WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 17, 2024) -- Senior Brenna Costello led all scorers with a new career-high as the King's College women's basketball team battled through the final 40 minutes in a 66-58 setback to Misericordia University in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play. The Monarchs wrap up their season with a 3-22 overall record and an 0-14 MAC Freedom mark, while the Cougars improved to 9-16 overall and 3-11 in the conference.
 
King's (3-22, 0-14 MAC Freedom) attacked the paint early with a three-point play from Casey before Brenna Costello drained a three to put the Monarchs up 6-0 early. Misericordia (9-16, 3-11 MAC Freedom) tied the game at 10 a piece with 4:26 left in the quarter that fueled an 8-0 run to take a 15-10 advantage. The teams traded possessions down the stretch with Misericordia ahead, 19-15, at the break.
 
The Monarchs went back to their inside game to start the second with Casey connecting one from the charity stripe and another on a great feed from Rowan Murray as King's cut the deficit to one, 19-18. It was another back-and-forth effort before the Cougars connected for two consecutive baskets to jump start an 8-4 rally to end the half with a 35-28 edge over King's.
 
Out of the halftime break, the Monarchs went on a tear with seven unanswered points to tie the game at 35 a piece with 6:58 to go in the quarter. It was a one possession game for much of the third before Misericordia put up three points in the final 1:14 as King's faced a 45-39 deficit heading into the final quarter of play.
 
Each team converted a score in the first 3:56 of the fourth, but the Cougars found a spurt with two consecutive baskets. A triple and a pair of free throws from Brenna Costello made it a five-point game with 3:34 to play, but Misericordia responded with a pair of layups. Brenna Costello scored the next six points for King's to keep it a two possession game, 60-54, with 1:34 left. The Monarchs fouled, and the Cougars hit both at the charity stripe before Costello took it to the paint and converted with 1:06 remaining. Layla Orth drove into the lane and delivered the final field goal of the game with 18 ticks to go, but the last stitch efforts from the Monarchs fell shy in a 66-58 setback in the MAC Freedom contest.
 
Brenna Costello led all scorers with 21 points on her senior day, adding five assists, four steals, three assists, and a block, while Casey also put up a career-best 20 points with seven rebounds, two blocks, and two assists. Cadie Lewis added 10 boards with six assists and five points, while Caileigh Costello tallied six points and four rebounds. Additionally, Murray collected five boards to add to the Monarchs 37 in the game.
 
Skylar Bianchi led Misericordia with 20 points and six rebounds, while Skylar Dowling dished out seven assists.
 
King's connected for 23-of-63 from the floor with 16 assists on their 23 field goals. The Monarchs had the edge in the rebounding margin, 37-36, over the Cougars while forcing 18 Misericordia miscues. Inside the stat sheet, King's had the edge in points of turnovers (20-19), second chance points (12-7), and points in the paint (32-20).