DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley College head coach Laura Hogan picked up the 200th win of her career as the Aggies used a strong second-half run to down visiting Salisbury University, 72-60, in Monday's non-conference game.
Hogan became just the fifth coach in Delaware Valley College athletic history to reach the milestone. She has her program to eight Middle Atlantic Conference/Freedom Conference playoff berths, four Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playoff berths and one ECAC South Region championships in her 15-plus years at the helm.
Delaware Valley (10-5) hit nine of its first 11 shots as it jumped out to a 20-12 advantage just 6:15 into the contest. Junior all-conference forward/center Emily Soper led the quick start with 12 points while freshmen Brenna Coll and Grace Mirack added 3-pointers. Brittany Battinieri added the remaining points.
A Coll layup 90 seconds later upped the lead to double digits. Salisbury (7-7) pulled to within four, 29-25, with 4:50 remaining, but a bomb by Coll and a fast-break layup by Mirak put the lead back to nine.
However, Salisbury ended the half with a 10-2 run to trail by just one, 36-35 at the break. Nicole Sisco came off the bench and scored all 10 points in the spurt for the Sea Gulls, who also dominated the boards in the first half with a 16-rebound advantage. In fact, they had more offensive rebounds (18) and second-chance points (15) then Delaware Valley's rebound total in those first 20 minutes.
The game was tied on four separate occasions in the second half, the last coming at 46-46 after Salisbury's KC Curran hit a jumper with 12:48 remaining. Jackie Shunkwiler gave the Aggies the lead for good thanks to a three-point play, and the senior then followed with an assist on an Emily Soper layup.
The Sea Gulls hung around and a Katie McGahagan basket made it 57-55 with 7:42 to go. However, Delaware Valley put the game away with nine straight points over the next six minutes to make it a 67-55 ballgame. Shunkwiler hit a layup, Mirack followed with a three-point play, and Soper and Brittany Battineri each hit a pair of free throws.
Soper was 8-for-18 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line as she finished with a game-high 25 points. She also added 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Coll nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine boards while Battinieri and Mirack finished with 11 and 10 points respectively. Battinieri also dished out five assists.
Anna Hackett led Salisbury with 19 points and seven assists. Sisco finished with 11 points and nine rebounds while Meghan Dunn added 10 points and seven boards.