ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley Women's Basketball team used a stifling defensive effort to defeat visiting Delaware Valley University 63-39 on Saturday afternoon inside Sorrentino Gymnasium in Annville.
 
The Dutchmen (14-6, 7-2 MAC Freedom) led for all but the first 41 seconds of the game when it was scoreless. Brielle Reidinger scored the first bucket with a layup off a feed from Abbie Reed. Neither team scored again for almost two minutes with Reed found Jordan Zimmerman open for a three in transition to make it 5-0. The Aggies scored their first points after four minutes of clock elapsed with a layup. Reidinger hit the front end of two free throws and Reed grabbed the rebound on the second shot before scoring to increase the lead to six points. Kailey Eckhart knocked down a three to force DVU to call a timeout with the Dutchmen leading 11-2.
 
LVC's run continued with a pair of free throws by Cristina Fernandez. After the Aggies hit a pair of shots at the line with three minutes to go in the quarter, Fernandez knocked down a three. A pair of layups by the Aggies cut the advantage to eight. Eckhart hit another three before a bucket by DVU gave the Dutchmen a 19-10 lead after the first 10 minutes.
 
Riley Hevelow hit a three to begin the second quarter of action. The Dutchmen offense did not score for the next three minutes but the defense did a great job holding the Aggies to just a fastbreak layup off a steal. Fernandez found Reidinger in transition to put the Dutchmen back up by 12. Reed hit a free throw and then Eckhart had a traditional three-point play to increase LVC's advantage to 28-12 with four minutes to go in the half. DVU knocked down a three to cut the deficit to 13. Elise Balmer scored on a putback to make it 32-18 before Hevelow knocked down one of two shots at the line to put the Dutchmen up by 15. DVU answered with a three before Fernandez found Hevelow cutting to the rim for an easy layup to make it 35-21 at the half.
 
Zimmerman started the second half with a bucket before a nearly five-minute scoring drought for both teams. Delaware ended the drought with two made free throws with just over five minutes to go in the quarter. LVC answered right back at the other end with a Balmer layup off a Fernandez assist. The teams traded scores as Fernandez and Zimmerman hit shots. The Aggies were able to cut the lead back to 13 with a minute left on a steal, bucket, and foul shot. Eckhart hit the front end of two shots at the line to give LVC a 44-30 lead heading into the fourth.
 
LVC held the Aggies scoreless for the first three minutes of the final quarter and squashed any attempt at a comeback with layups by Reidinger and Fernandez to go up by 18. A traditional three-point play got the deficit down to 15 before Reidinger scored inside. The teams traded buckets and then Fernandez stole the ball and found Hevelow streaking to the basket for two points. Back-to-back layups from Eckhart increased the lead to 23 at 58-35 with a little under four to play. Eckhart scored down low a minute later to give the Dutchmen their largest lead of the game. Delaware Valley scored the next two buckets as LVC went to the bench. Olivia Baldwin hit a long two-pointer and then Rachel Witkoski knocked down a free throw to set the final score.
 
Inside the Box

• Eckhart scored a team-high 16 points while knocking down a pair of threes. She added three rebounds and an assist.
• Fernandez had a strong game with 13 points, six rebounds, five steals, four assists, and three blocks.
• Reidinger was just shy of a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds and nine points. She also had two assists and two blocks.
• Hevelow scored eight points and dished out four assists with three rebounds.
• Zimmerman added seven points and five rebounds while Reed had seven rebounds and three points.
• LVC blocked nine shots for the third time this season.
• The Dutchmen held the Aggies to 23 percent shooting while forcing 17 turnovers including 11 steals. It is the eighth time this year LVC has held an opponent under 30 percent shooting and the sixth time holding a team to 40 points or less.
• LVC had 30 points in the paint, 13 points over turnovers, 11 fastbreak points, and 11 second chance points on 14 offensive rebounds.

 
Up Next
LVC will be back in Sorrentino Gymnasium on Monday evening with a 6 p.m. tip against Misericordia University. The Dutchmen are currently second in the conference standings a half game back of Arcadia and a half game ahead of Stevens. Two wins this week over the Cougars and FDU-Florham on Wednesday would clinch a spot in the conference tournament.

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