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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – A pair of free throws from freshman Julia Antonelli (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) with 8.8 seconds left in overtime helped the Lycoming College women’s basketball team complete a remarkable comeback from 11 down with 8:21 left in regulation to upend Albright College, 63-62, on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 4, at Lamade Gym in the team’s Commonwealth Conference home opener.

Down by four points, 62-58, with 1:17 left in regulation, the Warriors started their rally when sophomore Rachael Scheller (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) sidestepped and leapt from the men’s 3-point line behind the free throw line to can a 3-pointer. A tough defensive stand by the Warriors (4-3 overall, 1-1 Commonwealth) ended in a rebound for the team and with nine seconds left, Antonelli drove the lane and was fouled, setting up her pair of free throws.

The Lions (2-4 overall, 0-2 Commonwealth) last-second 3-pointer clanged off the iron to clinch the Warriors’ win.

“Our unforced errors and turnovers were fixed in the second half,” Lycoming head coach Christen Ditzler said. “We got more good looks at the basket, Kaitlyn Ober went hard to the boards and we made things happen. We are sitting in a good position at 1-1 in the conference.”

In the second half, Albright kept answering Lycoming runs, as the Warriors cut the lead to seven points after a pair of free throws from senior Rebecca Spencer (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy) cut the Lions’ margin to seven points at 42-35 with 10:00 left, but the Lions scored the next four points to retake an 11-point lead with 8:21 left.

Despite being outshot 41 to 38 percent in the second half, the Warriors manufactured a comeback from there, with senior Kaitlyn Ober (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) leading the charge with eight points in the closing eight minutes. With the score 48-39 with 7:08 left, Antonelli hit a layup and after a pair of fruitless possessions, Antonelli delivered a jumper on a give from Antonelli to make it 48-43. A steal by sophomore Jesicca Knott (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) led to a free throw from junior Erin Connaghan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt), which made it a four-point game with 4:44 left.

After a steal by sophomore Leann Randall (Audobon, Pa./Methacton), Ober willed the ball in the basker during a three-shot possession, hitting a layup to cut the lead to two points. A 3-point play by Jessica McGinness made it 51-46 with 3:18 left, but Scheller answered with her first trey of the game, making it 51-49.

The Lions got the lead back to five on a 3-point play by Meghan Boyle, but again Scheller responded by canning 3-pointer with 1:43 left. After a steal by Ober, she cut to the basket and scored the tying layup on a give from Randall with 51 seconds left. The Lions despite getting a pair of shots to win in the final minute couldn’t connect.

The Warriors jumped out to a 7-0 lead , as junior Chelsea Shearer (East York, Pa./Dallastown) hit a 3-pointer and Ober added a pair of layups. The Lions got back into the game with five straight points though and took an 11-10 lead on a jumper from MariLynn McMonagle with 12:28 left in the half.

The two teams battled to a tie at 18 with 9:43 left but Albright’s tying layup by McMonagle started a 13-0 run that put the Lions up 29-18 with 6:24 left. A layup from Antonelli helped stop the run and a pair of free throws from Knott closed the lead to eight points at halftime, 32-24.

Four Warriors finished in double figures for the first time this season, as the team shot 37 percent (23-for-62) in the game, as Ober led the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Scheller posted her first career double-double, notching 12 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Antonelli added 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Shearer notched 10 points, three rebounds and an assist. Spencer added six points and a block.

Albright, which shot 34 percent (23-for-68) from the field, was led by 24 points, six rebounds and three assists from McGinness and Boyle posted 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Rose Williamson posted 10 rebounds and McMonagle added 13 points.

The Warriors get back on the court on Monday at Lamade Gym when rival Susquehanna comes to town for a 7 p.m. non-conference clash.