP still trailed by two 48-46 at the midpoint of the period when the Purple Knights went on an 11-3 run over the next 5:47 to boost their lead back up to double-digits 59-49 with just 4:02 left in the game. The Devils made one last push, pulling within four 60-56 with a 6-1 run, getting a free throw from Chesnavich, two from Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) and a pair of driving layups from Edwards and leaving just 53 ticks on the clock. Dunn, O'Shea and Dani Rayner each made a pair of free throws in the final 32 seconds to seal the win for the Purple Knights.

Saint Michael's took advantage of a 15-3 run in the first half to turn a tied ball game into a double digit lead with 4:48 left in the period, 23-11 before taking a 32-21 lead into the locker room at the break. USP managed just six field goals on 22 attempts (0-4 3 FG) (27.3%)in the half while St. Michael's made 10 of 23 shots (3-7 3FG) in the period (43.5%).

For the game the Purple Knights shot 43.2% (19-44, 4-9 3FG) and made 24 of 27 shots from the charity stripe (88.9%). The Devils also made 19 field goals (on 55 shots) to shoot 34.5% from the field, including an 0-for-12 effort from beyond the arc. USP was 20 of 24 from the free throw line (83.3%) and outrebounded the Purple Knights 35-31. The Devils committed 14 turnovers but dished out just eight assists compared to the Purple Knights 17 and 10 respectively.

USP returns to action on January 3, 2007 when they take on the Warriors of East Stroudsburg University at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Devils Cruise to Win over Chestnut Hill (12/28/06)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia turned a close game into a big lead with a 17-3 run in the final four minutes of the first half as they defeated Chestnut Hill College 70-47 in a women's basketball game at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia tonight.

The Devils improve to 5-4 overall with the win while the Griffins drop to 4-7.

Erin Chesnavich (Fr., Bishop O'Reilly HS/Pittston, PA) returned to action after missing six games with an ankle injury to lead all scorers with 16 points. Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) also reached double figures for the Devils with 13 points. Chesnavich and Rance also led the Devils with eight rebounds apiece. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, N.J.) chipped in nine points and dished out a game high six assists. USP also got 22 points from their bench including eight from Shay Nelson (Jr., Cumberland Regional HS/Woodbury, N.J.) and six from Hayley Lentz (Jr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.).

Chestnut Hill was led by Tara Walsh's 12 points. Marianne Finfrock and Jenna Beck contributed seven points apiece off the bench. Kate Quintus led the Griffins on the glass with six rebounds.

Leading but just two 23-21 with 4:22 left in the first half, the Devils took advantage of five Griffin turnovers in the final four minutes to open up a 16-point lead at the break 40-24, outscoring Chestnut Hill 17-3 and shooting 8-for-9 from the field in the process. Rance started the run with a layup on a pass from Lentz. After a steal by Edwards, Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) added a layup at the 3:41 mark Another CHC turnover and subsequent layup by Rance made the score 29-21. Lentz followed with a put-back off an Edwards miss to put the Devils up by 10, 31-21 and force a Chestnut Hill timeout.

After the timeout, Kaitlin DuRoss (Fr., Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) made it 10 straight points for the Devils with a short jumper at the 1:55 mark. Judy Parise then broke the run with a three-point field goal to make the score 33-24 with 1:23 left in the half. Nelson added a short jumper with about a minute left and Rance put the exclamation point on the run, closing out the half with a three-point field goal with five seconds left, putting the Devils up by 16 at the break, 40-24.

The Devils finished the half shooting 56.7% from the field (17-30) boosted by their 8-for-9 effort in the final four minutes. Chestnut Hill made just 10 of 27 shots in the period (37%).

The Devils opened the second half with a 14-7 run to take a 23-point lead, 54-31 with 13:22 left. Over the next five minutes the Griffins shaved three points off the lead and trailed by 20, 58-38 with 8:38 left before the Devils went on a 10-0 run to make the score 68-38 with 4:38 left. Chestnut Hill finished the game, outscoring the Devils 9-2 to make the final score 70-47.

For the game, the Devils shot 50% from the field (29-58) while Chestnut Hill shot 36% (18-50). The Devils also made 11 of 15 from the free throw line (73.3%) and held a 39-29 advantage on the glass. USP committed just 13 turnovers to Chestnut Hill's 18.

The Devils return to action tomorrow afternoon as they take on Saint Michael's College at 4:00 p.m. at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

Devils Defense Does in Deacons (12/19/06)

Defense played in key role as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia held Bloomfield College to just 26.7% shooting in the second half as overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat the Deacons, 64-53 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball game in Bloomfield, New Jersey tonight.

The win improves the Devils record to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in league play. Bloomfield falls to 4-4 overall and 4-2 in league play.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 22 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field. Lori Sedina (Sr., Lower Cape May HS (NJ)/Springfield, Pa.) added 13 points, connecting on five of eight shots from the field while Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) added 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Sedina also dished out four assists while Rance recorded three steals and a pair of blocked shots.

Bloomfield got a double-double from Marissa Franklin as she scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Ciera Darby joined Franklin in double figures with 11 points.

While the Devils were holding the Deacons to just 8-for-30 shooting in the second half, they were connecting regularly on the offensive end, making 13 of 23 shots in the period (56.5%). For the game the Devils shot 47.9% (23-48) while Bloomfield also made 23 field goals, but took 20 more shots in the process to finish the game shooting 33.8% (23-68). USP also took advantage of a 14-18 effort from the free throw line (77.8%) while Bloomfield made just 6 of 14 (42.9%). The Deacons held the advantage on the boards 42-34 (23 offensive boards) while both teams committed 19 turnovers (16 assists for USP, 6 for Bloomfield).

