HOBOKEN, N.J. - A strong fourth-quarter push wasn't enough to erase early deficits as the Delaware Valley women's basketball team dropped a 64–49 decision to Stevens on Wednesday night.
The Aggies struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, going scoreless for the opening two minutes before
Alexis Wright broke the drought with a layup. Stevens answered with an 8–0 run over the next four minutes and controlled the tempo throughout the quarter.
Emma Miller's four-point spurt briefly cut the deficit, but a late triple sent the Ducks into the second quarter up 17–7.
Stevens opened the second frame with four quick points before
Whitney Evans knocked down a three to spark DelVal. The Aggies played the Ducks nearly even the rest of the quarter, outscoring them 10–9, with Juliana Harris providing a presence inside and at the line. Harris' late surge trimmed a 17-point deficit to 13 at the break, 30–17.
DelVal showed early life coming out of halftime as Wright scored five points and Evans added four in the opening four minutes to pull within 11. A scoring drought, however, allowed Stevens to stretch the lead back to 21. Wright closed the quarter at the free-throw line, going 2-for-2, as the Aggies headed into the final period looking to build momentum.
The Aggies outscored the Ducks 21–17 in the fourth quarter. Stevens opened the frame with four points, but Evans answered with a three to ignite an 8–0 DelVal run that forced a Stevens timeout. The Ducks scored three out of the break before Evans buried another triple to cut the deficit to 15. Stevens responded with hot shooting over the next two minutes to regain a 21-point cushion, but DelVal finished strong, closing the game on an 8–2 run led by
Jayla Rivera to bring the final margin to 64–49.
Wright, the reigning MAC Freedom Player of the Week, posted her sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Ciana Feliciano filled the stat sheet, leading the Aggies with five steals while adding two assists and a block.
DelVal returns to action Saturday, January 24, traveling to Lebanon Valley for a 1 p.m. conference matchup.
