University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Women's Basketball  

Stories & Highlights
2007-08 season

Tigers Roar in Second Half to Defeat Devils (3/1/08)

Holy Family University turned a close game into a 19-point lead midway through the second period as they advanced to the Central Atlantic Collegiate conference women’s basketball semi finals with a 60-48 win over the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center in northeast Philadelphia.

The loss ends the Devils season with a 13-15 record. The Tigers, currently ranked fourth nationally in Division II improve to 28-0 on the season and will host Bloomfield College in the semi-final game next Wednesday.

Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with 10 points. Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and junior Kaitlin DuRoss (Ocean City HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) added six points apiece. A trio of player also contributed five points each in the Devils losing effort: freshmen Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/Harrisburg, Pa.) and Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) and junior Autumn Tully (Union-Endicott HS/Endicott, N.Y.). Chesnavich added nine rebounds while senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) grabbed six. Rotz led the Devils with three assists.

Catherine Carr was the lone Tiger in double figures, finishing with a game high 20 points. Christine McCollum and Kelly Killion added seven points apiece. McCollum grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds while Melissa Brooks added 10. Killion led all players with six assists while Lauren Boyer recorded six steals.

A sloppy first five minutes allowed the Tigers to jump out to an early 8-0 lead, which they later boosted to 12 points, 16-4 at the 12:33 mark. USP followed with an 11-4 spurt, getting contributions from five different players to pull back within four, 20-16 with 6:43 left before the Tigers scored the next seven points to boost the lead to 11, 27-16 with 3:22 left. Weiss’ jumper with 3:09 left made the score 27-18 and the Devils then took advantage of two straight Tiger turnovers, getting baskets from freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and another from Weiss to make the score 27-22 which was the score at the break.

Erin Chesnavich opened the second half with a basket to pull the Devils within three 27-24 but a 22-4 burst by Holy Family took much of the air out of the Devils sails and gave the Tigers a 19-point lead 49-30 with 9:25 left in the game. USP cut six points off the lead to close within 13, 49-36 before another small run by the Tigers, a 9-2 effort boosted their lead to its biggest margin, 20, 58-38 with just 1:58 left. USP closed out the game with a 10-2 run to make the final score 60-48.

The Devils shot 42% (21-50) for the game, their best shooting effort against the Tigers since the 2006 CACC Championship game. Holy Family, while shooting nearly seven percentage points lower; 35.4%, made two more field goals than the Devils, hitting 23 of 65 shots. The Tigers also held a big advantage on the free throw line, making ten of 14 (71.4%) to just 3-of-6 for USP. Holy took advantage of 23 USP turnovers, scoring 21 points while the Devils scored just six from the Tigers 12 miscues. The Tigers also held a 39-36 edge on the glass (15-6 on the offensive boards).

Erin Chesnavich concludes the season as the Devils leading scorer with 397 points (14.2/gm). Weiss finished as the Devils leading rebounder with 250 (8.93/gm.) with Chesnavich a close second at 248 (8.86/gm.). Weiss also led the Devils in assists with 113 (4.0/gm.). Chesnavich was the team’s leading shot blocker (41) and freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) led the Devils with 40 steals. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) led the Devils with 38 three-point field goals.

Devils Close out Regular Season with a loss to Bloomfield (2/23/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team came up just short again as they lost to Bloomfield College 55-53 Saturday afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena to close out the regular season.

The loss, the Devils second consecutive two-point loss at home, drops the Devils record to 13-14 on the season and 10-8 in Central atlantic Collegiate Conference games. USP finishes the regular season in fourth place in the CACC South and will have the #4 seed in the upcoming playoffs. The Devils have now reached the post-season in each of head coach Nate Ware's seven seasons at the helm of the USP program. Bloomfield improves to 13-13 overall and 10-6 in league games.

Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) led the Devils with 14 points, connecting on 4-for-11 shots from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Fellow freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) added 10 points off the bench (4-9 FG, 2-6 3 FG) and junior Allison Weiss (Springfield/Springfield, Pa.) recorded her 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/ Warrington, Pa.) (six points) dealt out a game high six assists

Marissa Franklin led the deacons with 18 points while Emily Horrocks added 13. Tiffany Musgrove came off the bench to grab a game high 12 rebounds. Shantae Barnes (eight points) chipped in seven rebounds and four assists while Horrocks added four assists and four steals.

The Devils opened the game by missing their first eight shots from the field yet found themselves only down by seven 9-2 when Christian nailed the first of her two three-point field goals to pull the devils within four, 9-5 with 14:50 left. Hamm later gave the Devils their first lead of the game with a 'trey' at the 4:24 mark, making the score 22-20. Shaw's traditional three-point play later boosted the Devils' lead to six 30-24 before the Deacons scored two straight buckets to close out the half with the Devils leading by two 30-28.

Bloomfield retook the lead in the first five minutes of the second half and led by three, 39-36 when the Devils ran off seven straight points to take a four point lead 43-39 with 7:12 left. Hamm scored the first five points of the run with Erin Chesnavich's (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) layup completing it. Bloomfield then scored seven straight points of their own to retake the lead 46-43 before Christian tied the game for the fifth time with a 3-ball. Both teams exchanged baskets before Shaw put the Devils ahead 50-48 with 2:01 left. Franklin later tied the game at 50-50 with 1:33 left and Ciera Darby provided the eighth lead change of the game and a 52-50 Deacon lead with 1:05 left. Shaw made the first of two free throws with 39 ticks left on the clock to pull USP within one 52-51 but the Deacons made three of four free throws in the final 17 seconds to go up by four 55-51 with five seconds left. A basket by Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) at the buzzer made the final score 55-53.

Neither team shot exceptionally well from the field with the Deacons connecting on 37.3% (22-59, 3-14 3FG) and the Devils making just 34.5% (19-55, 4-16 3FG) of their shots. The Devils held a slight advantage on the free throw line, making 11 of 13 (84.6%) to BC's 8-of-15 (53.3%) but were outrebounded 42-37. The Devils committed 16 turnovers while dishing out 16 assists while the Deacons made 15 miscues while recording 11 assists.

The Devils will face Holy Family University in the first round of the CACC playoffs on Saturday, March 1, 2008. Tip off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Campus Center on the campus of Holy Family.

Wrong Shooter Snaps Devils Home Winning Streak (2/19/08)

A pair of free throws by the wrong shooter with 15.6 seconds left gave Philadelphia University a 73-71 win over the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team Tuesday night at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The loss snaps the Devils six game home winning streak and drops their record to 13-13 overall and 10-7 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Philadelphia University improves to 16-8 overall and 9-6 in league play.

The two free throws by the Rams put a damper on a USP rally which saw the Devils come back from a seven point deficit with 1:54 left to tie the game at 71-71 with 19 seconds left. Trailing 69-62, sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) started the run with a pair of free throws. After a defensive stop, freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) drove baseline for a layup to make the score 69-66 with 1:22 left. Amanda Brennan boosted the Rams led back up to five 71-66 with 36 seconds left before Hamm sank a three-point field goal with 28 seconds left to pull the Devils within two 71-69. After timeouts from both teams, Brennan's inbounds pass was stolen by Hamm who dished it to fellow freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) underneath for the game tying layup. On PU's next possession Stephanie Agger, a 65.3% free throw shooter was fouled just after crossing midcourt. However it was Brennan, an 84.4% shooter who walked to the line to take the one-and-one and promptly made both, giving the Rams a 73-71 lead with just 15.6 seconds left. The USP coaching staff protested the mistake to the game officials but they did not change the shooter to the proper person. The Devils came down the floor quickly and had three chances to tie the game but layup attempts from freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.), Erin Chesnavich and a last chance three point shot from Hamm would not fall and the Rams came away with the win.

Hamm led the Devils with 15 points. Erin Chesnavich added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Lentz, freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) and junior Allison Weiss (Springfield/Springfield, Pa.) finished the game with ten points apiece. Freshman Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) led the Devils with five assists with Marissa Chesnavich and Weiss added four each.

Ashley Webster led all scorers with 21 points while Jessica Romano added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Brennan chipped in 16 points.

For the game, the Devils shot 50% (30-60) from the field while the Rams made 28 of 60 shots (46.7%). The Rams were slightly better from beyond the arc, making five of nine shots while USP made four of 12. Both teams managed 32 rebounds with the Rams holding a 16-14 edge on the offensive glass. Both teams controlled the ball well with the Devils producing a 20/15 assist turnover/ratio and the Rams 14/12.

The Devils close out the regular season with their final home game on Saturday, February 23, 2008 when they host Bloomfield College. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Devils Defeat Warriors for Third Straight Victory (2/16/08)

Caitlin Shaw scored 18 points and Erin Chesnavich recorded her ninth double-double of the season as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team cruised to their third straight victory, defeating Nyack College 63-48 Saturday afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The win improves the Devils record to 13-12 on the season and 10-6 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. The Warriors fall to 9-14 overall and 6-8 in league play.

