DOYLESTOWN (PA) – The Delaware Valley University women's basketball team ended with a 13-4 run over the final 4:40 to finish off a 62-54, come-from-behind victory over visiting Dickinson College on Sunday.
The Aggies (4-9) trailed 50-49 with 4:52 remaining after a free throw by the Red Devils' (4-5) Jennifer Smith. Senior Eireann Anastasi sank a jumper (4:40) followed by a pair of foul shots (4:19) to give DelVal a three-point advantage (53-50). Two Dickinson buckets from the charity stripe made it a one-point game with 3:17 to go.
Senior Kelsey Kilpatrick drained a big three for the Aggies, putting them up four with 3:09 on the clock. Mary Martin's jumper at 2:27 got the Red Devils back within two but freshman Danielle Skedzielewski made a layup and Anastasi was a perfect four-for-four from the line down the stretch to put the game away. Anastasi poured in 21 points in the second half, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and an unblemished 12-of-12 from the stripe. She ended the contest with a game-high 27 points.
Early in the contest, Delaware Valley held a 7-6 lead but Dickinson followed with a 12-0 run to go ahead 18-7 at the seven minute mark of the second quarter. However, the Aggies responded with a run of their own, scoring 13 of the next 14 points for a 20-19 advantage (3:51). Anastasi tallied six points, Skedzielewski recorded five and junior Sam Foy added two.
The Red Devils registered 11 of the final 13 points in the period to take a 30-22 lead into the intermission. Smith had six of the points and Martin was responsible for the other five. They each had 10 points in the half.
Dickinson held its largest lead of the second half at 10 (36-26) with 4:28 to go in the third quarter. The Aggies went on a 15-5 tear that bled into the fourth period to tie the score at 41. Anastasi had eight points in the run. The Red Devils restored a six-point cushion but Anastasi and Kilpatrick sank back-to-back triples to tie the game at 47 (7:05). Skedzielewski's two foul shots (5:23) deadlocked the score for the fourth and final time before Smith's free throw with 4:52 left.
DelVal converted 90 percent of its free throw attempts, going 18-of-20 on the day. Anastasi's 27 points was followed by 15 from Skedzielewski and 12 by Kilpatrick. Freshman Brianna Rivello brought down seven rebounds.
The Red Devils dominated the glass by a 51-27 margin but foul shooting was their undoing, as they shot just 42 percent (10-of-24) from the line. Martin led Dickinson with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Smith had 13 points and Kassidy Lesher added 10. Lesher also corralled nine rebounds.
Delaware Valley returns to action on Wednesday, January 13 with a home Middle Atlantic Confere (MAC) Freedom matchup against Manhattanville College (6:00 p.m.).