WILKES-BARRE (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University women's basketball team struggled to score late in regulation and dropped a 61-50 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom contest at Wilkes University on Saturday.
The Aggies are now 4-3 in league play and 8-8 overall while the Colonels improved to 3-4 and 4-12 with the win.
After falling behind, 7-2, DelVal brought Jenna Schiessl off the bench and the junior delivered two three's to make it a one-point game, 9-8. DelVal took its first lead of the game at 15-14 with 36 seconds left in the first thanks to five-straight made free throws. The advantage was short lived as Kendra Smith hit a pair down the other end to put the Colonels back up by one heading into the second.
Early in the second, Wilkes hit consecutive treys to cap an 8-0 run and extend its lead to eight, 24-16. DelVal got an and-1 play from Alexis Wright and a layup by Maisie Neuber to make it a three-point game. It remained that way into the halftime break with the Colonels on top, 30-27.
The Aggies shot 8-for-23 in the first half while the home team hit 10-of-32 from the field.
Through the first five minutes of the third, junior Taylor Richardson scored four points and DelVal outscored Wilkes, 8-4, to regain its one point lead. Moments later the Aggies got six straight points from Wright and extended their advantage to 39-35. But over the final 2:04 of the stanza the Colonels outscored DelVal, 10-2, to take a 45-42 lead into the fourth quarter.
Wilkes' defense held the Aggies to eight points in the fourth including a five-minute scoreless stretch to end the game. The offense posted 16 points and the Colonels came away with a comfortable victory.
Wright, the first-year forward, recorded a career-high 25 rebounds and a team-high 21 points while Haley Keenan posted eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophie Chevres dished out a career-best nine assists and added six rebounds, five points, and two steals.
For Wilkes, Brianna Horton had 11 points with five steals and Brenna Babcock scored 10 points and dished out four assists.
DelVal won the rebound battle, 49-25, but had 33 turnovers to the Colonels' 14.
The Aggies host FDU-Florham in MAC Freedom play on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
