EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ women's basketball team trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half against Stevens at Packer Hall on Wednesday night, but the Lions rallied to take a fourth-quarter lead before falling to the Ducks, 71-65.
That 17-point TCNJ deficit completely evaporated when
Julia Setaro hit a three pointer with 4:39 to play in the fourth to tie the score at 56-56. After a Stevens miss, Setaro hit a free throw to give TCNJ a 57-56 lead, its first since it led 3-2 in the opening minutes. Setaro led all scorers with a game-high 20 points.
After Stevens hit a shot to go back ahead, 58-57,
Arianna McCleod scored to give the Lions a 59-58 lead.
Nikki Alexatos followed with a free throw to put the Lions up, 60-58 with 2:45 to play. Setaro tied the score at 62 on two free throws with 1:15 left, but Stevens scored the next seven points to outlast the TCNJ comeback effort. Stevens managed to score on its final five possessions in the final minute while making 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
McCleod scored seven points off the bench, and Alexatos had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Lions forced 12 Stevens turnovers in the first half to stay within striking distance of the Ducks despite shooting just 24.1 percent from the field. Stevens took its largest lead of the first half with 4:31 to play in the second quarter when it led, 34-17. From that point, TCNJ scored the final seven points of the first half only trailing, 34-24.
TCNJ tied the game in the third quarter on the strength of a 17-3 run that lasted nearly six minutes. Setaro and Alexatos hit three pointers, and
Emily Toy and
Isabella Cafaro scored on layups to bring the Lions back to within a possession. Toy followed with a three pointer from the left corner to tie the score at 44 with 1:50 left in the third period. Stevens ended the quarter with six of the last seven points to carry a 50-45 lead into the fourth.
The TCNJ defense forced 20 Stevens turnovers, and the TCNJ offense assisted on 19 of its 20 made field goals.
The Lions return to action on Saturday against Moravian in Packer Hall at 2 p.m.