Bloomfield led by seven at the break, 32-25 and increased the lead to eight early in the period, 35-28 on a Franklin layup. The Devils used an 8-4 run to cut the lead in half and trailed 39-35 at the 15:23 mark when they turned momentum their way, going on a 9-2 run to take a 44-41 lead at the 8:45 mark. Davitra Goode (Sr., Central Islip HS/Central Islip, N.Y.) started the run off with a short jumper and added a layup after Bloomfield's Shantae Barnes recorded a layup of her own. Weiss' layup at the 10:41 mark tied the game at 41-all. Rance followed with a free throw and Shay Nelson (Jr., Cumberland Regional HS/Woodbury, N.J.) added a layup to complete the run. Bloomfield retook the lead, 49-46 with an 8-2 run, capped by Tania Greenleaf's three point field goal at the 5:18 mark. Rance countered with her third 'trey' of the game to knot the score again at 49-all on the Devils next possession. Tiffany Musgrove added a layup and Rance followed with a running jumper to tie the game again at 51-51 with 3:55 left. The Devils then scored the next six points, getting layups from Rance and Weiss and a pair of free throws from Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, Pa.) (7 points) to lead 57-51 with just 48 ticks left on the clock. USP made seven of eight free throws in the final 30 seconds, outscoring the Deacons 7-1 to make the final score 64-53.

In the first half, the Devils led for most of the way and held their largest margin of the period, six points, 21-15 with 9:23 left before the Deacons went on a 10-2 run to take the lead 25-23 with 4:38 left. The Deacons finished the half with a 7-2 run to take a 32-25 lead at the break, outscoring USP 17-4 over the final 9:23 of the period.

The Devils will return to action on December 28, 2006 when they host Chestnut Hill College. Tip off is slated for 6 p.m.

Cougars Defeat Devils in Overtime (12/9/06)

Mackenzie Lynch scored 44 points as Caldwell College handed the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team their second consecutive home loss, 82-72 in overtime this afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The loss drops the Devils to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Caldwell improves to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in league games.

Lynch connected on 16 of 22 shots from the field and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line to account for her 44 points. She also recorded a double-double, pulling down 22 rebounds. Melissa Freeman and Shannon Coyle added 16 and 11 points respectively. Freeman also recorded a double-double with 13 rebounds.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 24 points on 8-for-20 shooting from the field (4-7 3FG) and 4-5 from the charity stripe. Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, Pa.) added 12 points while dishing out a game high five assists.

The Cougars held a seven point lead late in the second half, 64-57 before the devils rallied to tie the game and send in into overtime. Two free throws by Mary Beth Christian (Jr., Villa Joseph Marie/Warrington, Pa.) with 3:00 left on the clock made the score 64-59. After a Cougar turnover, Rance added a three-point field goal to pull the Devils within two 64-62. Two free throws by Lynch were followed by a layup by Edwards and a short jumper by Autumn Tully (So., Union-Endicott HS/Endicott, N.Y.) and the game was tied at 66-all with 1:15 left. Freeman nailed a jumper with with 53 seconds left and Edwards followed with a layup with 32.4 seconds to even things again at 68-all. The Devils forced a shot clock violation but turned the ball over with 1.4 seconds left, giving the Cougars a final chance. Caldwell could not score and the game headed to overtime.

The Cougars pounced on the Devils right from the opening tap in overtime, scoring the first seven points to take a 75-68 lead with 3:13 left and never looked back as they outscored USP 14-4 in the extra stanza to come away with the 82-72 win. Rance accounted for all four of the Devils' points in the overtime. (1 FG, 2 FT).

Despite shooting just 29.7% from the field in the first half (11-37) the Devils held a 28-26 lead at the break. The Cougars shot 11 for 34 in the period (32.4%). For the game, USP made 26 of 70 shots (1-7 OT) from the field (37.1%) and 16 of 18 from the free throw line (88.9%). Caldwell made 30 of 71 shots (5-7 OT) from the field (42.3%) and 21 of 23 from the free throw line (91.3%). The Cougars also outrebounded the Devils 48-38 to offset their 20 turnovers. The Devils committed 19 turnovers in the loss.

USP will play their next game on the road against Bloomfield College on December 19, 2006. Tip off is slated for 6 p.m.

Comeback Effort by Devils Falls Short (12/7/06)

A strong comeback effort by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia fell short in the final 2:30 minutes as Holy Family University hung on to defeat the Devils 55-48 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball game tonight at the Bobby Morgan Arena on USP's campus.

Holy Family improves to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Devils fall to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in conference games.

Shelby Rance (Sr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, Pa.) led the Devils with 12 points. Rashanna Edwards (Sr., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Cherry Hill, Pa.) added nine and dished out a game high four assists while Allison Weiss (So., Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) had a string of four consecutive double-doubles snapped with a seven-point, seven rebound effort.

The Tigers placed three players in double figures, led by Melissa Broks' 14 points. Kelly Killion and Chrissy Kosiek each added 10 points. Megan Bauer led all players on the boards with nine caroms.

Holy Family used a 13-6 run at the end of the first half to take a 12 point lead into the lockerroom at the break, 26-14. USP connected on just 4 of 21 shots in the period (19%). The Tigers were not much better hitting 10 of 34 (29%).

USP cut the lead in half over the first 8 minutes of the second period with a 12-6 run to make the score 32-26 at the 11:28 mark. Holy Family scored the next five points to go back up by 11, 37-26 with 10:51 left before