The freshman Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) connected on six of 12 shots from the field ( 1 3FG) and five of six from the free throw line en route to her game-high 18 points. Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), a sophomore forward, scored 13 points (6-10 FG) and pulled down 11 rebounds, giving her nine double-doubles for the season (2nd most on the team). Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield/Springfield, Pa.) had nine points, six rebounds, three steals and a team-high five assists. Freshmen Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.), and Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.) added eight, seven and six points respectively . Shaw, Christian and freshman Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) also had three assists apiece.

Christy Porter led the Warriors with 14 points ( 5-13 FG, 2-5 3FG, 2-2 FT)/ Tamyra Lathon added 10 points and a game-high six assists and four steals. Sarah Sauer had eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.

The Devils led wire-to-wire but the Warriors kept the game close for most of the first 15 minutes before USP closed out the period with a 10-2 run over the final 4:10. Leading 23-21, the Devils got two quick baskets from Christian to go up by six, 27-21. Sauer brought the lead back down to four with a pair of free throws before Shaw scored the half's final six points to give USP a 33-23 lead at the break.

The lead shuffled between 10 and 15 points for the first seven minutes of the second half before the Devils pulled away, scoring eleven straight points to boost the lead to 24 points. Erin Chesnavich started the run with a layup and followed with a 16 ft. baseline jumper which drew a foul. Chesnavich missed the free throw but Hamm, the shortest player on the floor at the time, got inside to grab the rebound. Christian later drove the lane and laid in in for a 51-32 USP lead. Another short jumper by Erin Chesnavich followed before Hamm ended the run with a three point field goal at the 5:56 mark, making the score 56-32. USP still led by 23, 63-40 with 2:44 left before Porter scored the game's final eight points ( 2'trey's, 2 FT's) to make the final score 63-48.

The Devils turned in a 50% shooting effort, making 25 of 50 shots from the field (3-8 3FG). Nyack made just 17 of 49 (4-12 3FG) shots from the field (34.7%). Both teams made 10 free throws with the Warriors missing just two attempts and the Devils five. USP also held a 33-28 advantage on the glass and had the better assist/turnover ratio 17/16 to 8/18 on the night.

The Devils return to action on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 when they face Philadelphia University at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Devils Push Past Lions and Climb to .500 (2/13/08)

Erin and Marissa Chesnavich combined for 26 points as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team led wire-to-wire as they won their second consecutive game, 66-52 over Georgian Court University Wednesday night at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The win evens the Devils record at 12-12 on the season and improves their record in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games to 9-6. The Lions fall to 7-17 overall and 4-11 in league play.

Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), a sophomore forward, made seven of 12 shots from the field for a game-high 14 points, while pulling down eight rebounds. Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), a freshman forward, made six of eight shots from the field for 12 points while grabbing five boards. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield/Springfield, Pa.) also scored 14 points (4-7 FG, 6-7 FT) while dishing out a game high seven assists.

The Lions were led by Patricia Foley's 14 points (4-13 FG, 6-6 FT) and seven rebounds. Miesha Barksdale added 12 points while Tiffani Brown chipped in 11 points while grabbing six rebounds.

In the opening period, the Devils opened the game making 11 of their first 14 shots and led 23-13 with 9:48 left in the period. Georgian Court then went on a 9-3 run to pull within four, 26-22 with 3:13 left in the period before the Devils closed out the period with a 12-2 spurt, getting four points from Weiss and Marissa Chesnavich and a layup from freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) at the buzzer to go up by 12, 36-24. The Devils finished the half making just five of their final 14 shots to finish the period shooting 57.1% (16-28).

The run continued into the second half as the Devils added a 13-3 mark in the opening 5:06 to lead by 22, 49-27 with 14:54 left. Weiss scored the first four points of the run, followed by a layup from Erin Chesnavich and a traditional three-point play by freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.). Marissa Chesnavich closed out the run with two straight layups. Stephanie Longdo had a basket and Brown a free throw to account for Georgian's three points during the USP run.

The Devils gradually built the lead up to 27, 58-31 with 7:36 left when Barksdale scored six straight points to cut the lead to 21, 58-37. Junior Autumn Tully's (Union-Endicott HS/Endicott, N.Y.) layup boosted the lead back to 23, 60-37 with 5:08 left before the Lions closed out the game with a 15-6 run to make the final score 66-52.

USP finished the game, shooting 52.7% (29-55) from the field while the Lions shot 30.5% (18-59). The Lions did hold a 15-8 advantage on the free throw line, making 15-of-20 (75%) to USP's 8-of-13 (61.5%). The Devils held a 37-32 advantage on the boards while turning the ball over 27 times (19 assists). The Lions committed 22 turnovers (three assists).

USP returns to action on Saturday, February 15, 2008 when they host Nyack College. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m. The Devils will play their final regular season games on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 (Philadelphia University) and Saturday, February 23, 2008 (Bloomfield College).

Devils Rally to Defeat Griffins in Overtime (2/11/08)

Colleen Christian hit three free throws with 5.3 second left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia rallied to defeat Chestnut Hill College in the extra stanza 74-68 Monday night at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Devils and improves their record to 11-12 overall and 8-6 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. The Griffins fall to 3-19 overall and 1-19.

Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Eleven of Weiss' points came in the second half with another eight coming in the extra period. Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.), a freshman guard, recorded a career-high 16 points while fellow freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) added 11 points and eight rebounds. Senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) came off the bench to grab eight rebounds and record a career-high five blocked shots. Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) also had five blocks as the Devils recorded a season-high 14 in the game.

Tara Walsh led the Griffins with 22 points while Jenna Beck added 14 points and 15 rebounds. Jessica Pruiti and Marianne Finfrock each had 13 points. Carley Glass dished out a game-high six assists.

The Devils had trailed by the entire game and were down by five points, 56-51 with a minute left in regulation when they rallied tie the score and force overtime. Freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) drove baseline for a layup with 51 seconds left to make the score 56-53. Weiss then got a big steal on the Griffins next possession as the Devils cut the deficit to one 56-55 with 32 seconds left. USP then fouled with 11 seconds left and Maryanne Glass sank two free throws to give the Griffins a 58-55 lead. Needing a three-point field goal to tie the game, Christian prepared to take the shot some two feet behind the arc at the top of the key and was fouled by Walsh (her fifth of the game) in the process. Christian, an 85% free throw shooter, calmly made all three shots to tie the game at 58-58. Chestnut Hill could not get a shot off in time and the game went into overtime.

Weiss opened the overtime with a traditional three-point play, giving the Devils a 61-58 lead, their first of the game. A short jumper by Christian with 1:50 left later put the Devils up by four, 66-62 before Weiss added another traditional three-point play to give USP a seven point lead 69-62 with 1:06 left. Finfrock cut the lead to four with a 'trey' but Christian sank two free throws to boost the lead back to six 71-65 with 48.7 seconds left. Another Griffin '3-ball', this one by Jessica Pruiti made the game a one-possession game, 71-68 with 25 seconds left but a free throw by Christian and two more by Weiss (who had eight points in the overtime) sealed the win, 74-68.

USP finished the game shooting just 31.5% (23-73) from the field and 2-19 from beyond the arc (10.5%). fifteen of USP's three-point attempts came in the first half as the entered the break trailing by six 36-30. Chestnut Hill shot slightly better making 25 of 70 (35.7%) and were a blistering 46.7% (7-15) from beyond the arc. Chestnut Hill made all 11 of their free throws but were outscored on the charity stripe as the Devils made 26 of 37 shots (70.3%). The Devils also held a 52-47 advantage on the board and committed a season-low seven turnovers (to 14 for the Griffins) while dishing out 16 assists (13 for CHC).

USP returns to action on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 when they face Georgian Court University at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.

Wildcats Show Claws in Nail-Biter (2/9/08)

The Wilmington University Wildcats pulled away late in the second half as they handed the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team their second straight conference loss, 55-46 Saturday afternoon at the Pratt Center in New Castle, Delaware.

The loss drops the Devils record to 10-12 overall and 7-6 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. The Wildcats improve to 15-8 overall and 10-5 in league play. Wilmington is currently ranked #10 in the Northeast Regional basketball poll.

Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led the Devils with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.) came off the bench to score nine points, including a four-point play in the first half. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with five assists. Weiss also pulled down nine rebounds.

Nordia Henry led the Wildcats with 15 points and 12 rebounds while Sherrelle Holmes added 14 points (8-9 FT) all in the second half. Jamie Gallagher added nine points.

The Devils scored the first six points of the game only to have the Wildcats come right back and keep the game close throughout the rest of the half, with neither team leading by more than three points. The teams entered the locker rooms at the break tied at 23-23.

