DALLAS, Pa. – The Delaware Valley women's basketball team could not recover from a late first-half surge by Misericordia, falling to the Cougars, 78-53, on Wednesday night.
The Aggies came out sharp. A jumper from
Alexis Lease-Springer and a perfect trip to the free-throw line by
Ciana Feliciano gave DelVal an early 4-0 edge. Despite early foul trouble, the Aggies maintained control at the line. Lease-Springer went 1-for-2 from the stripe and Witman followed with a pair of free throws to keep DelVal in front, 7-2. Misericordia answered with a three-pointer and used an 11-2 run to swing momentum and take a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
DelVal answered in the opening minute of the second quarter. Witman converted a free throw and added a basket, and Lease-Springer followed with a bucket of her own to spark a four-point push that pulled the Aggies back within one possession. After the Cougars stretched the lead to four, Feliciano's tip-in sparked a 6-0 run that briefly put DelVal back on top. However, Misericordia closed the half on a 15-0 run to seize control and take a 33-20 advantage into the break.
The Cougars extended the margin to 16 early in the third before back-to-back midrange jumpers from
Alexis Wright and Evans slowed the surge. Feliciano later connected from beyond the arc, but Misericordia maintained its rhythm offensively and carried a 59-41 lead into the final quarter.
Wright and
Anijah Davis were active in the paint to open the fourth, and Wright converted a three-point play to answer another Cougar push. Misericordia added a pair of free throws and a late basket in the closing minutes, finishing on a 4-0 run to seal the victory.
Wright paced the Aggies with 15 points, while Lease-Springer recorded a team-high 10 rebounds. Evans added four steals on the defensive end.
DelVal returns home to close out the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 21, hosting Lebanon Valley at 1 p.m.
