PHOENIXVILLE, PA – Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) scored a season-high 29 points and added 10 rebounds but the Wilkes University women's basketball team dropped its final non-conference game of the season 75-70 at the University of Valley Forge Monday night.

With the loss Wilkes dropped to 7-12 overall while Valley Forge improved its record to 6-8.

The Colonels nearly pulled off a fourth quarter comeback after falling behind by 12 points with 5:30 left in the final frame. Giordano converted a tip-in and made the free throw to finish a three-point play just 10 seconds later to make the 62-53 in favor of the Patriots. Giordano then made two jumpers to help the Colonels close the deficit to five points with 1:58 left.

After Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) converted two free throws the Colonels trailed 66-63 but the hosts scored the next three points at the charity stripe to lead 69-63 with 1:18 showing on the clock. Giordano was then fouled and made both free throws and the Colonels put the Patriots back at the line. Valley Forge missed both and Giordano was fouled again and was perfect at the line to cut the lead to two points at 69-67 with 56 seconds remaining. The Patriots clung to their lead in the final minute by going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to pick up the home victory.

Giordano scored the first seven points of the game for Wilkes as her jumper with 4:17 left in the first quarter cut the Valley Forge lead to 9-7. Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) then scored twice down low to put the Colonels ahead 11-9. The Patriots scored the next four points to take the lead but a layup by Caster evened the score at 13-13 after the first 10 minutes.

A bucket by Caster and a three-pointer out of the hands of Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) extended the Wilkes lead to five points at 18-13 with 8:29 left in the second quarter. Smicherko made a three to give the Colonels their largest lead of six points at 23-17 but then over the final 6:29 of the quarter the Patriots outscored the Colonels 12-7 as Wilkes took a 30-29 lead into halftime.

Giordano and Caster scored to build the lead to five points just a minute into the third quarter. Valley Forge went ahead 39-38 on a layup with 5:05 left and would not relinquish its lead from that point on. A 15-5 run by the hosts that stretched from 49 seconds left in the third quarter through 4:55 into the fourth put Wilkes in a hole that proved too much to climb out of.

Giordano recorded her eighth double-double of the season to lead the way for Wilkes. The senior also recorded four assists. Caster finished with 12 points and Smicherko added 10 points and four assists.

Jhanel Brown's 21 points and 16 rebounds led Valley Forge. Amaya Brown added 20 points and Carlee Conrad had 17 points and seven assists.

The Colonels return to Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play on Wednesday when they host Manhattanville College at the Marts Center with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.