Wilmington opened the second half scoring the first four points of the period to take a 27-23 lead before the Devils came back to take a 35-34 lead on a basket by freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) at the 10:55 mark. Gallagher and freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) traded three-point field goals and the Devils maintained their one-point lead. Hamm added another ‘trey’ at the 5:46 mark to put the Devils up by three 41-38 before the Wildcats ran off seven straight points to take a 45-41 lead. Shaw’s basket at the 3:57 mark made the score 45-43 but this was as close as the Devils would get as the Wildcats pulled away making seven of eight free throws in the final 90 seconds to seal the win 55-46.

The Wildcats finished the game with a 3-to-1 advantage on the charity stripe making 18 of 22 shots while the Devils made just six of nine. The Devils shot 38.3% from the field (18-47) to WU’s 32.1% (17-53). The Wildcats held the advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Devils 38-31 (14-6 on the offensive glass). USP also committed 18 turnovers to the Wildcats 11.

The Devils return to action on Monday, February 11, 2008 when they host Chestnut Hill College. Tip off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Devils Unable to Overcome Rams (2/7/08)

Philadelphia University led wire-to-wire as they handed the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team their fifth conference loss of the season, 71-62 Thursday night at the Gallagher Center in Philadelphia.

The loss drops the Devils record to 10-11 overall and 7-5 in Central Atlantic Collegiate conference games. The Rams improve to 13-7 overall and 6-5 in league games. USP also falls to third place in the CACC South standings with the loss, ½ game behind Wilmington University, their opponent this Saturday.

Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) led the Devils with 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/ Eatontown, N.J.) joined Weiss as the only other USP player in double figures, scoring 13 points. Fellow freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South/Warrington, Pa.) led the Devils with five assists while Weiss contributed four.

The Rams placed four players in double figures, led by Amanda Brennan’s 19 points. Ashley Webster added 17 points while Jessica Romano chipped in 16 points and 12 boards. Kate Brennan added 11 points.

The Devils struggled from the onset as starter and leading scorer Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) saw just three minutes of action in the first half, picking up two quick fouls and later a third on a questionable call which changed the complexion of the game. The Devils had rallied and trailed by just three points when Chesnavich left at the 13:09 mark. Less than a minute later, the Devils trailed by seven and the Rams went on to build a 15-point lead late in the half before settling in for a 13-point advantage at the break, 41-28.

Philadelphia built the lead to 17 points early in the half before the Devils scored six straight to cut the deficit to 11, 49-38 at the 16:01 mark. The Rams again built the lead to 14 and again the Devils rallied to cut the deficit, this time to nine, 56-47 on five straight points from Weiss. Philadelphia countered with five straight points before three-point field goals from freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) and Christian made it an eight-point game, 61-53 with 7:27 left. USP held the Rams on the next possession and had the chance to cut the lead to six but failed to score. The Rams then boosted the lead back to 12, 65-53, and held it until the final seconds when Chesnavich’s put-back made the final score 71-62.

For the game the Devils shot 37.3% (25-67) from the field but were only 3-for-16 (18.8%) from beyond the arc. The Rams meanwhile made eight three-pointers (8-14, 57.1%) and shot 46.9% for the game (30-64). Both teams shot 75% from the free throw line with the Devils holding a 9-3 advantage in made shots. USP held a slight edge on the boards, 40-39 and committed just 12 turnovers. However the Rams took full advantage, scoring 13 points off USP miscues, while the Devils managed just five points off 14 Ram miscues.

The Devils will play their final regular season road game on Saturday, February 9, 2008 when they travel south to face Wilmington University. The Devils defeated the Wildcats, now ranked #10 in the Northeast Region, earlier this season, 77-68 in Philadelphia. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Devils Earn a Road Victory; Defeat Golden Falcons (2/5/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team won a game on the road for the first time since January 17, 2008 when they defeated Felician College 60-51 Tuesday night in Rutherford, New Jersey.

The win, USP's first in the last five road games, including tonight's, improves their record to 10-10 overall. Felician falls to 3-18 overall. Tonight's game was a non-conference contest.

Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led the Devils with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Erin made six of 11 shots from the field and was 2-for-3 from the free throw line. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) added 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting and a pair of free throws. Weiss also pulled down nine rebounds. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) added ten points and three steals. Senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) dished out a game-high four assists.

Dee Dee Smith led the Golden Falcons with 16 points and six rebounds. Janelle Biamonte added 14 points and six rebounds. Smith also had five steals for the game.

Neither team led by more than four points for much of the first half before the Devils went on a 10-2 run in the final five minutes to take a nine-point lead at the break. Weiss scored the first four points of the run, followed by a pair of Christian free throws and another free throw from Chesnavich. Christian capped the run with a three-point field goal to make the score 28-19 heading into halftime.

Biamonte opened the second half with a 'trey' to cut the lead to six before the Devils embarked on a 15-4 run to take control of the game with a 17-point lead. Freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) started things off with a pair of free throw and a short jumper. Two possessions later Weiss put back her own miss for the Devils sixth straight point. Smith broke the streak with a steal and a layup but Weiss scored the next four points and Erin Chesnavich followed with a basket to make the score 40-24 at the 12:24 mark. Amanda Bartee added a layup before Erin Chesnavich converted a traditional three-point play to make the score 43-26 with 11:34 left.

USP still led by 16 50-34, courtesy of Christian's second 'trey' of the game with 4:09 left when the Golden Falcons scored seven straight points to reduce the lead to single digits, 50-41 with just 1:29 left. Felician could get no closer as the Devils made 10 free throws in the final 1:10 to seal the win, 60-51.

For the game, the Devils shot a respectable 41.7% (20-48) from the field while the Golden Falcons made just 15 of 42 shots (35.7%). Both teams made 18 free throws and Felician was one better from beyond the arc, 3 to 2. USP outrebounded Felician 40-23 and turned in a slightly better assist/turnover margin 12/23 to 8/21.

The Devils return to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action on Thursday, February 7, 2008 when they travel cross town to face Philadelphia University. Tip off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Lightning Strikes down Devils (2/2/08)

Goldey-Beacom College used a seven point spurt to take control of the game as the first half ended as they handed the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia a 71-64 defeat in a Central Atlantic Collegiate conference women’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Joseph West Jones Center in Wilmington, Delaware.

The loss drops the Devils record to 9-10 overall and 7-4 in league play. The Lightning improve to 7-12 overall and 5-6 in league games.

Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led the Devils with 17 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) added 15 points while fellow freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) came off the bench to score nine points (three three-point field goals). Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) also pulled down eight rebounds while senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) led the Devils with four assists.

Toni Jones, who scored 31 points in the first meeting this season between the two teams, burned the Devils for 29 points in this contest, including a 10-11 effort from the free throw line. Jones led four GBC players in doubles figures. Natasha Scott added 12 points while Janae Weldon and Nicole Turoni each had ten. Jones also had 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

USP clung to a one point lead, 23-22 late in the first half when the Lightning scored the last seven points of the period to take a 29-23 lead into the locker room at the break. A three-point field goal by Jacinda Jones to open the second period gave GBC a nine point lead 32-23 before the Devils rallied to pull within one.

Shaw’s layup following the Jones ‘trey’ ignited a 12-4 spurt that saw the Devils cut the lead to one 36-35 with 17:27 left. Freshman Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/Harrisburg, Pa.) had two three-point field goals during the run. After Chesnavich’s layup completed the run, GBC went on an 8-2 spurt to go back up by seven, 44-37 with 15:49 left. From this point it was an uphill battle for the Devils who narrowed the lead to four 52-48 on a Lentz layup with 6:51 left only to again fall behind by eight, 62-54 with 3:22 left.

The Devils made one last run, scoring the next five points to pull within three, 62-59 with 2:06 left, getting a ‘trey’ from Christian and a layup from Chesnavich. Jones then added two straight layups and Weldon one free throw to boost the Lightning’s lead back to eight, 67-59 with 41 seconds left. Shaw broke the string with a layup but the Lightning followed with four straight points to take their biggest lead 71-61 before Shaw’s traditional three-point play made the final score 71-64.

For the game, the Devils made 27 of 60 shots from the field (45%) but took an uncharacteristic 25 three-point attempts (a school record), and making just five. Goldey-Beacom made 24 of 63 shots from the field (38.1%) and was 5-for-19 from beyond the arc (26.3%). For the first time in ten games, the Devils lost the battle on the glass, as the Lightning held a 40-34 advantage. The Lightning also held a solid advantage on the free throw line, making 18 of 21 (85.7%) compared to USP’s 5 of 9 (55.6%). USP committed 15 turnovers (12 in the first half) compared to just nine for Goldey-Beacom.

USP returns to action on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 when they travel north to face Felician College in a non-conference game in Rutherford, New Jersey.

