Box Score

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior Julia Antonelli (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) posted 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lycoming College women’s basketball team and the team rallied furiously in the second half, but fell short in its bid for a Commonwealth Conference-opening win against Alvernia University, falling 60-50, at Lamade Gym on Wednesday night, Nov. 28.
 
Alvernia (3-1 overall, 1-0 Commonwealth) took a 12-point lead into halftime thanks to the hot-shooting of Stevie Fortna, who posted 15 points and two steals during the half. Lycoming (0-4 overall, 0-1 Commonwealth) took a 13-6 lead early in the period after a reverse layup in the paint by sophomore Kylee Sutton (Wysox, Pa./Towanda Area), but the Crusaders responded with a 25-4 run over the next nine minutes to take a 31-17 lead with 6:01 left. From there, the teams traded buckets until the half.
 
The Crusaders extended the lead to as many as 20 through the first 6:25 of the second half after a fastbreak layup by Kelsey Wolf, but the Warriors answered back, with a fastbreak layup of their own from sophomore Ali Derr (Milton, Pa./Milton Area). The teams traded buckets until the midway part of the half when the Warriors started to chip into the lead starting with a free throw from Antonelli.
 
From there, the Warriors rallied with 10 straight points to make it 54-44 after a pair of free throws from senior Rachael Scheller (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) with 8:30 left. The Warriors kept the pressure on, as a layup by Antonelli and a free throw by freshman Shannon Wheeler (Cranford, N.J./Linden) capped the 13-point run, cutting the lead to seven points with 5:55 left. Just under a minute later, a 3-pointer from freshman Shanley Harlacker (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion Area) made it 56-50.
 
However, that was as close as Lycoming could get, as Alvernia scored the final four points of the game.
 
Sophomore Kat Andriani (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) posted seven points, six rebounds and two blocks and Sutton finished with seven points and three rebounds. Scheller added five points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Harlacker hit two 3-pointers for six points and in her first appearance of the season, Derr finished with eight points, five rebounds and four blocks.
 
Lycoming posted 25 points off the bench and used 16 second-chance points, but Alvernia scored 22 points off turnovers to help control the game’s tempo.
 
Fortna led the Crusaders with 21 points, three assists and three steals and Brittany Young added 10 points. Kayla Long posted eight points and 11 rebounds and Chelsea Ebersole notched five points and eight rebounds.
 
The Warriors get back in action on Saturday, Dec. 1, when they host Hood College in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader. The women tip at 1 p.m. and the men tip at 3 p.m.