WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – A late lead slipped away in the final minute for the Delaware Valley men's basketball team, as they fell to King's College, 72-68.

Antonio Redding led the Aggies with 23 points, while Zoelin Pair anchored the defensive effort with 12 rebounds and four blocks.

The Aggies quickly built an early lead with back-to-back threes from Kamal Johnson and Mike Herrin, putting them ahead 6-1 in the opening minute. A few minutes later, Herrin scored a layup to give the Aggies a six-point lead, but King's responded with a 12-0 run to take control. Pair stopped the Monarchs' momentum with a layup after JT Wright III stole the ball. King's went on another strong run, a 9-0 stretch, to take a 25-12 lead. Herrin ended the drought with a free throw, followed by a three-pointer after King's turned the ball over. With four minutes left in the first half, Jake Karish and Wright III exchanged three-pointers. The Aggies mounted a strong comeback in the closing minutes, finishing on a 13-4 run, but still trailed by eight going into the break.

The Monarchs opened the second half with the first five points, extending their lead. The Aggies responded with baskets from Redding, Johnson, and Pair to cut the deficit to five. A technical foul sent Redding to the line five minutes into the half, where he made both free throws. He followed with a three-pointer, assisted by Jake McGinty, to bring DelVal within one point. However, King's regained control with back-to-back three-pointers from Sean Forrest and Chris Patton, building a 10-point lead. The Aggies went scoreless for over six minutes until Redding's two free throws. Pair then made a leaping block that led to a steal by Johnson, who passed to Pair, resulting in two successful free throws.

Down by eight, Redding hit a jumper, and Herrin made a layup, forcing King's to call a timeout with 2:32 remaining. After more free throws from Redding, Johnson dished out an assist to Herrin, who drained a corner three to give the Aggies a 68-67 lead with less than a minute to go. However, Patton answered with a clutch three-pointer of his own, and King's sealed the game with free throws.

The Aggies, now 8-8 (3-2 MACF), will face DeSales University on Saturday, Jan. 25, with tipoff set for 3:00 p.m.