DALLAS (PA) – Misericordia University used a big third quarter to pull away from the visiting Delaware Valley University women's basketball team and take a 78-64 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom victory.

The Cougars maintained the third spot in the conference with a 6-3 league mark (13-7 overall) while the Aggies fell to 4-6 and 7-14.

Each team was hot in the first quarter of play, shooting over 60 percent from the field. It was DelVal that scored the first six points of the game to take the early lead however, Misericordia responded with the next 11 points to go ahead by five.

The runs continued as the Aggies scored the next seven with a pair of layups by Monika Smallwood and an Ashley Smink 3-pointer making it a 13-11 game. The game was tied three times the remainder of the stanza before DelVal eventually took a 21-20 lead into the second.

The offense tapered off in the second quarter with the Aggies outscoring the Cougars just 13-10. Misericordia's field-goal percentage fell to 41.4 percent, but DelVal was 14-for-28, an even 50 percent, through two quarters. Smallwood and Smink each had eight points to lead the Aggies to a 34-30 lead at halftime.

The Cougars used a big third quarter to blow the game wide open as they forced DelVal into six turnovers and outscored it, 26-9, including a 17-0 stretch to end the stanza, to take a 56-43 lead heading into the final frame. Rachel Carmody had 12 points to lead Misericordia in the third.

The Cougars continued to roll in the fourth quarter and ended up shooting 44.8 percent (30-for-67) from the field and 37.5 percent (9-for-24) from three, for the game, as they cruised to the 78-64 home victory. Paige Wampole led all scorers with 18 points and nine rebounds in the game while Carmody finished with 17 points and six steals. Quintessa Zamolyi added 15 points including six boards.

DelVal ended up shooting better than its counterpart with a 25-for-55 (45.5%) effort from the field including a 6-for-14 (42.9%) mark from deep. However, it lost the turnover battle 18-14. Smallwood and Smink each had 14 points with six and five rebounds respectively. Morgan Mitchell pitched in 11 points to go with seven assists and four steals. Amber Grohowski managed 10 points and three boards.

The Aggies will return home to take on Manhattanville College on Wednesday, February 7 at 6 p.m.