DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University men's basketball team pulled out a hard fought 53-51 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom victory on the road over Arcadia University on Wednesday night thanks to a strong defensive effort down the stretch.
The win improved the Aggies to 5-4 overall and 2-1 in league play while the Knights fell to 3-5 and 0-3.
After a slow start for both teams, the game settled into a back-and-forth tilt that featured 17 lead changes and 11 tied scores.
Arcadia got a jumper from Dom Vazquez and a dunk from Justin Money to tie the game at 8-8 halfway through the first. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half with DelVal getting the final bucket to take a 26-25 lead into the break.
Tyriq Toney-Bailey led DelVal in the first with 10 points and Godly Marc followed with five as seven different players got on the scoresheet. The Aggies shot 3-for-8 from beyond the arc and forced eight turnovers to that point.
Out of the break, Ewens Lizima set up Toney-Bailey who connected from deep put DelVal up four.
Arcadia to its first lead of the second half moments later with five-straight points including a 3-pointer from Money to make it 30-29.
There were nine lead changes over the next 10 minutes of play as the teams continued to go back-and-forth. Jordan Gombs gave the Aggies the largest lead of the half to that point with a layup to make it 45-42 with 11:34 left in regulation.
Arcadia tied the game at 48-48 with 4:20 on the clock, but Marc came down the other end and drained a long three from the elbow to get DelVal back on top, 51-48. After the Knights timeout, Marc stole the ensuing inbound pass under the basket and laid it in to make give the Aggies the biggest lead of the half at 53-48.
DelVal maintained a four-point lead with 1:20 to play and possession of the ball, but a shot clock violation gave it back to the home team. Down the other end, Jalen Watkins got an offensive board and put-back to cut the Aggie lead to two, 53-51, with under a minute to play. The Knights fouled Gombs to send him to the line for a one-in-one where his first shot was off the mark and the rebound went to Arcadia. The Knights pushed ball down the court and drove to the rim, but Lizima got into the lane to take a charge and force a turnover with 15 seconds left and DelVal holding a two-point lead.
Gombs went back to the line with 12 seconds remaining but again missed the front end of the one-in-one and Arcadia had one more chance to tie the game or take the lead. Lizima's defensive effort was able to knock the ball away but it rolled out of bounds and remained with the Knights who called timeout with three seconds to play. Out of the timeout, Arcadia inbounded the ball to Watkins who pulled up from deep for the win but the shot clunked off the front rim and time expired giving DelVal the thrilling road victory.
Each team hit exactly 20 field goals and eight free throws in the game with the Aggies holding a 5-3 edge in 3-pointers made.
DelVal forced 24 turnovers and had 11 steals led by Godly Marc's six to go with 11 points and five rebounds. Toney-Bailey connected on three treys and led the Aggies with 15 points. Lizima matched Marc's team-best five rebounds and Savage had two blocked shots and six points.
Watkins led Arcadia with a game-high 19 points and 16 rebounds to go with two blocked shots. Money followed with 10 points, five boards and three assists.
DelVal will look to make it three in-a-row when it returns home on Saturday to take on the Lycoming Warriors at 3 p.m.
