ANNVILLE, Pa. ­­– Riley Hevelow and Kate Fitzpatrick led three scorers in double figures on Saturday, Jan. 27,  as the Lebanon Valley College women's basketball team dropped a close 55-51 game to Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Sorrentino Gymnasium. 

The Ducks created offensive opportunities early in the game, as the squad led 6-2 just 1:48 into the first quarter. The Flying Dutchmen promptly responded with an 8-0 run, claiming a 10-6 advantage with 5:49 remaining in the frame. Lebanon Valley went ahead after Riley Hevelow made a driving layup and knocked down a three-pointer, and Kailey Eckhart also connected on a three. 

The programs then went back and forth defensively over the next couple of minutes, until Kate Fitzpatrick extended LVC's lead to 12-6 with a pair of free throws with 3:08 to go in the opening quarter. Stevens then posted a 4-2 stretch in the final minutes of the first, narrowing its deficit to 14-10 at the end of the frame. The Flying Dutchmen scored their two points over this span on free throws by Brielle Reidinger.

Lebanon Valley kept its offense rolling at the start of the second quarter, as the team went ahead 16-10 after Fitzpatrick made a pull-up jumper 58 seconds into the frame. The Ducks answered with a 6-3 run, narrowing the score to 19-16 with 7:13 remaining in the quarter. The squads followed this by battling on the defensive end over the next 5:18, as neither side scored again until there were less than two minutes left. 

The Dutchmen resumed the offense with 1:55 to play in the second quarter, extending their advantage to 21-16 on a layup by Samya Santiague. Stevens then closed out the first half with five straight points on a driving layup and a three-pointer. This evened the contest at 21-21, prompting the programs to enter halftime in a tie. 

Lebanon Valley began the third quarter with a 4-2 stretch, taking a 25-23 lead with 7:23 left in the frame. LVC went up early in the quarter on a pull-up jumper by Fitzpatrick and a layup by Reidinger. The squads continued to compete defensively in third, maintaining the score through the next 1:45. The Dutchmen then posted seven consecutive points over a span of 1:17, claiming a 32-23 advantage with 4:21 to play in the frame. During this stretch, Fitzpatrick made a layup and a three while Santiague knocked down a pull-up jumper. 

The Ducks responded with five straight points, trimming their deficit to 32-28 with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter. LVC answered back with a jumper and a layup by Cristina Fernandez, making it a 36-28 game with 1:39 to go. Stevens then converted a pair of free throws before Lebanon Valley closed out the frame on a 6-2 run. Hevelow connected on a three with 44 seconds left and Santiague made a clutch three-pointer with just one second on the clock. The Dutchmen took a 41-32 lead into the final frame. 

Lebanon Valley continued to produce offensively early in the fourth quarter, beginning the frame on an 8-2 run to claim a 49-34 advantage with 8:25 remaining. The squad went ahead by 15 points after a stretch that included a pull-up jumper Santiague, as well as threes by Hevelow and Fitzpatrick. The defenses of both squads proceeded to keep each other scoreless for nearly the next two minutes. 

Stevens then responded with an 18-0 run in a stretch of 5:54, taking a 52-49 lead with 33 seconds left in the game. This was followed by Hevelow drawing a foul while attempting a three-pointer and making two free throws, advancing the score to 52-51 with 26 seconds to go. The Ducks added three more points in the remainder of the frame, closing out the contest by a score of 55-51. 

Inside the Box Score

• Hevelow tied for a game-high 14 points while leading Lebanon Valley with a trio of three-pointers and three converted three-pointers. The sophomore guard also led the team with eight rebounds, tying her season high. 
• Fitzpatrick's 14 points and five made field goals both tied for game highs. The senior guard also recorded five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 
• Santiague posted personal season highs with three steals and five made field goals, which marked the game-high for steals and tied the game-most in field goals. The senior also tied her season high in points with 10, while tallying a rebound and an assist.
• Fernandez led the Flying Dutchmen with five assists and a block while registering six points, three rebounds, and a steal. 
• Reidinger had six rebounds with four points. 
• Abbie Reed recorded four rebounds.
• Lebanon Valley scored 14 points off turnovers. 

Up Next 
The Flying Dutchmen will return to action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, as the team will travel to take on Misericordia University at the Anderson Sports-Health Center in Dallas, Pennsylvania. 

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