BETHLEHEM (PA) – The Delaware Valley University women's basketball team was outscored 20-9 in the third quarter by SUNY New Paltz and dropped the consolation game at the 16^th annual Steel Club Classic, 67-59.  

The Aggies fell to 5-6 overall while the Hawks advanced to 5-4.

The two teams traded 3-pointers to start the game, with Ashley Smink connecting for DelVal. The game was deadlocked five more times throughout the first quarter, and went to the second knotted at 17-17. Smink had 12 points after the first 10 minutes of play.

Dom Moser hit a trey to start the second and put the Aggies up, 20-17. Later in the stanza, Moser found Lauren Moretti for a layup inside to give DelVal its largest lead of the game, 31-23, with 1:55 remaining before the half.

SUNY New Paltz scored the final five points of the half with a Bridget Whelan offensive rebound and put-back, and a three-ball from Nicole Ziogas to make it a 31-28 game at the break.

Both teams shot under 30-percent from the field in the first half and the Aggies held a slight, 28-27, advantage on the glass.

Smink got the first bucket of the third quarter off a feed from Danielle Skedzielewski, but the Hawks went on a 9-2 run over the next 3:15 to pull ahead by two, 37-35. The Aggies tied the game on their next possession as Moser fed Moretti for two. However, SUNY New Paltz scored 11 of the final 14 points in the third to take a 48-40 lead into the fourth.

The Hawks built their largest lead of the game at 50-41 early in the fourth. DelVal went on a 7-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to pull within four, 52-48.
Moretti took matters into her own hands and scored the next eight points for the Aggies, including a pair of trey's, the last of which made it a two-point, 58-56, game with 3:26 left in regulation.

SUNY New Paltz put the game away by outscoring DelVal 9-3 the rest of the way to take the consolation game by a score of 67-59.

Moretti led the Aggies with a career-high 21 point effort including five treys and four rebounds. Smink followed with 16 points and Grohowski went 8-for-10 from the charity stripe to finish with 12 points and six rebounds. Moser led all players in the game with 13 rebounds and dished out four assists to go with nine points.

Marion Dietz paced the Hawks with 20 points and Lindsay Bettke scored 15 to go with six rebounds and five assists. Ziogas finished with 12 points and five boards while SUNY New Paltz placed eight players on the score sheet.

Smink, who averaged 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the tournament, was named to the all-tournament team.