WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Lycoming College women’s basketball team escaped Wilkes-Barre with a 57-54 win against King’s College on Saturday, Dec. 13. The Lady Warriors improve to 6-1, their best start in over 10 years.

Lycoming scored the first five points of the game and never trailed during the first half, opening up a lead as large as 13 points and ending the half with a six-point edge at 24-18.

The Lady Warriors increased the lead back to 10 points midway through the second half, before King’s began to chip away at the lead. The Lady Monarchs clawed back to tie the game for the first time with 2:26 to play.

Allison Mock (State College, Pa.) hit a 3-pointer to put Lycoming back on top but King’s connected on two free throws to pull within one at 55-54 with 1:05 to play.

After each team failed to convert, Kaitlyn Ober (Lititz, Pa.) pulled down an offensive rebound and hit the follow up with nine seconds left on the clock. The Lady Monarchs’ last second 3-point attempt was no good, sealing the 57-54 win.

Mock led the team with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Ober finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Andrea Cooper (Hollidaysburg, Pa) added nine points, Rebecca Leid (Denver, Pa.) added eight and Erin Connaghan (Harrisburg, Pa.) scored seven points off the bench. Jessica Zerbee (Duncansville, Pa.) led the team in assists with five.

King’s was led by Paige Carlin, who scored a game-high 20 points off the bench. Kaitlyn Fiorino contributed a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Lycoming shot 34.5 percent (20-58) from the field and held King’s’ to just 25.5 percent (14-55). The Lady Monarchs held a 44-38 rebounding advantage.

The Lady Warriors improve to 6-1, the best start since a 9-1 opening to the 1996-97 season, while King’s drops to 2-5.

Lycoming will take some time off for the holidays and will return to action on Jan. 2-3 with the Lycoming Classic, featuring John Jay College (N.Y.), Albany Pharmacy (N.Y.) and FDU-Florham (N.J.).  The Lady Warriors will host John Jay on Friday, Jan. 2, at 6 p.m.