Women's Basketball

Delaware Valley 68, Wilkes University 58

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - Amber Smolinsky scored 37 points for the fourth-highest, single-game total in Delaware Valley College women's basketball history as the Aggies came from behind and downed Wilkes University, 68-58, in a crucial Freedom Conference game.

The win upped Delaware Valley's record to 9-14 overall and 4-8 in conference play while the Lady Colonels fell to 12-11 and 4-8. Both teams are now tied with Drew University for fifth-place in the conference, 1.5 games behind Lycoming College (5-6) for the final playoff spot.

Lycoming has three games remaining against the top three teams in the conference (King's, DeSales, Scranton), while the schedule favors the Aggies with a home game against FDU-Florham (2-10) and the season-finale road game at Drew next Saturday. Delaware Valley must leapfrog past Lycoming in the standings since the Lady Warriors hold a tiebreaker edge with their season sweep of the Aggies.

Delaware Valley's season looked in jeopardy with 14:19 remaining as Andrea Kacprowicz's basket ended an 11-2 run for Wilkes and gave the Lady Colonels a 47-37 lead, However, Smolinsky scored six straight points to make it 47-43 with 10:32 to go.

Andrea DeMaranville connected for Wilkes, but the Aggies came right back with 10 straight points to take the lead for good, 53-49, with 7:18 remaining. Smolinasky keyed that run as well with seven of the 10 points.

Smolinsky finished the afternoon 11-for-19 from the field (1-for-2 from 3-point land) and hit 14 of 15 foul shots. The senior guard's scoring total trailed only a pair of performances by Jeanne Waznak (40 points versus Drew in 1998 and 38 points versus Lycoming in 1999) and last season's 38-point effort by Kristen Henry (versus The Apprentice School) in Delaware Valley history.

Kate McCarthy added eight points for the Aggies while Bridget Golden had six points and a team-best nine rebounds. Sarah Tuffner grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots in the victory.

DeMaranville paced the Lady Colonels with 21 points while Kacprowicz and Janna Ward also reached double figures with 15 and 10 points respectively. Senior center Whitney Bull was held to a 2-for-15 shooting performance from the field and she finished with five points and a game-high 16 rebounds.