DELHI, NY - The Villa Maria Vikings women's basketball team couldn't overcome a big second half by the home SUNY Delhi Broncos as they dropped a Northeastern Intercollegiate Athletics Association (NIAC) road contest, 89-85.

The Vikings led by as many as 16 in the first half but Delhi scored 56 second-half points to come out four points ahead.  The Broncos have now won their first four games while Villa drops to 1-1.

Junior forward Shaquana Owens (Buffalo, NY/Tapestry Charter School) led the way for Villa with 23 points while sophomore Bianca Brown (Niagara Falls, NY/Jamestown Community College) added 20.  Owens finished with nine rebounds, nine assists and four steals.  

Villa led 41-33 at halftime as Delhi scored the final six points of the first half after Owens went to the bench with two fouls.  All five starters for Delhi scored in double-figures as the Broncos shot 51.1 percent from the floor in the second half.  Villa countered with just 32.7 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes.

Delhi gained the edge in the third quarter with 4:43 left after a three made the score 49-47, and they took a 64-63 lead into the fourth quarter.  Brown scored the first basket of the fourth quarter putting Villa back ahead by one but Delhi used a 12-2 run to jump ahead 77-67, its largest lead of the game.

Villa fought back to get within one, 86-65 with 36 seconds left after a three from the wing by senior Dominique Davis (Buffalo, NY/Genesee Community College).  After Delhi missed one of two free throws, Villa had a chance to tie or take the lead, but the Vikings were unsuccessful, missing a runner in the lane.

Sophomore guard Leah McQuiller (Lackawanna, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) added 14 points off the bench for Villa as she connected on 4-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.  Fellow sophomore Tekia Gary (Washington D.C./Genesee Community College) added 11 points and three steals.

BOX SCORE
Villa Maria Vikings (1-1, 0-1 NIAC)                        41 - 44 -- 85
SUNY Delhi Broncos (4-0, 1-0 NIAC)                    33 - 56 -- 89

INSIDE THE BOX
* Villa finished with 18 assists on 34 made baskets
* Villa had 18 turnovers and Delhi finished with 19
* Villa had eight steals and Owens had four by herself
* Bianca Brown recorded her first career double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.  
* Villa out-rebounded Delhi 57-51 and out-rebounded them on the offensive glass as well (23-13)
* Villa was 11-32 from beyond the arc while Delhi was 6-22
* Davis finished with six assists for Villa while Brown added three
* Villa took just nine free throw and made six to Delhi's 15-26 mark

WHAT THEY SAID
HC Al Monaco: "We got out-worked and our defense let us down.  We have to go back to work tomorrow and put this game behind us but we can definitely improve in many areas.  I look forward to seeing how we will respond tomorrow."

UP NEXT
Villa will take on fellow NIAC foe Fisher College on Saturday at 2 p.m. on the campus of Delhi in a neutral site game.  Fisher comes into the game with a 2-0 record.

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