WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 14, 2024) -- The King's College women's basketball team out scored the visiting Lebanon Valley College in the paint, but the Monarchs came up shy in a 62-43 setback to the Flying Dutchmen in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play on Wednesday night in McGrane Gymnasium. The Monarchs fall to 3-21 overall and 0-13 in the standings, while the Flying Dutchmen improved to 14-10 and keep their playoff hopes alive with an 8-5 conference mark.
 
King's (3-21, 0-13 MAC Freedom) attacked the paint early, scoring the first four of the game on layups from Lauren Casey. Lebanon Valley (14-10, 8-5 MAC Freedom) responded with a 13-2 rally to go ahead, 13-6, with 3:34 left in the first. The teams traded baskets down the stretch with a put back from Rowan Murray sending the Monarchs into the first break trailing 18-12.
 
The Monarchs chipped away at the deficit as a pair of free throws from Brenna Costello with 6:56 to go in the second brought King's within five, but another 10-6 rally from the Flying Dutchmen increased their edge to 31-22 with 2:42 to go. Brenna Costello struck again, scoring two more baskets in the final 1:18 as the Monarchs faced a 31-26 halftime deficit.
 
A triple from Gianna Dickson 1:57 into the third made it a one possession game, 32-29, but Lebanon Valley answered with a three of their own to spark a 15-6 spurt to go up, 47-35, on their way to a 50-37 advantage after three quarters of action.
 
The visiting Flying Dutchmen scored the first two baskets of the fourth, but layups from Dickson, Juleesah Hines, and Brenna Costello kept the game within reach, 58-43, with 2:35 left. There was just one field goal scored in the remaining possessions as the Monarchs fell, 62-43, in the MAC Freedom contest on Wednesday nigh.

Casey led the Monarchs with 10 points and six rebounds, while Dickson tallied nine points. Brenna Costello added eight points with five boards, two assists, and a block, while Murray came off the bench to add eight of her own with a team-high eight caroms. Cadie Lewis dished out a team-leading four assists with four rebounds, while both Caileigh Costello and Hines put up four points in the setback.
 
Brielle Reidinger totaled a double-double of 18 points and 17 rebounds with three assists and a block to lead Lebanon Valley.
 
The Monarchs took care of the ball in the setback, committing just seven turnovers, while out scoring the Flying Dutchmen in bench points (12-10) and points in the paint (34-22).
 
King's will wrap up their season on Saturday afternoon, hosting Misericordia University in the first game of the MAC Freedom doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. The Monarchs will also honor their graduating members ahead of the game in McGrane Gymnasium.