WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 16, 2019) – Despite falling to Manhattanville College 76-71 Saturday afternoon in the 2018-19 season finale in McGrane Gymnasium, the King's College women's basketball season will endure as the Monarchs earned the fourth and final Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) playoff spot thanks to losses by Eastern University and Delaware Valley University.

The Monarchs (12-13, 6-8 MAC Freedom) will now travel to top seed No. 16 DeSales University down in Center Valley, PA on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. King's has now qualified for the MAC Freedom Tournament the last two seasons and will look to avenge two earlier season losses to the Bulldogs, as well as a MAC Freedom Tournament loss last year.

As for Saturday's game, the Monarchs led by as many as 12 points midway through the second quarter, after a traditional three-point play from junior Rebecca Prociak to make the score 31-19 with 4:17 left in the opening half. Minutes later after a pair of free throws from junior Mackenzie Yori, the Valiants (17-7, 8-6 MAC Freedom) used an 11-2 run over the last three minutes of the half to make it 35-34 King's game heading into the break.

Senior Alexis Steeber, who was celebrating her Senior Day along with teammate Lindsey Dippre, led King's with 12 points through the first half while Prociak also posted nine points for the Monarchs. The game would continue to stay tight throughout, as the lead changed hands 18 times over the course of the game while featuring six ties as well.

With 1:23 go, King's took its first lead since 49-48 as Steeber converted a lay-up while being fouled followed by a free throw to put the Monarchs up two at 69-67. On the next play down the court, Ali Mikaele answered with her own three-point play to give Manhattanville a 70-69 lead with 1:10 to go.

King's would miss its next shot, and following one free throw make by the Valiants, the Monarchs had the ball with 14 seconds down two. The ensuing inbounds pass by King's was a bit strong, sailing out of bounds to give the ball back to Manhattanville. Kayleah McGuire made both shots from the line to make it a four-point game, and King's wouldn't get the game back to a one-score game as the Valiants sealed the contest from the line.

Steeber finished three points shy of her career high on Saturday, chalking up 20 points and six rebounds, making eight of her 17 field goals. The senior from Shickshinny, PA is now just five points shy of 1,000 for her career, and should get to that number Wednesday at DeSales as she is averaging 15.2 points per game this year.

Prociak was 9-of-10 from the line and 4-of-8 from the field on the way to 17 points, chalking up seven rebounds, while freshman Samantha Rajza finished with 15 points, six boards and a team-leading four assists. Dippre came off the bench to total nine points, five rebounds and two helpers, and Yori tallied eight points and three caroms.

King's finished 24-63 (38.1 percent) from the field, and shot it well from the charity stripe as KC was 19-of-24 (79.2 percent) at the line. Rebounding once again was a bugaboo for the Monarchs, as King's was out-boarded 49-40 while surrendering 19 offensive rebounds. Those rebounds for Manhattanville resulted in 20 second-chance points for the visitors.

Manhattanville was paced by McGuire and her 19 points, while Sarah Coutu finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Mikaele and Spencer Shore tallied 11 points as well, and Amanda Pemberton chalked up eight points and 13 rebounds in the win.