Salisbury University

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – The Salisbury University women's basketball team engaged in a back-and-forth affair but came up short against the Delaware Valley Aggies, falling 81-70 in the consolation game of the Messiah Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Hitchcock Arena.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams started the first quarter neck-and-neck, with Hailey Ader keeping the Sea Gulls within one possession with a free throw that made it 16-13 at the 2:23 mark.
• From there the Aggies caught fire and closed the opening session on a 10-4 run. Maisie Neuber knocked down a pair of foul shots in the final moments of the first to build the DVU lead to 26-17.
• Down 36-24 midway through the second quarter, SU steadied up thanks to a three-pointer from Tori Rumbaugh, but the Aggies eventually rebuilt the lead to 42-31 with 3:26 until halftime.
• Nicole Miller answered with a fastbreak triple to spark a Sea Gull run. Miller scored seven of Salisbury's eight straight points to close out the half, getting her side within 42-39 at the break.
• Rumbaugh sank a trey on the first possession of the third quarter to knot it up at 42-42, and Miller hit two from the line to give SU its first lead at 44-42. Salisbury eventually opened up a six-point lead as Miller drove in for a fastbreak layup to make it 52-46 at the 6:34 mark.
• With the Sea Gulls up 56-50, Alexis Wright hit a jumper and a three to make it a one-point game. Jayla Rivera and Haley Keenan then converted back-to-back buckets to put DVU in front, and Miller's free throws brought SU within 59-58 at the end of the third.
• Rivera's triple to open the fourth quarter made it 62-58, but Alex Bull answered with a jay and Abby Plaugher tied it back up with free throws. The Aggies opened up a two-possession lead multiple times in the next few minutes but the Sea Gulls stayed in it, with Miller's layup with 3:47 to go bringing SU within 71-68.
• Kendra Rigo and Keenan converted two straight jumpers to boost the DVU lead and spark a 10-2 game-closing run. Ciana Feliciano's last-minute free throw gave the game its final 81-70 margin.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Alex Bull led the Sea Gulls with 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting. She also swiped four steals to go along with three rebounds and three assists.
• Nicole Miller chipped in 15 points (4-of-11), making all six of her free throws.
• Tori Rumbaugh netted 11 points, going 3-of-4 from long range, while Abby Plaugher added nine in just seven minutes off the bench.
• Salisbury shot 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the floor, going 6-of-12 (50 percent) from three-point range and 24-of-31 (77.4 percent) from the free throw line.
• SU assisted on 16 of its 20 field goals, led by a trio of helpers each from Bull, Ainsley Raybold, and Tatiana Virata.

DELAWARE VALLEY GAME NOTES

• Alexis Wright registered a dominant 35-point, 12-rebound double-double. Wright shot 11-of-17 from the floor and 11-of-13 from the charity stripe.
• Haley Keenan sparked the Aggies off the bench to the tune of 17 points and eight steals.
• Kendra Rigo and Jayla Rivera scored seven points apiece.
• Delaware Valley shot 40.3 percent (27-of-67) from the floor and 22-of-29 (75.9 percent) from the line.
• The Aggies outrebounded SU 39-29 overall and 15-7 on the offensive glass.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will host Goucher in their first home game of the season on Wednesday evening.
• Tipoff from Maggs Physical Activities Center is set for 5 p.m.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 196 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.