DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Eireann Anastasi and Brenna Coll scored 19 points apiece as host Delaware Valley College notched its fourth straight victory with a 63-55 triumph over Freedom Conference foe Manhattanville College.
The win improved the Aggies to 11-5 overall as they matched their entire victory total from last season and they still have nine regular-season games remaining. More importantly, they upped their conference record to 4-1 and that has them in a tie with Eastern University for second place, just one game behind the defending conference champion FDU-Florham. Manhattanville fell to 5-10 and 1-4 with Thursday's loss.
The first half saw both teams play strong defense and they held each other to 31 percent shooting from the field. Delaware Valley jumped out to a 10-5 lead after an Anastasi jumper and a block from Shannon Barlow on the defensive end that led to a layup from Coll with 13:22 on the clock. From there, the Valiants went on a 12-2 run over the next six minutes to take a five-point lead of their own. Bri Pabon had five points during the run, including a deep three that knotted the game at 10.
The Aggies weren't phased as they came back and matched Manhattanville with a 12-2 run of their own to regain the five-point lead with 2:43 left in the first half. Coll and Anastasi had seven and five points respectively during that stretch. After two baskets from the Valiants, including a trey from Ashley Franklin, followed by two Delaware Valley layups, the Aggies took a 28-24 advantage into the break.
Delaware Valley came out in the second half and opened up a 10-point lead, 39-29, just five minutes in thanks, in part, to five points from Brittany Wood. That margin was the Aggies' largest of the night and they wouldn't relinquish it. However, the Valiants stayed in the contest as a 15-7 run, capped by a big three from Pabon, brought them to within two, 46-44, with 6:47 remaining.
Anastasi was then fouled while shooting a long-range shot and she connected on all three of her foul shots to make it a two-possession game and the advantage eventually went up to as many as eight. Anastasi scored eight points in the final six minutes as the trio of her, Coll and Agatha Drozd scored 16 of Delaware Valley's final 17 points as the Aggies remained perfect in James Work Gymnasium this year (6-0).
Anastasi added four steals in the game while Coll had 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Wood finished with eight points while Drozd had six points, six assists and five steals. Shannon Barlow added six points and 10 boards in the win.
The Valiants were led by junior center Alyson Caiazzo who recorded a game-high 23 rebounds to help give the team a 55-40 advantage on the boards. She also had 18 points, four blocks and three steals. Ashley Raaf finished with 11 points and Pabon had 10 points.