LANCASTER, Pa. – The Delaware Valley women's basketball team closed out its weekend at the Terry Greene Tipoff Tournament on Saturday, battling host Franklin & Marshall down to the wire before falling 51-46.
The Aggies opened strong behind the efforts of
Whitney Evans,
Alexis Wright, and
Julianna Harris, who combined to give DelVal the early edge. F&M answered with a surge of its own to build a seven-point lead, but the Aggies swung the momentum back late in the first. Evans sparked an 8-0 run, joined by Wright and
Ciana Feliciano, to send DelVal into the second quarter with a 14-13 advantage.
The Diplomats regained the lead early in the second frame, but Evans continued to pace the Aggies' offense. Her three-point run briefly restored the DelVal advantage, which the team held for several minutes before F&M mounted another push. Evans delivered again in the closing seconds, burying a three-pointer to trim the halftime deficit to 26-24.
Evans carried that energy into the second half, opening the third with another three to give DelVal a one-point lead. The Diplomats responded with a three-pointer of their own that ignited a decisive 15-5 stretch, putting DelVal in a nine-point hole.
Alexis Lease-Springer capped the quarter by going a perfect 2-for-2 at the free-throw line, cutting the deficit to 43-36.
Both teams locked down defensively to start the fourth, remaining scoreless for more than five minutes until Feliciano broke through with a layup. The Aggies found their rhythm from deep soon after, with Feliciano and Ava Irrizarry knocking down back-to-back threes to pull within three. Wright then converted a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game, 47-46. However, foul trouble sent Franklin & Marshall to the line in the final seconds, where the Diplomats went 4-for-4 to close out the contest.
Evans led the Aggies once again, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds. Her strong performance throughout the weekend earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Wright added three steals and recorded DelVal's lone block on the defensive end.
The Aggies continue their road stretch on Wednesday, Dec. 10, when they travel to Bryn Mawr for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
