DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Brittany Muscatell notched 16 points and 12 rebounds and hit a pair of crucial free throws in the final minute as King's College downed host Delaware Valley College, 59-56, in the Freedom Conference opener for both teams.
The Lady Monarchs (5-1) led throughout most of the contest, including by as many as 11 midway through the second half. They still held a 56-48 advantage with 4:31 remaining when the Aggies (5-1) went on an 8-1 run to make it a one-point contest with 2:30 to go. Senior Jackie Shunkwiler scored six to lead the spurt.
Both teams had numerous chances after that with neither scoring over a two-minute span. Muscatell was sent to the foul line with 20 seconds and the senior canned both attempts for a 59-56 lead. Delaware Valley moved the ball across halfcourt and called timeout with 16.1 seconds remaining. The Aggies looked for the 3-pointer and the tie but Brittany Battinieri's long attempt went off the rim and Cella Rader grabbed the rebound for King's as the buzzer sounded.
Both teams struggled to score in the contest, especially in the first half when they went a combined 2-for-27 from 3-point land. The Lady Monarchs led by as many as nine in the stanza before taking a 28-27 advantage into the intermission. The Aggies took the lead in the early moments of the second half, but King's took command and then held on at the end.
Muscatell did most of her damage from the foul line as she was 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. Kings, as a team went the line 37 times (23 makes) compared to a 17-for-20 effort by the Aggies. In addition to Muscatell, Samantha Simcox added nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Rader, Paige Carlin and Katlin Michael had nine points apiece.
Shunkwiler came off the bench to pace Delaware Valley with 13 points. Battinieri finished with 12 points while freshman Brenna Coll added 10 points and 12 rebounds. Leading scorer and rebounder Emily Soper saw just two minutes of action in the first half due to foul trouble. She finished the game with eight points and nine boards.