WILKES-BARRE (PA) –
Kim Vennera hit five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 28 points as Delaware Valley College won its fourth consecutive game with a 71-57 victory at Freedom Conference foe Wilkes University.
The Aggies are now 12-5 overall, 5-2 and tied with Misericordia University for second place in the conference. They are just one game behind frontrunner Manhattanville College and defeated the Valiants at home earlier in the week. Delaware Valley will head to Penn State Brandywine on Monday for its final non-conference game of the year, before the second half of the Freedom schedule begins next Saturday, January 30 with a home meeting with Misericordia.
Vennera, a two-time all-conference and 2009 all-region honoree, hit 10 of 17 shots from the field, including a 5-for-7 effort from beyond the arc. She also dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds. The 28 points upped Vennera's career total to 1,297 as she closes in on becoming just the sixth player in Aggie women's basketball history to reach the 1,300-point plateau.
Delaware Valley used an early 10-0 run, including six off the bench from
Jackie Shunkwiler, to take a 23-11 lead. The Aggies upped their advantage to as many as 13 in the first half and eventually took a 38-26 lead into the break.
The Lady Colonels (3-14, 1-6 Freedom) pulled to within 10 on two occasions in the second half, including at 40-30 with 17:27 remaining. However, Vennera hit the first of her four treys in the second half to begin a 9-3 run that put the lead up to 16. It ballooned to as many as 20 before the 14-point final.
The frontcourt tandem of freshmen
Jenna Peoples and
Emily Soper scored 10 points apiece with Peoples adding five rebounds and three blocks and Soper grabbing seven boards.
Brittany Battinieri hit a trio of 3-pointers and finished with nine points while Shunkwiler contributed eight points and seven boards.
Brittney Zimmerman's line featured five points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Lindsey Gosse (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Megan Kazmerski (14, points, 11 rebounds) had double-doubles to pace Wilkes.
