Box Score CENTER VALLEY
(PA) – Delaware Valley University placed four players in double figures in scoring, but dropped an 80-66 decision in its season finale to Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe and host,DeSales University.
The Aggies concluded their 2016-17 campaign with a 9-16 overall record and a 5-9 mark in MAC Freedom contests. The Bulldogs (19-6, 11-3 MAC Freedom) are headed to the conference playoffs as the third seed and will travel to Misericordia University in the first round on Wednesday night.
Senior Sam Foy and freshman Ashley Smink combined for all of DelVal's points in the first quarter with Smink connecting twice from beyond the arc. Foy hit a trey of her own to pull her team to within two, 13-11, with three minutes on the clock before the Bulldogs ripped off eight straight to end the stanza with a 10-point lead.
The Aggies made a comeback with a 17-7 run that spanned six minutes of the second quarter. Five different players scored for DelVal in the spurt and the team got three treys including a pair from Sarah Wills. Wills' second 3-pointer capped off the run and tied the game at 36 apiece with 39 seconds left in the first half. The Bulldogs got an and-one play from Morgan McCollian in the final 30 seconds to take a three-point lead into the locker room.
DeSales came out of the locker room and started the third quarter on an 18-3 run behind seven points from Megan Baird to open up a 57-39 lead. The Bulldogs went on to outscore DelVal 26-12 for the stanza and led by 17 points going into the fourth. DeSales expanded its lead to as many as 19 twice in the fourth quarter, the last coming after McCollian connected on a fast-break layup with 7:14 left in regulation. The Aggies scored the next seven points behind a jumper from Wills, a trey from Foy and two free throws from Danielle Skedzielewski. DeSales was able to hold off DelVal the rest of the way to take the season finale, 80-66.
Foy scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in her final collegiate game to up her career totals to 714 points and 307 boards. She also blocked one shot to give her 113 in her four years, the fourth-highest total in program history.
Smink played all 40 minutes and led DelVal with 20 points and four assists. Wills had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds while Skedzielewski had 10 points in the loss.
McCollian scored 25 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Leandra Sterner came off the bench to rally 19 points while Megan Baird added 13 points.