Balanced Offense Helps Devils Defeat Wildcats (1/31/08)

Sophomore Erin Chesnavich led six players in double figures as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team held off Wilmington University and snapped a three-game losing streak with a 77-68 win Thursday night at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The win improves the Devils record to 9-9 overall and 7-3 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. USP moves a half-game ahead of the Wildcats in the CACC South division standings with the win. The Wildcats fall to 12-7 overall and 7-4 in league games.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) connected on nine of 13 shots from the field and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line to lead all scorers with 21 points. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.) came off the bench to contribute 14 points on 4-for 10 shooting (3-6 3FG). Also coming off the bench and reaching double figures was senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.). Lentz was 5-for-9 from the field for 10 points. Hayley also grabbed seven rebounds and recorded five assists. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.) and freshmen Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/ Eatontown, N.J.) and Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) added 10 points apiece. Weiss also had seven rebounds and a game-high eight assists. Shaw added nine rebounds while Christian dished out four assists, had two steals and a blocked shot. Erin Chesnavich led the Devils with three blocks on the night.

The Wildcats placed four players in double figures led by Kim Parker's 19 points. Amelia Simmons added 16 points while Jamie Gallagher (5 3's) had 15 points. Nordia Henry had 10 points and pulled down a game high 16 rebounds. Sherrelle Holmes had six assists.

It was the Wildcats who led in the game for the nearly all of the first 12 minutes of play until Marissa Chesnavich converted her second straight layup to give the Devils a 22-20 lead. The Devils led 24-22 when they went on an 11-0 run to boost their lead to double digits as the half was winding down.

Shaw started the run with a short jumper followed by a 'trey' by Christian. Erin Chesnavich then scored three straight baskets to complete the run and make the score 35-22 with 36 seconds left in the period. Parker's trey with 15 seconds make the score 35-25 at the break.

A layup by Weiss and a 3-ball from Marissa Chesnavich started the Devils off in the second period, boosting the lead to 15, 40-25 in the opening minute of play. Over the next three minutes the Wildcats went on a 14-3 run to pull within four 43-39 at the 16:07 mark. A traditional three-point play from Parker started thing off. Gallagher's two 'treys' highlighted the run which also saw the Devils lose Erin Chesnavich, who went to the bench after picking up her fourth foul at the 16:41 mark. Once the Wildcats pulled within four, the Devils, following a timeout to talk things over, scored the next six points to go back up by 10, 49-39, getting baskets from Shaw, Lentz and Weiss.

Wilmington rallied again, recording a 10-2 spurt to pull within two 51-49 with 12:31 left. After USP boosted their lead back up to seven, the lead fluctuated between five and seven points until Marissa Chesnavich's layup at the 6:53 mark gave the Devils a nine-point lead 64-55. Again the Wildcats rallied, scoring the next eight points to pull within one 64-63 with 3:46 left before the Devils dug in for the final three minutes of play.

Still leading 66-65 with 2:59 left Christian sank two free throws to boost the lead to three 68-65 before Holmes made the second of two free throws. Erin Chesnavich, now back in the lineup for the stretch run, added a traditional three-point play to make the score 71-66 with 2:17 left. Lentz's layup at the 1:00 mark boosted the lead back to seven 73-66 and Weiss added two free throws courtesy of a Wilmington bench technical foul with 37 seconds left to give the Devils a nine point lead 75-66. Shaw and Christian each added a free throw to close out USP's scoring as they defeated the Wildcats by nine, 77-68.

The Devils shot 53.4% for the game (31-58, 4-9 3FG) while the Wildcats shot 41.9% (26-62, 8-20 3FG). From the charity stripe the Devils held a slight advantage, 11 of 16 to 8 of 12. The Devils also held a 41-29 edge on the boards and produced a 21/15 assist/turnover ration (Wilmington was 13/11).

Next for the Devils is their game on Saturday, February 2, 2008 at Goldey Beacom College. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Chargers Deal Devils their Third Straight Loss (1/26/08)

The frontcourt duo of Erin Chesnavich and Allison Weiss combined for 37 points but it was turnovers that did the Devils in as Dominican College handed the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team their third consecutive loss, 63-56 Saturday afternoon in Orangeburg, New York.

The Devils fall to 8-9 overall and 6-3 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Dominican improves to 14-4 overall and 7-1 in league play.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), a sophomore, led all scorers with 21 points, connecting on 10 of 14 shots from the field. Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.), a junior, added 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Weiss also recorded her second consecutive double-double, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds. Chesnavich added nine boards while senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) grabbed eight caroms and dished out five assists. Weiss also led all players in the assist column with six.

Dominican placed four players in double figures, led by Dana Rotio’s 18 points. Kristen Tracey added 16, Althea Chambers 14 and Adele Laskowski 10. Laskowski led the Chargers with five rebounds and five assists. Rotio registered four steals.

Ball control was a factor in the game as the Devils turned the ball over eight times in the first 3:48 allowing the Chargers to jump out to a 13-4 lead. The Devils battled back with a 15-4 run to take a 19-18 lead with 9:38 left in the half. Traditional three-point plays by Weiss and Chesnavich started the rally. Laskowski’s foul line jumper boosted DC’s lead back to eight before Chesnavich added a layup and freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.) nailed a three-pointer to pull the Devils within three. Two more baskets by Chesnavich and the Devils took their first lead of the game, 19-18. The Chargers came back to take a 26-24 lead before the Devils closed out the half with an 8-3 spurt to lead by three 32-29.

USP shot 70% (14-20) in the first half but that was offset by 16 turnovers leading to 17 points for the Chargers who shot just 25.7% in the period (9-35). Six of Dominican’s nine baskets came from beyond the arc where they actually shot better (6-16, 37.5%).

The Chargers again went to the long ball in the second half with Laskowski hitting two in the first six minutes to turn a three-point deficit into a six point Charger lead, 44-38 at the 14:12 mark. DC still led 50-44 when the Devils went on a 10-4 run to tie the game for the fifth time. Single free throws by Weiss and Lentz shaved the deficit to four and tow free throws from freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/ Sharon Hill, Pa.) cut the margin to two 50-48. Chambers and Weiss each exchanged free throws and two more from the charity stripe by Rotio made the score 54-50. A short jumper by freshman Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) followed before Weiss completed the run with a layup to tie the game at 54-54 with 6:35 left. A three-pointer by Rotio then started a 9-2 run by the Chargers to close out the game and give Dominican a sweep of the season series and their first win against the Devils on their home court since December 18, 2002.

The Devils finished the game shooting 52.4% (22-42) but were just 2-for-9 from beyond the arc (22.2%). The Chargers took 22 more shots than the Devils and made two fewer field goals, hitting 20 of 66 shots for a 30.3% effort. DC however was 12 of 30 from beyond the arc (40%). USP made 10 of 12 free throws (83.3%) while Dominican made 11 of 16 (68.8%). The Devils held a 40-30 advantage on the boards but finished the game with 26 turnovers to just 10 for the Chargers.

The Devils return to action on Thursday to face Wilmington College at the Bobby Morgan Arena. The Wildcats currently sit in third place, one game behind the Devils heading into Saturday’s action. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Tenth Ranked Tigers Hand Devils Second Straight Loss (1/23/08)

The Holy Family University Tigers built a double digit lead early in the game as they went on to defeat the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 74-52 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference southern division women’s basketball match Wednesday night at the Campus Center in Northeast Philadelphia.

The loss, the Devils second straight, drops their overall record to 8-8 and their conference record to 6-2. USP remains in second place in the CACC South, two games behind the Tigers who improved to 8-0 in league play and 16-0 overall. Holy Family is ranked tenth nationally in the most recent WBCA top 25 poll.

Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) and Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led the Devils with 15 points apiece. Weiss also recorded her sixth double-double of the season, pulling down 10 rebounds and led the Devils with five assists. Chesnavich also had eight rebounds on the night.

Catherine Carr led the Tigers and all scorers with 22 points (13 in the first half). Kelly Killion added 17 while Christine McCollum chipped in 11. Melissa Brooks led the Tigers with seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Killion also had a game high six assists.

The Devils kept the game close early in the game, trailing by only six in the first five minutes before the Tigers went on a 16-3 run to take a 19 point lead, 28-9 with 8:08 left. The Devils pulled as close as 17 before the Tigers settled in for a 20-point halftime advantage, 42-22.

Killion opened the second half with a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 23-point lead 45-22 before the Devils turned it up a notch, outscoring the Tigers, 15-4 over the next 7:24 to pull within 12, 49-37. Chesnavich and McCollum exchanged baskets, keeping the lead at 23. Erin Chesnavich, freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) followed with baskets and Weiss completed a traditional three-point play to make the score 47-31. Erin Chesnavich then connected on the Devils eighth and ninth straight points and the lead was down to 14. Carr broke the string with a jumper and USP’s Kaitlin DuRoss (Jr., Ocean city HS/Sea Isle City, N.J.) and Weiss each scored to cut the lead to 12, 49-37 with 11:26 left.

The Tigers scored the next seven points to go back up by 19, 56-37 before freshman Colleen Christian’s (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) free throws broke the run, cutting the lead back to 17, 56-39 with 7:53 left. This was as close as the Devils would get as the Tigers eventually built a 25-point margin in the final two minutes before settling in for the 22-point win.

