Box Score
W. Basketball at Widener Gallery
Women's Basketball
Lebanon Valley 68, Widener 56
CHESTER, Pa. - #19 Lebanon Valley struggled against a full-court press early on but adapted and outmuscled Widener in the second half of a 68-56 win Wednesday night in the semifinal round of the Commonwealth Conference Championships.
The win advances the Dutchmen (22-4) to the finals, set to be played at top-seeded Messiah after the Falcons beat Elizabethtown in Wednesday's late game. It will mark the sixth consecutive trip to the finals for the Dutchmen, who have won the title in back-to-back years. The game tips off at 3 p.m.
Tierney Hiltz led LVC with 16 points. She was one of four players in double-digit scoring, followed by
Caitlin Bach with 14,
Kiely Chaklos with 13, and
Renee Fritz with 10. Bach earned a double-double with 13 rebounds, setting a new single-season standard for boards at LVC with 284, surpassing Monica Johnson '07's 282 set in 2005-06.
Widener (21-5) turned a press on and off in the first half, forcing 10 turnovers and keeping the Dutchmen from running away with the game. LVC headed to halftime up 32-24 but shot just 35 percent from the field.
Hiltz kept the Dutchmen in the game with four steals before the break and really showcased her speed up and down the court.
Bach had a huge second half with 10 points and seven boards. She took 11 free throw shots in the half and 15 on the game, which generously padded her scoring total.
LVC travelled well thanks in large part to the fan bus that transported students, fans, and family members from campus. Their chants balanced out a very high-energy Widener crowd throughout the entire game.
