DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Delaware Valley women's basketball team delivered a wire-to-wire battle at home, outlasting Arcadia 58-53 to snap a seven-game skid in the series dating back to 2022.
The opening quarter featured a back-and-forth affair with four lead changes in the first three minutes. Arcadia held a slight edge for much of the period before DelVal closed strong.
Alexis Lease-Springer went 1-of-2 at the line to make it a one-possession game, and
Ciana Feliciano finished a fastbreak layup off a steal by
Aubrey Ennis to give the Aggies a 11-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Arcadia opened the second quarter with a layup, but Lease-Springer answered with a three-pointer to swing the lead back in DelVal's favor. After the Knights hit a triple of their own, the Aggies seized momentum. Juliana Harris knocked down a jumper to ignite a 9-2 run, capped by an Ennis three, giving DelVal a 24-21 lead. Arcadia trimmed the deficit with a late bucket, sending the Aggies into halftime with a 24-23 edge.
The Knights looked to take control out of the break but never led by more than two. Ennis buried another three to put DelVal back on top, and
Whitney Evans added a steal and coast-to-coast layup to spark an 8-2 Aggies run and build a five-point cushion. Arcadia briefly cut into the lead before Ennis connected again from deep to give DelVal its largest advantage of the night, 40-34. A buzzer-beating three by the Knights trimmed the margin to 40-37 heading into the fourth.
The final quarter saw two quick lead changes before Feliciano split a pair at the stripe to knot the game at 43. Arcadia then put together a 10-4 run to take a six-point lead, but Evans took over, scoring six straight to erase the deficit and tie the game at 53. Wright followed with a go-ahead layup, and the Aggies clamped down defensively in the final 46 seconds while knocking down free throws to seal the 58-53 victory.
Evans led DelVal with 22 points, while Wright grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Feliciano was active defensively, recording five steals.
The Aggies return to action with a quick turnaround, hosting Stevens on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. in James Work Gymnasium.