Holy Family connected on 31 of 69 shots (44.9%) for the game, including an 18-35 (51.4%) mark in the opening period. The Devils shot 35.7% (20-56) for the game. The Tigers also fared much better from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 15 shots (46.7%) to USP’s 1-for-7 (14.3%). The Devils held the advantage on the free throw line, hitting 11 of 15 while the Tigers made just five of eight. USP also held a 41-38 advantage on the boards but committed 21 turnovers to just nine from the Tigers.

The Devils return to action when they take on Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York on Saturday, January 26, 2008. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Warriors Snap Devils Win Streak (1/19/08)

Alyssa Hamm led three players in double figures and Allison Weiss recorded a double-double but the East Stroudsburg University Warriors snapped the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team’s six game win streak with a 70-58 win Saturday at the Koehler Fieldhouse in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

The loss drops the Devils record to 8-7. East Stroudsburg improves to 7-8.

The freshman Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) came off the bench to score 15 points. Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.), a junior forward added 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and pulled down 13 rebounds. Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/ Eatontown, N.J.) also reached the double figure mark with 13 points. Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led all players with 14 rebounds. Erin also contributed two blocked shots and three steals.

The Warriors were also led by a player coming off the bench. Jhazmin Brown was one of three ESU players in double figures and scored 16 points. Jackie Yandrisevits added 15 points while Keri Cahill chipped in 14, also coming off the bench. Yandrisevits and Monika Fogelsanger paced ESU’s rebounding efforts with seven apiece. Kristen Murray added six rebounds and five steals.

USP had an off-day shooting from the free throw line, making just nine of 17 for the game (52.9%) while the Warriors were converting 18 of 20 attempts (90%). For the game the Devils made 22 of 65 shots (33.8%) from the field including a 5-for-18 effort from beyond the arc (27.8%). ESU shot 41.7% (25-60, 2-13 3FG) from the field. The Devils however committed 27 turnovers on the afternoon to ESU’s 16, and produced an 8/27 assist turnover mark to ESU’s 15/16.

The Devils trailed by as many as nine in the second half but used a 10-2 run in the final six minutes to pull within one at the break 31-30. ESU opened the half with a 7-2 spurt to go back up by six 38-32 before the Devils ran off a 7-2 run of their own to climb back within one, 40-39 with 14:28 left. Layups by Shaw and Weiss and Hamm’s ‘trey’ accounted for the Devils seven points in the run.

After the Hamm basket, the Warriors began to pull away, outscoring the Devils 19-7 over the next 6:01 to pull ahead by 13, 59-46 with 8:27 left. A jumper by Hamm and two free throws by freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/ Warrington, Pa.) brought the Devils back within nine, 59-50 with 7:31 left before Cahill’s running three-point field goal from about 25 feet out as the shot clock expired gave the Warriors a 12-point lead 62-50. ESU still led by 12 when two layups by Shaw cut the deficit to eight, 64-56 with just 1:38 left. The Warriors then sank four straight free throws and got a coast-to-coast layup from Brown to boost their lead to their biggest margin, 14, 70-56 with a minute left to play. Shaw added a layup with 41 seconds left for the final points of the game, leaving the Devils on the short end of a 70-58 score.

The Devils return to action on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 when they take on the first place Tigers of Holy Family University in northeast Philadelphia. Tip off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Defense Prevails as Devils Defeat Griffins (1/17/08)

Erin Chesnavich led four players in double figures as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia limited Chestnut Hill College to five second half field goals to defeat the Griffins 75-54 Thursday night in a Central Atlantic Collegiate conference women’s basketball game at the Sorgenti Arena in Philadelphia.

The win was USP’s sixth straight win, improving their record to 8-6 overall and 6-1 in league play. Chestnut Hill falls to 2-12 overall and 0-6 in league games.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) scored a team high 15 points (7-12 FG) and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds en route to her third straight double-double and her fourth in five games. The sophomore forward also had four block shots on the evening. Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) added 14 points (7-9 FG) and junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) chipped in 12 points. Weiss also pulled down nine rebounds, dished out a game-high six assists and had three blocks. Freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) rounded out the players in double figures for the Devils with 10 points, while senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) added a season high nine points (4-4 FG, 1-1 FT). Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.) (7 points) dished out four assists.

Tara Walsh led the Griffins with 21 points including a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Jenna Beck and Jessica Pruiti added nine points apiece. Beck and Carley Glass led the Griffins with four rebounds each and Katelin Formica dished out a team-high four assists.

USP’s defense held the Griffins in the second half to just 20% shooting (5-25) while they dominated on the boards in the period, 32-7. The Devils shot 50% in the period (16-32) to finish the game shooting 47.1% (32-68) on the night. Chestnut Hill finished the game making 17 of 55 shots (30.9%). The Griffins also held a big advantage on the free throw line making 19 of 23 (82.6%) to USP’s 6 of 7 (85.7%). USP’s 32-7 second half rebounding advantage propelled them to a 51-26 margin for the game. The Devils also put up a good assist turnover mark (19/16) to Chestnut Hill’s (10/12).

There were nine ties and two lead changes in the first half of play before the Devils closed out the period with a 9-2 run over the last 3:30 to take a 38-31 lead at the break. Marissa Chesnavich started the run with a short jumper, followed by a pair of Weiss free throws. Lentz then put back a miss for a layup and was fouled in the process. After converting the shot for the three-point play, the Devils now led 36-29 with 2:38 left. CHC’s Megan Clodgo broke the spurt with a pair of free throws before Shaw closed out the period with a layup.

The scoring continued at the start of the seconds half as the Devils opened the period with a 16-2 spurt over the first 5:40 to take a 21-point lead 54-33. Layups by Shaw and Erin Chesnavich started things off which the latter turning into a three-point play. After a free throw by Weiss, Walsh made a pair of shots from the charity stripe to make the score 44-33. The Devils then ran off ten straight points to complete the run, with Weiss and Shaw getting four points apiece to give the Devils their 21-point lead.

The Griffins countered with seven straight points to cut the lead back to 14, 54-40 at the 11:18 mark before Shaw added two short jumpers to give USP an 18-point lead, 58-40 with 10:22 left. Chestnut Hill battled back, eventually cutting the lead to 15, 63-48 on Walsh’s field goal with 5:33 left. The basket would be their last of the game as they managed just six more points all from the foul line as USP closed out the game with a 12-6 run.

Erin Chesnavich started their final run with a layup and after Glass connected on the first of two free throws, freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) sank a three-point field goal from the corner to make the score 68-49. Christian followed with a basket and later sank the last of the Devils three three-pointers in the period. Lentz closed out the scoring for the Devils with a foul-line jumper at the 2:07 mark. Walsh’s two free throws for the Griffins with 1:48 left made the final score 75-54.

The Devils are back on the road on Saturday, January 19, 2008 when they travel northward to take on East Stroudsburg University in a non-conference game. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Devils Tame Lions for Fifth Straight Win (1/15/08)

Allison Weiss led three players in double figures as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team won their fifth straight contest 59-47 over Georgian Court University Tuesday night in Lakewood, New Jersey.

The win improves the Devils record to 7-6 overall and 5-1 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) games. Georgian Court falls to 5-9 overall and 2-4 in league play.

Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) , a junior forward, led all scorers with 15 points, connecting on three of six shots from the field and nine of 11 from the free throw line. Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) added 14 points including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Junior Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) recorded her second consecutive double- double with 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South/Warrington, Pa.) led the Devils with five assists while chipping in nine points.

Stephanie Longdo came off the bench to lead the Lions with 14 points. Tiffani Brown pulled down 10 rebounds and Dee Varley, GCU’s leading scorer coming into the game, was held to zero points on the night, but dished out a team-high five assists.

The Devils led by 12 early in the second half, 33-21 when the Lions went on a 14-6 run to cut USP’s lead to four, 39-35 with 13:40 left in the game, getting a pair of three-point field goals from Sasha Simpson and another from Lauren Staats during the run. Chesnavich put an end to the run with six straight points to boost the Devils lead back to 10, 45-35 with 10:44 left.

Longdo added a running jumper and a three-pointer to cut the Devils lead in half before the Devils put the game out of reach with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 15 points. Weiss started the run with a pair of free throws. Shaw followed with a short jumper to make the score 49-40. Weiss again went to the line on the Devils next possession, making one of two to make the score 50-40 with 5:26 left. After a missed shot by the Lions, Christian nailed her only ‘trey’ of the game to make the score 53-40. Chesnavich closed out the run with a pair of free throws.

The Lions pulled within 10 in the final minute of play, 57-47 but that was as close as they would come as Christian made two free throws to close out the scoring and give the Devils a 59-47 win.

Both teams made 17 field goals on the night with the Devils shooting slightly better 33.3% (17-51) to 28.3% (17-60). USP held a big advantage on the free throw line, hitting 24 of 30 shots (80%) while Georgian court made just six of seven (85.7%). The Devils held a 34-26 advantage on the boards while both teams committed 20 turnovers.

