DALLAS, Pa. – Five three-pointers from Nasuti fueled Misericordia as the Cougars defeated Delaware Valley men's basketball, 74-57, on Wednesday evening.
Jeremiah Lee opened the scoring at the free-throw line in his second start of the season, and Kamal Johnson found him for a layup on the next possession to give the Aggies a 4-0 lead. Brian Mordi added a layup before Gallagher and Johnson traded scores. After a media timeout, threes from Stoute and Wright pulled the Cougars within one, but Mordi answered with a jumper after securing an offensive rebound.
Both teams struggled with turnovers before Nasuti drained a three, followed by a Gallagher free throw to put Misericordia ahead 14-13 seven minutes in. The squads traded baskets up and down the floor, including threes from Nasuti and Johnson, while a jumper from Jake McGinty kept DelVal within two. Misericordia then used a 10-0 run to create separation, pushing the lead to 32-21 before Johnson halted the stretch at the line. A McGinty three briefly cut into the deficit, but the Cougars closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 41-25 advantage into the break.
The second half opened with Aggie jumpers countered by a pair of Misericordia threes and a dunk by Stoute. Antonio Redding forced a turnover that led to a Lee layup, followed by a steal and score from Ryan Everett to make it 13:36 remaining. DelVal continued to trade baskets with points from MarQuel Fitzgerald and Everett but remained down double digits. Redding converted a three-point play and later found Fitzgerald for a layup to trim the margin to 63-47.
Lee added another layup, and Mordi forced a steal that led to a Redding basket, with Lee completing a three-point play moments later. Nasuti answered once again from beyond the arc, and Misericordia stretched the lead at the free-throw line before Nasuti connected on his fifth three with 1:50 remaining to put the Cougars back up by 19. The game stayed scoreless until Zach Smith capped the night with a layup in the final seconds.
Following the loss, the Aggies fall to 8-10 overall and 2-5 in MAC Freedom play. DelVal wraps up its three-game road stretch on Saturday, Jan. 31 at DeSales University.
