CENTER VALLEY (PA) – Delaware Valley University had two chances to tie the game in the final minute, but both three-point attempts were off the mark and host DeSales University escaped with a 60-55 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom victory.

The Bulldogs upped their mark to 7-6 overall and 2-0 in league games while the Aggies dropped to 3-10 and 0-2.

Late in the final stanza, DelVal found itself down six points, 58-52, when Monika Smallwood forced a turnover and down the other end, Ashley Smink hit her fourth trey of the game from way outside to cut the deficit to three with 1:02 left in regulation. DeSales then missed a three-point attempt of its own and the Aggies took over with 40 seconds on the clock.

Smink got off a contested 3-pointer that caromed of the front of the rim, but Danielle Skedziewleski fought for the loose rebound and retained possession with 20 seconds to play. DelVal called a timeout to setup a play, but the Bulldogs defense forced Skedzielewski into an off balanced 3-pointer that was off the mark and DeSales grabbed the rebound. It would hit two free throws just before the end of the game to hold on for the 60-55 final.

The Aggies outshot and out-rebounded the Bulldogs in the first half, grabbing 23 boards to the home team's 17 while shooting 44-percent (11-of-25) from the field compared to 35.3-percent (12-of-34) for DeSales over the first 20 minutes of play. Smink hit three treys and led the team with 13 points at the break and Smallwood had eight points and six boards.

The Bulldogs went on a 6-2 run to start the third quarter and outscored the Aggies, 16-11, for the stanza to take a 44-42 lead heading into the fourth.

Morgan Mitchell found Danielle Skedzielewski who hit a trey to start the final quarter and put DelVal back on top by one. DeSales outscored DelVal, 14-7, over the next seven minutes of action to take the largest lead of the game and se tup the dramatic final stretch.

Smink played 39 minutes and led the Aggies with 18 points including four treys and seven rebounds. Smallwood had a team-high eight boards to go with 12 points and Skedzielewski added nine points of her own. Moragn Mitchell dished out a game-high eight assists and added five assists, four points and four steals. As a team, DelVal was 8-of-17 (47.1%) from the free throw line and 5-of-15 (33.3%) from deep.

Leandra Sterner led DeSales with 22 points including four 3-pointers and three steals. Morgan Birmelin followed with 14 points while adding six rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Molly Jansco led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds to go with five points.

The Aggies will return home for the first time since December 16 when it hosts Wilkes University for a MAC Freedom tilt at 8 p.m on Wednesday, January 10.