The Devils return to action on Thursday, January 17, 2008 when they face Chestnut Hill College in a CACC southern division matchup on the campus of the Griffins. Tip off is set for 6:00 p.m.

Devils Strike Win over Lightning (1/12/08)

Erin Chesnavich recorded her second double-double in three games and as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team won their fourth straight game, defeating Goldey Beacom College 70-67 Saturday afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The Devils improve to 6-6 overall and move into sole possession of second place in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Southern Division with a 4-1 conference record. The Lightning drop to 5-8 overall and 3-2 in league play.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) connected on 11 of 16 shots from the field and six of seven from the free throw line en route to a team-high 28 points. The sophomore forward also pulled down a career high 15 rebounds and had five blocked shots. In the second half alone, Chesnavich had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) equaled her career high with 19 points (8-15 FG, 2-2 FT). Fellow freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.) added 10 points and had a game-high six assists. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) also had six assists and reached the 10-rebuond mark for the second consecutive game, pulling down 12 caroms.

The Lightning were led by Toni Jones, who scored 31 of GBC's 67 points. Jacinda Jones added 22 points while Natasha Scott chipped in 10. Jones also recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds, while Jones added nine boards and four steals. Janae Weldon dished out five assists.

The game was close throughout, with neither team gaining more than a six point advantage at any giving time during the 40 minutes of play. The Lightning struck first, opening up a six point advantage in the first half, 20-14 on Scott's three-point field goal. The Devils followed with a 9-2 run over the next 4:02 to take a one-point lead 23-22. Shaw started the run with a layup and Chesnavich and Weiss each added a pair of free throws. Freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) capped the run with a three-point field goal at the 7:20 mark. From there until the end of the period there were four lead changes and two ties with the Lightning holding a 34-32 advantage at the break.

The Devils opened the second half with an 11-4 run to take a five point lead 43-38 at the 15:38 mark. Chesnavich had nine of the Devils points during the run, connecting on four straight field goals while adding a free throw to complete a three-point play for good measure. The Lightning followed with four straight points to pull within one, 43-42 before the Devils got another pair of free throws from Weiss and a '3-ball' from Christian to boost their lead to six, 48-42 with 14:05 left. USP still led by six, 52-46 when the Lightning struck for a 14-6 spurt to retake the lead.

The Devils had trouble keeping up with the Joneses during the GBC run as Jacinda Jones scored six points (all on free throws) and Toni Jones added in the other eight points as the Lightning forged ahead 60-58 with 4:45 left. USP countered by scoring the next six points to retake the lead.

Weiss dumped a pass underneath to Chesnavich for a layup and a foul at the 3:30 mark to tie the game at 60-60. Erin converted the free throw for a 61-60 Devil lead and then grabbed the rebounds off a missed shot on the other end of the floor. Christian followed with her second 'trey' of the game and the Devils now led by four 64-60. After a layup by Jacinda Jones, Chesnavich added two more layups to boost USP's lead back up to six, 68-62 with 69 ticks left on the clock. The Joneses struck again as Toni Jones hit a jumper and Jacinda Jones a three-pointer to reduce the USP lead to one 68-67 with 13.7 seconds left. Freshman Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) then sank two critical free throws with 7.2 seconds left to make the final score 70-67. Jacinda Jones' three-point attempt as time was running out was blocked by Chesnavich and fell well short of the basket as time expired.

For the game, the Devils shot 41.3% (26-63, 4-17 3FG) from the field and made 14 of 17 free throws (82.4%). The Lightning made 23 of 64 shots from the field (35.9%) and were six of 14 from beyond the arc. (42.9%). Goldey also connected on 15 of 16 free throws. Both teams had excellent assist turnover ratios; 20/14 for the Devils and 13/9 for the Lightning. The Devils also recorded a season-high 47 rebounds (16 offensive) and outrebounded the Lightning 47-33. USP has now outrebounded their opponent in six straight games and eight of the last nine.

The Devils return to action on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 when they travel to Lakewood, New Jersey to face Georgian Court University in a CACC conference match-up. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m.

Defense Propels Devils to Win over Deacons (1/10/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team turned in a solid defensive effort, forcing 45 missed shots while producing just enough offense to defeat Bloomfield College 57-45 in a non-league contest Thursday night in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

The Devils improve to 5-6 with the win. The Deacons fall to 7-6.

Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) led a trio of USP players in double figures, scoring 14 points, eight in the second half. Freshmen Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.) and Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) each added 13. Weiss also recorded her fifth double-double of the season, pulling down 10 rebounds. Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) also pulled down ten boards to go along with her nine points while her sister Marissa added eight points and seven boards. Weiss and Christian each had three assists to pace USP in that category.

Marissa Franklin was the lone Bloomfield player in double figures with 20 points. Franklin also led BC on the boards with eight. Ciera Darby added eight points and Shantae Barnes chipped in six to go along with seven rebounds. Barnes and Darby also led Bloomfield with three assists apiece.

The Devils limited the Deacons to 17.6% shooting (6-34) in the first half while making 12 of 27 (44.4%) shots on the offensive end en route to a five point halftime lead, 27-22. The Deacons kept things close by connecting on ten of 11 free throws in the period to just a 2-for-5 effort by the Devils. As the second half started the Devils then boosted their lead to double figures with a 15-6 run in the first 7:25 of the period.

Erin Chesnavich started things off with a layup followed by a Marissa Chesnavich jumper. Shaw then scored the third straight basket to start the half and the Devils were leading by 11, 33-22. After a layup by Franklin cut the lead to nine, USP countered with a layup by Erin Chesnavich and a pair of free throws by Shaw to make the score 37-24 at the 15:34 mark. Marissa Chesnavich later capped the rally with a three-point field goal at the 12:35 mark to give the Devils their biggest lead of the game, 42-28, before the Deacons rallied to reduce the deficit to just four points with a 12-2 run.

With the Devils leading by 13, 43-30, Bloomfield scored eight straight points to pull within five, 43-38 with 9:23 left, forcing a USP timeout. Nearly two minutes later, Franklin's two free throws made the score 44-40 with 7:38 remaining. The Devils defense then went to work, holding the Deacons to just one field goal (1-9) over the next 5:11 while producing an 11-2 run to take a 13 point lead 55-42 with 2:27 left.

Christian started the run with a shot jumper followed by a pair of free throws from Weiss to make the score 48-40. Franklin then scored the only BC points during the USP run with a layup at the 5:13 mark. Weiss followed with a basket and the Devils then five of six free throws (one by Marissa Chesnavich and two each by Christian and Weiss) to complete the run.

BC's Ashley Crenshaw nailed a three-point field goal at the 2:14 mark to pull the Deacons within ten 55-45 before Christian's two free throws with 1:50 left rounded out the scoring and made the final score 57-45. Neither team shot well from the field in the final 7:38 with the Devils making just two field goals in 11 tries and Bloomfield just two in 16. USP however, made nine of 10 from the free throw line in the final 5:34 while keeping the Deacons completely off the foul line for nearly the entire second half (2-2, coming at the 7:38 mark).

For the game, the Devils shot 39.6% (19-48, 2-10 3FG) while Bloomfield made just 16 field goals in 71 attempts (22.5%). The Devils also made 17 of 23 free throws (73.9%) while Bloomfield made 12 of 13 (92.3%). USP held a slight advantage on the boards, 44-43 despite getting outrebounded on the offensive glass 18-7. Bloomfield committed six fewer turnovers than the Devils 14-20 with both teams getting 12 points off each others miscues.

The Devils return home on Saturday, January 12, 2008 when they will face Goldey Beacom College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference southern division clash. Tip off is set for 1:00 p.m.

Shaw, Chesnavich Propel Devils to Win over Cougars (1/8/08)

Caitlin Shaw had a career high 19 points and Erin Chesnavich recorded a double-double as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia survived a late comeback attempt by Caldwell college in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women’s basketball game at the Newman Center in Caldwell, New Jersey.

The win ups the Devils record to 4-6 overall and 3-1 in league play. Caldwell falls to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in CACC games.

Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/Eatontown, N.J.) , a freshman guard, led all scorers, connecting on seven of 14 shots from the field (2 “3’s”) and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line to account for her 19 points. Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) turned in her second straight solid shooting performance, hitting seven of eight shots from the field and a free throw for 15 points. Erin is now 15 of 17 from the field over the past two games. The sophomore forward also recorded her third double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) joined Shaw and Chesnavich in double figures with 11 points (10 in the second half). Weiss also added seven rebounds as did freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.). Weiss, the younger Chesnavich and freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.) paced the Devils with three assists apiece.

Khaliqa Davis came off the bench to lead the Cougars, scoring 15 points and dishing out a game-high six assists. Phylicia Holmes led Caldwell on the boards with nine and Mackenzie Lynch pulled down eight caroms. Abena George added nine points for the Caldwell.

