DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Kate Fitzpatrick scored 20 points for the eighth time this season to lead the Lebanon Valley women's basketball team in a tough 69-56 defeat at Delaware Valley University on Saturday afternoon inside James Work Gymnasium in Doylestown.
 
Fitzpatrick, who scored a career-high 30 against the Aggies earlier in the season, scored 13 of her points in the first quarter where the Dutchmen built a 20-14 advantage. Cristina Fernandez got the scoring going on the opening possession with a driving layup. The Aggies scored at the other end of the floor before Fitzpatrick knocked down a three to begin a 9-0 LVC run. Riley Hevelow scored on a pull up jumper before Fitzpatrick scored on a driving layup and a pair of free throws to give the Dutchmen an 11-2 lead. Delaware Valley clawed their way back into the game with a 6-1 run over a two-minute span. Fitzpatrick banked a deep three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to put the Dutchmen back up by seven at 15-8. DVU got within three at 17-14 before Kailey Eckhart and Fitzpatrick scored the final two buckets of the quarter.
 
The Aggies scored on the opening possession of the second quarter and LVC responded right back with a three-pointer by Samya Santiague. Ashley Pleban then found Hevelow open for a jumper to give the Dutchmen a 25-16 advantage after the first minute of play in the quarter. Both teams locked down on defense over the next six minutes as the Aggies used a 5-0 run to cut the lead to five. Jordan Zimmerman ended the scoring drought for the Dutchmen with a putback layup with 3:30 remaining in the half. LVC knocked down three of four free throw attempts, two by Brielle Reidinger and one of two by Zimmerman, to take a 30-23 lead.The teams traded buckets to close out the first half scoring with Zimmerman beating the buzzer with a putback layup.
 
Delaware Valley opened the second half on a 7-0 run over the first three minutes to tie the game up at 32. Fitzpatrick knocked down two shots at the line and then Santiague hit the back end of two shots to give LVC a three-point lead. The teams battled back and forth trading scored with DVU tying up the game on two occasions during the final five minutes of the quarter. Each time, the Dutchmen responded with a bucket to maintain their lead. The Aggies took their first lead of the game with 22 seconds left as Haley Keenan knocked down a three from the right wing to give DVU a 42-41 lead going into the fourth quarter.
 
Fernandez gave the Dutchmen back the lead with the first points of the fourth quarter on a putback layup two minutes in. The Aggies knocked down a three before Fitzpatrick countered with a three of her own to give the Dutchmen a 46-45 advantage with 6:44 on the clock. Delaware Valley then used an 8-0 run over the next few minutes to go up by seven. Hevelow stopped the run with a jumper on the left wing. The Dutchmen still trailed by five after a Zimmerman layup with just under three to play but the Aggies used a 12-0 run over the next two minutes to put the game out of reach. LVC fought valiantly over the final minute and outscored the Aggies 6-2 to set the final score.
 
Inside the Box

• Fitzpatrick made three of four three-point attempts and was 7-8 at the line in scoring her team-high 20 points. The senior also grabbed four rebounds.
• Zimmerman scored a season-high nine points and grabbed five rebounds including three on the offensive glass.
• Hevelow and Fernandez added six points each. Fernandez had four rebounds, including three on the offensive end, and blocked a shot.
• Reidinger led the Dutchmen in rebounding with seven and dished out two assists with three steals.
• The Dutchmen shot 63.6 percent in the first quarter and finished with a 32.8 shooting percentage.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will be back in action on Wednesday with another big conference matchup against FDU-Florham. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Sorrentino Gymnasium in Annville in the first of two home games for the Dutchmen this week.

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