CENTER VALLEY, PA - The Cabrini women's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow start from the field in today's 67-46 nonconference loss to the hosting DeSales University Bulldogs.

A first quarter in which the Blue and White shot just over 11 percent from the field loomed large as the Bulldogs were able to capitalize and build an early lead. 

Junior Miranda Liebtag led the Cavs offensively as the guard finished with a team high 18 points along with four rebounds. Freshman Giana Rullo finished two points shy of a double-double with eight points and a team high 10 boards. Fellow freshman Courtney Paulson and sophomore Abby Paolini chipped in five and four points respectively.

Graduate student Ashley Tutzauer who is on the cusp of eclipsing the 1,000 point plateau played just three minutes, and was held without a point.

As mentioned, the Blue and White struggled out of the gate as DeSales opened the game on a 10-0 run to quickly jump ahead. A Liebtag jumper broke the Cavs scoring drought but the Bulldogs continued to press, outscoring Cabrini 9-2 over the remainder of the first quarter, 19-4.

A triple from Liebtag with 8:53 left in the second quarter jump started a 9-0 run to bring the visitors back within nine points of the lead, 21-13. DeSales maintained an advantage of at least eight points until the waning moments of the first half as Paulson and Hannah Fenstermacher netted two apiece from the charity line for a 28-21 score headed into the break.
 
Liebtag opened the second half with an old fashioned three-pointed on a jump shot and one to trim the Bulldogs lead to 28-24. The four point deficit is as close as the Blue and White would come, unfortunately as the home team outscored the Cavs 12-6 over the next five minutes of play to regain a double-digit lead, 40-30. Cabrini added five points in the final 77 seconds of the quarter but trailed 44-35 through three quarters.

DeSales would go on to outscore the Cavs 23-11 in the final frame en route to the aforementioned 67-46 final. 

Averi Jordan recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Lindsey Welsh also recorded 18 points and added eight rebounds and four assists.

Following today's action the Blue and White move to 3-6 overall. The Cavs will open the Cabrini University Classic next Tursday, December 30th against Rosemont College at Nerney Field House. Game time is slated for 2pm.