DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Delaware Valley women's basketball held a slim halftime advantage, but a decisive third-quarter run by Misericordia proved too much to overcome in a 64-58 setback Wednesday night.
 
The Aggies and Cougars traded baskets through the first six minutes of the opening quarter before Misericordia put together the first mini-run of the night to go up three. DelVal stayed within one possession throughout the stretch, and Whitney Evans knocked down a late three while Emma Miller went a perfect 2-for-2 at the line in the final 54 seconds to give the Aggies a 15-13 edge after one.
 
Misericordia opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run to grab a five-point lead, but Alexis Wright halted the drought at the stripe. Alexis Lease-Springer added key layups to keep DelVal within two on multiple occasions before Evans buried another triple to put the Aggies back in front, 23-22. The teams traded the lead three times over the next minute, but Evans continued her hot shooting from beyond the arc to push DelVal into halftime with a 30-27 advantage.
 
The Cougars seized momentum out of the break with a three-pointer, but Emma Miller answered with a pair of buckets to keep DelVal within striking distance. Misericordia then rattled off a 9-1 run to build a double-digit cushion, 45-35, with 3:17 remaining in the quarter. Julianna Harris and Ciana Feliciano combined for a late 4-0 spurt, and Whitney Evans capped the frame with her third fourth of the night to cut the deficit to 50-42 heading into the final period.
 
DelVal continued to chip away early in the fourth as Feliciano and Wright combined for seven points over the first four minutes to keep the margin in single digits, 58-49. A three-minute scoring drought allowed Misericordia to stretch its lead to a game-high 13, but Evans sparked one final Aggies push with a layup that ignited a 9-0 run to pull DelVal within two possessions, 62-58, in the closing minute. Misericordia answered with a late basket to secure the six-point victory.
 
Evans led all Aggies with 21 points, one shy of her season high, marking her fourth 20-plus point performance of the season and her 17th double-digit outing. Miller and Feliciano paced DelVal on the boards with seven rebounds apiece, while Feliciano added a team-high two steals as seven different Aggies recorded at least one takeaway.
 
DelVal returns to action Saturday, Jan. 31, traveling to DeSales for a 1 p.m. tip in Center Valley, Pa.