The Devils used a 12-2 run in the final 5:34 of the first period to turn a two-point game into a 12 point lead at the break, 33-21. Shaw scored the first four points of the run before George’s jumper made the score 25-21 with 3:28 led. Shaw and Marissa Chesnavich followed with ‘treys’ and freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) closed out the run with a layup off a Shaw steal with five seconds left.

The Devils boosted their lead to 17 in the first six minutes of the second half with Erin Chesnavich scoring seven of the Devils first 12 points to make the score 44-27. Caldwell then took advantage of nine USP turnovers over the next eight minutes going on a 17-6 tear to pulled within six 50-44 with 6:06 left. Senior Hayley Lentz’s (Wilson HS/Easton, Pa.) layup put the Devils back up by eight 52-44. After Lynch made one of two free throws, Lentz added two free throws and Shaw a layup to again give the Devils a double-digit lead, 56-45 with 4:14 left. Caldwell again pulled within six, courtesy of a 3-ball by George and a layup by Davis, making the score 56-50 with 3:47 left. Davis’ basket was the last field goal by either team as the Devils out shot the Cougars from the foul line over the final three minutes, 6-4 to pull out the 62-54 win.

For the game the Devils connected on 22 of 46 shots (4-13 3FG) from the field (47.8%) and 14 of 21 from the free throw line (66.7%). Caldwell made just 18 of 59 shots (3-14 3FG) from the field and was 15 of 23 from the free throw line (65.2%). The Devils held a 41-31 advantage on the boards but committed 31 turnovers to Caldwell’s 19. (Both teams had 12 at the break.)

The Devils return to action on Thursday, January 10, 2008 when they face Bloomfield College in a non-conference game in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Offense and Defense Come Together as Devils Defeat Golden Falcons (1/5/08)

Erin Chesnavich led a trio of players in double figures as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia produced a solid effort on both ends of the floor, defeating Felician College 73-38 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia.

The Devils improve to 3-6 overall and 2-1 in CACC games with the win. Felician falls to 2-9 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led all scorers with 18 points, connecting of 8-of-9 shots from the field. The sophomore forward added four rebounds, a pair of blocked shots and an assist in just 21 minutes of play. Joining Chesnavich in double figures were freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/ Eatontown, N.J.) and junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/ Springfield, Pa.). Shaw came off the bench to score 16 points, hitting seven of 11 shots from the field. Weiss finished the game with 11 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Allison also added seven rebounds and six assists. freshman Melissa Rotz (Central Dauphin HS/ Harrisburg, Pa.) dished out four assists while senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) led all players with three steals.

Dee Dee Smith led the Golden Falcons with 13 points. Phylicia Daniels added six rebounds.

USP led wire-to-wire, jumping out to an 11-1 lead in the first six minutes of the game, connecting on five of their first six shots. The Golden Falcons missed their first seven shots before a layup by Janelle Biamonte broke the string at the 13:05 mark. USP followed with a 12-2 run over the next 5:37 getting five points from Shaw, a three-point field goal by freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) and baskets by Lentz and freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) to take a 23-5 lead. Biamonte added two jumpers to pull Felician within 14, 23-9 before the Devils closed out the half with another 12-2 run, highlighted by a three-point field goal by junior Brittney Parsons (Villa Joseph Marie/Ivyland, Pa.), giving them a 24-8 spurt over the final 13 minutes of the period to take a 35-11 lead at the break.

Defensively the Devils held the Golden Falcons to just 5-for-21 shooting in the period (23.8%) while on the offensive end, connected on 15 of 26 shots (57.7%) while committing only three turnovers.

Six minutes into the second half, USP increased their lead to 30, 51-21. Felician then went on a 6-2 run to pull within 26, 53-27, capping it with a Shannon Gilmartin trey. USP still led by 26, 57-31 with 8:05 left when the Devils went on a 15-3 run to take their biggest lead 38 points, 72-34 with just 1:36 left. Erin Chesnavich started the run with a pair of layups, followed by a short jumper by Weiss and a traditional three-point play from Shaw. A layup by FC's Smith made the score 66-34 before the Devils completed the run with a layup by Christian, a pair of free throws by junior Autumn Tully (Union Endicott HS/ Endicott, N.Y.) and a layup from sophomore Amanda Hessinger (Roland Park HS/Baltimore, Md.) . Felician scored four of the game's final five points to make the final score 73-38.

USP finished the game shooting 56% from the field (28-50 FG, 3-12 3FG). From the free throw line, the Devils connected on 14 of 18 shots (77.8%). Felician made 12 of 30 shots (40%) in the second half to finish the game shooting 33.3% (17-51, 1-9 3FG). The Golden Falcons also made just three free throws in 14 attempts (21.4%) from the charity stripe. USP cut down their turnovers considerably from their last game (a season-high 31), recording a season-low 11 while producing an excellent assist/turnover ratio 21/11. Felician committed 20 turnovers while recording just six assists. The Devils held a narrow 31-30 lead on the boards, dominating the defensive glass, 27-19 but getting just four offensive rebounds on the afternoon, leading to eight Devil points.

The Devils take to the road for their next game, a tough CACC match-up against Caldwell College in Caldwell New Jersey on Tuesday, January 8, 2007. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

Devils Turn Over a Win to Chargers (12/21/07)

Erin Chesnavich and Allison Weiss combined for 37 points and 24 rebounds but could not offset the 31 turnovers committed by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team as they fell to Dominican College 65-58 in a non-league matchup at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Chargers improve to 6-2 with the win. The Devils fall to 2-6.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led all scorers with 21 points, connecting on 8-of-14 shots from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. The sophomore forward also recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.), a junior forward, added 16 points ( 5-5FG, 6-6 FT) and recorded her fourth double-double of the season with a season-high 14 rebounds. Senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) led the Devils with three blocks while freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) paced USP with four assists.

Dana Rotio led the Chargers with 19 points, getting the 1000th point of her career on a three-point field goal in the second half. The senior guard added six more points after her milestone trey, all from the free throw line to finish the game hitting 9-of-10 from the charity stripe to go along with her 4-for-8 shooting performance in the field. Althea Chambers added 13 points while Kristen Tracey chipped in 10.

The Devils finished the game shooting 42.6% from the field (20-47), which included a dismal 2-13 mark from behind the arc (15.4%). The Chargers took 20 more shots than the Devils, partially due to a 17-8 advantage on the offensive glass, finishing the game shooting 34.3% (23-67). Dominican was 5-for-17 (29.4%) from beyond the arc and connected on 14 of 17 from the free throw line (82.4%). USP made 16 of 18 from the charity stripe (88.9%) and held a slim 38-37 advantage on the boards. USP's undoing was their season-high 31 turnovers, leading to 25 DC points. The Chargers committed 22 turnovers of their own, leading to 18 USP points. Both teams had 13 assists on the night.

USP will return to action in 2008, when they host Felician College on January 5th. Tip off is set for 1 p.m.

Frontcourt Powers Devils to win over Eagles (12/8/07)

Erin Chesnavich scored a career-high 29 points and Allison Weiss added 14 as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia rebounded from an early second half deficit to defeat Post University 84-73 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women’s basketball game at the Drubner Center in Waterbury, Connecticut.

The win improves the Devils record to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in CACC games. Post falls to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), a sophomore forward, connected on 13 of 15 shots from the field and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line en route to her 29 points (14 in the second half). Erin also had nine rebounds two assists and a blocked shot while committed just one turnover in 34 minutes of play. Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.), a junior, scored all 14 of her points in the final 20 minutes, hitting three field goals and eight free throws. Weiss also had a game high ten rebounds. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Bucks South HS/Warrington, Pa.) had 15 points (4-12FG, 3-6 3FG) while fellow freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) came off the bench to score 13 points. Hamm also dished out five assists, pulled down six rebounds and had four steals. Freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) led the Devils with nine assists on the afternoon.

Stephanie Goss led the Eagles with 18 points (8-10 FG). LaToya Coley added 17 (6-13 FG, 5-10 3FG), while Mallorie Michalak chipped in 10 points. Natasha Box set the offense with seven assists.

USP had opened an eight point lead late in the first half, only to have the Eagles close out the period with an 8-2 run over the final 2:31 which gave the Devils just a 35-33 lead at the break. Post then opened the half with a 7-4 spurt in the opening three minutes to take their first lead of the game 40-39. After three lead changes the Eagles then opened up their biggest margin of five points 50-45 with 14:01 remaining.

The Devils then went to work, tightening up the defense while getting the ball inside on offense. Over the next 10:06, USP outscored Post 30-9 to take a 16-point lead 75-59. The Devils started the run with eight straight points, getting four each from the frontcourt duo of Weiss and Erin Chesnavich to retake the lead 53-50. A Coley ‘trey’ tied the game again at 53-53. Erin Chesnavich followed with a layup and Hamm hit a three-pointer to boost USP’s lead back to five 58-53. Free throws by Hamm, Weiss and another layup by Chesnavich made the score 64-55 at the 8:56 mark. Another Hamm free throw and a layup by Marissa Chesnavich followed before Box nailed a jumper to bring the lead back to ten, 67-57 at the 7:53 mark. Erin Chesnavich added two straight layups before Weiss closed out the run with four straight points giving the Devils their 75-59 lead. Post then went on a 7-2 run to pull within 11, 77-66 with 1:33 left. Hamm then connected on five of eight free throws down the stretch and junior Brittney Parsons (Villa Joseph Marie/Ivyland, Pa.) added a layup to close out the scoring for the Devils as the prevailed 84-73.

