On January 22, the Stevens women’s basketball team hosted the DeSales Bulldogs at Canavan Arena. After back-to-back losses in conference play, Stevens looked to bounce back against another conference opponent. Coming into this match, DeSales carried a two-game winning streak after a tragic road loss to King’s College.
DeSales began the game aggressively, taking a quick 6-2 lead over the Ducks. However, the Ducks responded well to this strong start by scoring five points in a row to take their first lead of the game. DeSales’ physical play forced Stevens to foul repeatedly, which sent the Bulldogs to the foul line early. As the Bulldogs looked to take hold of the game, Jess Broad’s nine first-quarter points kept the Ducks within striking distance.
The aggressive play continued into the second quarter with the Bulldogs at the foul line often. The Ducks struggled to stop the DeSales offense, but a massive block by Broad inspired a rally. A combination of good defense and offense helped the Ducks cut the lead down to six with two minutes left before halftime. Then, just before the buzzer, Emily Nunez drained a three-pointer, trimming the Bulldogs’ lead to two. DeSales led the Ducks 36-34 at half.
After halftime, DeSales came out on fire, scoring seven unanswered points. This scoring awakened the Stevens’ defense, which forced turnovers on the next few possessions. These turnovers resulted in points, further carving into the Bulldogs’ lead. Then Stevens drilled three consecutive three-pointers to give themselves their second lead of the day and the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter did not disappoint. Stevens took a four-point lead thanks to a great pass by Danielle Cornetta that found Meghan Douglas for an easy layup. Both teams battled back and forth each possession as they went deeper into the fourth quarter. Then, DeSales captured the lead again after sinking shots on ensuing possessions. The Bulldogs held their five-point lead into the final minute until Allie Moss finished an incredible layup, giving the Ducks hope. However, DeSales strengthened its grip on the game and secured its 12th win of the season.
Broad scored a season-high 26 points while Moss finished with 16. For DeSales, Averi Jordan and Rylie Rittenhouse scored 19 points apiece. Since this showdown, the lady Ducks dropped a tight contest to Eastern University on Saturday, January 25, and notched one in the win column against FDU Florham on Wednesday, January 29. Stevens women’s basketball will return to the court in a pivotal MAC Freedom Conference game against Delaware Valley on Saturday, February 1, at 1 p.m. in Doylestown, PA.
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