Box Score

GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Lycoming College women’s basketball team succumbed to a solid defensive effort by second-place Messiah College on Wednesday evening, Feb. 8, as Messiah used 10 straight points in a run between halves to help it take control en route to a 61-33 win over the Warriors in Commonwealth Conference action at Brubaker Auditorium.
 
The Warriors (10-11 overall, 5-6 Commonwealth) played tough with the Falcons (17-4 overall, 8-2 Commonwealth) for much of the first half, as Messiah never took more than a six-point lead until it started to heat up from 3-point land. A 3-pointer from Nicky Hess gave Messiah a seven-point lead with 4:23 left and a jumper by Kira Maier extended the lead, but five straight points from junior Rachael Scheller (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) cut the lead back to four points with 2:49 left in the half. Two 3-pointers from Hess, though, helped Messiah take a 31-21 lead into the break.
 
The Falcons scored four straight points to start the second half to take a 14-point lead, starting a 27-4 run that lasted the first 14 minutes of the period to put the game out of reach. The Warriors closed the game on an 8-4 run in the final six minutes to make up the final margin.
 
Senior Erin Connaghan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led the Warriors with eight points, three rebounds and two steals. Scheller added seven points, two steals and a block. Sophomore Julia Antonelli (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) posted five points, three assists and two assists.
 
Dori Gyori led the Falcons with 21 points, nine rebounds and two steals and Taylor Miller added 12 points. Both Maier and Hess scored 10 points, with Maier also posting game-highs of six assists and four steals.
 
The Warriors return home on Saturday, Feb. 11, when they face Widener in a critical Commonwealth Conference game at 1 p.m.