DOYLESTOWN (PA) – James Jones and Jason Goldheimer combined for 55 points as Delaware Valley College moved one step closer to its first conference playoff berth in 40 years with an 81-80 victory over visiting King's College.

Last season, the Aggies went 3-22 overall and 0-14 in the Freedom Conference. Casey Stitzel was hired as the new head coach in March and the turnaround has been staggering as the team, comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores, is now 11-11 overall and 7-7 in the league. The victory over King's, combined with Alvernia University's loss at Wilkes University, has Delaware Valley all alone in the fifth and final playoff spot with two games remaining. The Aggies have not been to the postseason since the 1968-69 campaign.

Jones and Goldheimer are two reasons behind the success. Jones, a sophomore transfer, scored 33 points, including 22 in the second half. Goldheimer, a sophomore, came off the bench and drilled five 3-pointers in the first half and finished 6-for-10 from behind the arc. He was also a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line for a 22-point afternoon.

The Monarchs, who are the two-time defending conference champions, jumped out an 18-8 lead, behind seven points from Kevin Conroy. Delaware Valley came storming back with 10 straight, including a pair of treys from Goldheimer, to tie the game at the halfway point of the opening stanza.

Goldheimer's fifth and final 3-pointer of the first half came with 1:40 remaining and it gave the Aggies the lead for good at 35-32. It also ignited an 8-2 spurt as the team took a six-point advantage into the intermission.

It was four-point contest in the early stages of the second half when Delaware Valley went on another 10-0 run for its largest lead of the game, 52-38, with 16:22 left on the clock. Jones hit a pair of treys as well as two free throws for eight of the 10 points.

King's (11-12, 3-11 Freedom) slowly crept back into the game and then used a 6-0 run, four by Jim Schule, to cut its deficit to three, 63-60, with 5:49 to go. The Monarchs were still down three, 69-66, with 2:14 on the clock when Goldheimer missed a 3-pointer, got his own long rebound and then drilled a bomb. Jones followed with two free throws and the lead was back up to eight with under a minute remaining.

Back-to-back baskets by King's made it 74-70 with 35 ticks left, but Jones went to the foul line and hit a pair of shots. Following a turnover, Goldheimer sank two free throws for a 78-70 advantage with 28 seconds left. The teams traded two free throws and King's Kyle Stackhouse hit a 3-pointer to make it 80-75 with 14 seconds remaining, An Aggie turnover led to a Kevin Conroy layup just seven seconds later for a one-possession game. Jason Seipt was fouled with five seconds to go and the Delaware Valley senior hit one of two free throws for an 81-77 advantage. Stackhouse hit another three, but that Aggies had a long inbounds pass to run the remaining time off the clock for the win.

Seipt's free throw was his lone point of the game but the guard added team highs of 10 rebounds and nine assists. Chris Mayo finished with nine points while Jon Evans came off the bench to contribute seven points and four rebounds.

Conroy, who torched the Aggies for 41 points in Wilkes-Barre back in January, got half that total on Saturday as he finished with 20 points. The 6-foot-5 center added eight assists and four rebounds. Stackhouse finished with 16 points and six assists while Schule and Harry Schlichter poured in 16 and 11 points respectively in the loss.