HOBOKEN (Nj.) – The Delaware Valley University women's basketball team let a half time lead slip away on the road at Stevens Institute of Technology as the hosts claimed a 70-54 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom win.
The Ducks improved to 16-3 overall and 9-1 in league play while the Aggies fell to 9-10 and an even 5-5 in MAC Freedom games.
Junior Haley Keenan scored 13 points in the first quarter including a stretch of eight in-a-row, and Jenna Schiessl connected on a 3-pointer to lead DelVal to a 20-16 advantage after one.
Taylor Richardson found Keenan for another two points to open the second quarter and first-year Alexis Wright scored the next nine Aggie points to keep the Ducks at bay. Keenan closed the second with a shot from beyond the arc, as Wright and Keenan combined for all 15 of DelVal's second quarter points. The defense held Stevens to 15 and the two teams went into the break with the Aggies holding a 35-31 lead.
In the third quarter, the Ducks forced seven turnovers and outscored the visitors 21-13. After a 3-pointer from Wright gave DelVal a seven-point lead, Stevens scored the next seven points to tie the game and continued on an 11-2 run to take a 44-42 lead with 4:43 left in the third. Three converted free-throws in the final 35 seconds of the quarter gave the Ducks a 52-48 lead going into the fourth.
DelVal's offense went cold in the final stanza as it went a span of 5:18 without a field goal and allowed Stevens to pull away to victory.
Keenan scored a game-high 26 points and Wright finished with 19 as the duo combined for 45 of the team's 54 points. Keenan added seven rebounds and four steals and Wright pulled down nine boards. Richardson also grabbed nine rebounds, and Sophie Chevres added four points, four assists, and four steals.
Jess Broad, the league's leading scorer just ahead of Keenan, finished with 16 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and three steals. Elissa Nsenkyire led the home team with 19 points and Amber Porrett grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Aggies have a bye this weekend and return to action on Wednesday, Feburary 1 at home against Arcadia at 8 p.m.