For the game, the Devils shot 50.9% (28-55 FG, 4-12 3FG). The Eagles also made 28 field goals but took 12 more shots to finish the game shooting 41.8% (28-67, 9-18 3FG). The Devils held the big advantage on the charity stripe, connecting on 24 of 33 shots (72.7%) to the Eagles eight of 14 (57.1%). USP committed 22 turnovers (16 in the first half) to Post’s 21, while both teams dished out 20 assists. USP also held a slight edge on the boards 41-34.

The Devils return to action on Friday, December 21, 2007 when they host Dominican College in a non-league contest at the Bobby Morgan Arena. Tip off is set for 5:00 p.m.

Tigers Defeat Devils in CACC Opener (12/1/07)

Holy Family University used a 12-4 run midway through the second half to turn a close game into a blowout as they went on to defeat the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia 78-58 in women's basketball action at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tigers, ranked #24 in the most recent WBCA national poll, improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. The Devils dropped their fifth straight game and are now 1-5 overall and 0-1 in league play.

The Devils were led by sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) and freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.). Chesnavich and Christian scored 14 points apiece. Chesnavich was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, pulled down eight rebounds and had a career high five blocked shots. Christian had a career high four three point field goals while shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and 5-10 for the game. Freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.), in her first collegiate start, recorded nine points and five rebounds.

Kelly Killion and Christine McCollum led the Tigers with 17 points apiece. 13 of McCollum's 17 points came in the first half. Catherine Carr added 11 while Melissa Brooks chipped in eight. Carr and Lauren Boyer led the Tigers with seven rebounds apiece while Killion dished out a game-high six assists.

The Devils trailed by nine, 41-32 at the 15:49 mark on the second half when the Tigers went on their 12-4 run to put the game practically out of reach, taking a 17-point lead 53-36 with 11:42 left. All 12 of the Tigers points came on three-point field goals with Carr starting the run, Killion hitting the next two and Boyer closing out the run. USP could only close within 15 on three occasions, the last at the 5:24 mark, 63-48 on a Christian layup. Holy Family scored the next five points and the lead was 20, 68-48 with 4:10 left. Christian's fourth three-point FG of the game and a free throw by freshman Alyssa Hamm (Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) made the score 68-52 but this was as close as the Devils would get as the Tigers closed out the game with a 10-6 spurt.

USP kept the game close throughout most of the first half, trailing by no more than six for the first 14 minutes of play. Holy Family led by two, 23-21 at the 7:02 mark before scoring ten straight points to lead 33-21 with 2:40 left, with Carr getting all six of her first half points during this run. A layup by Marissa Chesnavich and a three-pointer by Christian cut the lead back down to seven, 33-26 before McCollum's two free throws made the score 35-26 at the break.

The Devils finished the game shooting 34.0% from the field (18-53, 4-12 3FG). The Tigers made 29 of 72 shots from the field (40.3%) including six of 15 from beyond the arc (40%). The Tigers were also a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line. The Devils were nearly perfect as well, making their first 15 free throws before finishing the game shooting 18-for-21 (85.7%). The Tigers held a 43-38 advantage on the boards and had a solid 17-12 assist/turnover ration compared to USP's 7-18.

USP is now off until Saturday, December 8, 2007 when they travel to face Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. Tip off is set for 1 p.m.

Late Rally is not enough as Kutztown Hands Devils their Fourth Straight Loss (11/29/07)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team nearly cam back from a 14-point deficit against Kutztown University Thursday night, but the Golden Bears hung on to win 57-50 at Keystone Hall in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

The loss, USP’s fourth straight, drops the Devils record to 1-4. Kutztown improves to 3-1.

Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Allison Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.) added 10 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.) led the Devils with three assists, while Chesnavich added three steals and two blocks.

Melissa McQuade had 14 points to pace KU while Lara Delagrotti chipped in 11. Katie Dovey had a game-high 11 rebounds while Rachel Wisemuller had 4 assists.

The Golden Bears overcame USP’s early 12-5 lead to take a nine point lead at the break, 26-17, taking advantage of the Devils 7-for-27 performance from the field and 17 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of play. KU increased their lead as the second half progressed, with their biggest margin being 16, 43-27 at the 12:24 mark. The Golden Bears still led by 14, 49-35 with 5:51 left when the Devils began a rally that cut their deficit to two points in just two minutes.

Freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/ Eatontown, N.J.) made the second of two free throws to start the 12-0 run. Alyssa Hamm (Fr., Academy Park HS/Sharon Hill, Pa.) followed with a three-point FG to make the score 49-39. Christian added a layup and freshman Marissa Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) added four points to make the score 49-45. Erin Chesnavich added a layup to complete the run, as the Devils trailed by two 49-47 with 3:59 left. KU scored the next four points to boost the lead back to six 53-47. Hamm’s free throw with 2:12 left got the Devils within three again, 53-50 but they turned the ball over on their next two possessions and failed to score the rest of the game as KU tallied the final four points to prevail 57-50.

The Devils made 21 of 58 shots from the field (36.2%, 1-6 3FG) while Kutztown shot 23-62 (37.1%, 6-17 3FG). Neither team shot many free throws with only 17 fouls called the entire game. USP made 7-of-11 (63.6%) while Kutztown made 5 of 7 (71.4%). USP held a slight advantage on the boards, 41-37 but had trouble holding onto the ball for the second straight game, committing 24 total turnovers (21 for KU).

USP will open the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference portion of their schedule on Saturday, December 1, 2007 when they face area rival Holy Family University. Tip off is slated for 1 p.m.

Devils Plagued by Turnovers as they Fall to Millersville (11/26/07)

Allison Weiss recorded her second consecutive double-double but it was not enough as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's basketball team played 40 minutes of turnover plagued basketball and were defeated by Millersville University 65-55 at the Bobby Morgan Arena in Philadelphia Monday night.

The loss drops the Devils to 1-3 overall while Millersville improves to 5-0.

Weiss (Springfield HS/Springfield, Pa.), a junior forward led the Devils with 13 points and 10 rebounds, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Freshman Colleen Christian (Central Buck South HS/Warrington, Pa.), in her first collegiate start, added 12 points and two steals, including USP's only two three-point field goals of the game. Sophomore Erin Chesnavich (Bishop O’Reilly HS/Pittston, Pa.) added 11 points and six rebounds. Senior Hayley Lentz (Wilson Area HS/Easton, Pa.) paced the Devils with four assists. USP's offensive production however was offset by a season-high 29 turnovers, the most they have had in a game since the 2005-06 season opener against St. Anselm College when they had 32.

USP's 29 turnovers led to 31 Millersville points, many of them by Ashley Romanoski who finished the game with 20 and was the only Marauder in double figures. Jamika Rehm and Kari Cover added nine points apiece while Gladine St. Julien had eight points and a team high eight rebounds. Jenna Philo led Millersville with four assists.

The Marauders led wire-to-wire, scoring the first 10 points of the game and never looking back. USP battled back, staying with Millersville and eventually cutting the lead to three 18-15 with 5:04 left in the half, before the Marauders closed out the period with a 10-4 run to take a 34-24 lead at the break.

In the second half, a 9-1 run by the Marauders boosted their lead to its biggest margin, 16 points, 58-42 with 6:38 left. USP then got baskets from Chesnavich, Weiss, a pair of free throws from freshman Caitlin Shaw (Monmouth Regional HS/ Eatontown, N.J.) and two more from Lentz to pull within eight 58-50 with 2:58 left. This however was as close as the Devils would get as 'Ville went back up by 13 before Christian nailed the last basket of the game, a three-pointer from the left corner to make the final score 65-55.

USP made 17 of 40 shots from the field (42.5%, 2-6 3FG) while Millersville shot 42.1% (24-57, 1-13 3FG) from the field. Both teams took 23 free throws with the Devils making 19 and the Marauders 16. USP held a narrow 31-30 edge on the boards, despite 16 offensive rebounds from the Marauders, which led to 21 points. Turnovers were the big difference as 'Ville held a +10 advantage 19-29.

Next up for the Devils will be another non-conference matchup against a PSAC foe. USP will travel to Kutztown University to take on the Golden Bears on Thursday, November 29, 2007. Tip off is at 6 p.m.

West Chester Hands Devils Second Straight Loss (11/20/07)

The West Chester University Golden Rams used a 21-5 run in the first half to take a 21 point lead en route to an 81-64 win over the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s basketball team Tuesday night at Hollinger Field House in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The loss was the second str