DOYLESTOWN (PA) – The Delaware Valley women's basketball team saw its 2015-16 season come to an end as the fifth-seeded Aggies dropped a 65-55 decision at No. 4 Marywood University in the quarterfinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region Championship.
DelVal finished with a 13-14 overall record, including trips to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom semis and the ECAC quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. The Pacers improved to 19-8 and advanced to Saturday's semifinals at top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College.
The end of the season also marked the final game in the careers of seniors Eireann Anastasi and Kelsey Kilpatrick. Anastasi, who had 25 points, six assists and five rebounds on Wednesday, will go down as one of the top players in Aggie history. The Jostens Trophy candidate and MAC Freedom Player of the Year concluded her four years as the school's second all-time leader in points (1,744), field goals (597), and assists (424). She is also fourth all-time in free throws (386), sixth in 3-pointers (164) and seventh in steals (227). Anastasi's 536 points on the year ranks second on the school's single-season list.
Kilpatrick hit a pair of 3-pointers against Marywood as the sharpshooter finished with eight points on the evening. Her 68 treys on the year ranks fifth in that category and she also ended fifth all-time with 166 made shots from beyond the arc.
DelVal trailed for just 28 seconds in the opening quarter and took a 19-18 lead into the second. The squad then went up by as many as seven, 30-23, before the Pacers cut their deficit sown to two with 14 seconds left in the half. However, Anastasi nailed a triple with just three ticks left to give her 15 points for the half and her teams a 33-28 lead.
Marywood used a 6-0 run midway through the third for a four-point advantage, but the Aggies retook the lead and headed into the fourth up three, 49-46. However, the final quarter belonged to the Pacers as they outscored DelVal, 19-6, over the 10 minutes. It began with a 7-0 spurt and 10 of the first 12 for a 56-51 Marywood lead with 4:40 remaining. Sam Foy (10 points, 8 rebounds) scored inside to make it a one-possession game, but the Pacers ended the contest with a 9-2 run.
Both teams shot under 27 percent from the field and under 32 percent from beyond at the arc. The difference came at the foul line as Marywood went to the stripe 24 times and made 18 compared to just four trips and four make by the Aggies. DelVal was called for 21 fouls and saw three starters foul out while the Pacers had just 11 fouls on the night.
Marywood was led by Natasha Hessling's 19 points and nine rebounds. Gabrielle Giordano was 9-for-13 from the foul line and finished with 17 points and nine boards.