CENTER VALLEY, PA (February 5, 2025) -- The King's College women's basketball team cut an 11-point halftime deficit down to just five entering the fourth quarter, but their comeback efforts came up just shy in a 62-51 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) setback on the road at DeSales University. With the loss, the Monarchs drop to 7-13 overall and 3-6 in the conference, while the Bulldogs improve to 12-8 and 5-4 in the standings.
 
DeSales (12-8, 5-4 MAC Freedom) led by as much as seven in the first, but King's (7-13, 3-6 MAC Freedom) kept the game within reach as a three by Layla Orth at the end of the first made it a six-point game, 15-9, after one quarter of play.
 
The Bulldogs opened the second on a 7-0 run before four points from Claire Aufiero and a steal and score from Kathy Shepherd cut the lead to nine, 24-15, with 3:26 to go in the half. DeSales got two big threes from Morgan Sterner, but Cadie Lewis delivered five points in the final 47 seconds to make it an 11-point game, 31-20, heading into the locker room.
 
Gianna Dickson buried a three to get the scoring started in the third before the teams traded scores. A layup from Lauren Casey with 3:55 left in the third made it a three-point affair, 40-37, but the Bulldogs responded with a 4-2 rally as the Monarchs trailed, 44-39, at the end of the third.
 
Two big threes from DeSales in the first 1:40 of the fourth gave the Bulldogs a double-digit cushion. Casey delivered a three-point play then connected for both from the free throw line to close back within eight, 52-44, with 7:09 remaining. Another five-point spurt from DeSales pushed the lead back to double figures that the Monarchs could not overcome late as they dropped the 62-51 MAC Freedom final on the road on Wednesday night.
 
Casey recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a game-high tying 17 points, 10 rebounds, and a steal, while Dickson totaled nine points, five rebounds, and two assists. Aufiero came off the bench to add eight with six boards, a block, and a steal, and Lewis posted nine rebounds, seven points, and three assists. Alli Lindsay collected five steals to go along with six boards and three helpers.
 
Aubrey Pollard led three in double figures for DeSales with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Morgan Sterner had 15 with six assists and two steals.
 
King's totaled 12 assists on their 18 field goals and finished the game knotted at 42 rebounds a piece with DeSales. The Monarchs had the edge in second-chance points (8-5) and bench points (16-4) in the setback.
 
The Monarchs are back on the road on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Glenside, Pa. to take on Arcadia University. Tip off in the MAC Freedom match up is set for 1:00 p.m.