Box Score

READING, Pa. – Holding one-loss Alvernia University to 22 points in the second half, the Lycoming College women's basketball team rallied from a five-point deficit at the break to post a 65-61 win to even its Commonwealth Conference record on Wednesday night, Dec. 4, at the Physical Education Center.
 
Senior Julia Antonelli (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) led the Warriors (2-3 overall, 1-1 Commonwealth) with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Freshman Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) added a career-high 11 points, two assists and two steals.
 
With the score tied at 45, both teams struggled through a pair of possessions before the Crusaders (4-2 overall, 0-2 Commonwealth) took the lead with a free throw. Sophomore Victoria Siebecker (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona) stepped just inside the 3-point line for a jumper and then steals by sophomore Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) on back-to-back possessions led to easy buckets from her and Siebecker to give Lycoming its largest lead of the game, 51-46, with 11:55 left.
 
The Crusaders fought back, though, using, an 8-2 run to take a 54-53 lead with a layup by Kaitlyn Yoh with 8:07 left. It would be nearly eight minutes before the Crusaders hit another field goal, but Yoh hit two free throws to expand the lead to three points after a scoreless two-minute stretch. The Warriors started a closing 12-5 run as Calella drove in for a layup before Antonelli did the same to give Lycoming a one-point lead with 4:37 left. As the clock ticked under four minutes, Henderson took to the baseline for another layup, giving Lycoming a 59-56 advantage.
 
A free throw by Alvernia answered but as the clock ticked under 2:00, the Warriors got a huge layup from Calella. While the Crusaders continued to struggle from the field, the Warriors got help with an offensive rebound that helped it take the clock under 30 seconds before Alvernia finally fouled. Antonelli hit both her free throws with 23 seconds left before a jumper by Yoh with 9.5 seconds left made it a four-point game. After a free throw miss, the Crusaders ran the floor for a layup with 1.3 seconds left before Calella iced the game with a pair of free throws.
 
In the first half, the Warriors used 10 points from Antonelli to score 34 points, but a late 12-6 run by Alvernia helped it take a 39-34 lead into the break.
 
The Crusaders jumped out to a 10-2 lead before Lycoming used a 13-5 run to tie it for the first time at 15 after a layup by Henderson. The Warriors took their first lead at 19-18 after a putback from junior Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) and the two teams fought through 10 lead changes before the closing run helped Alvernia head to the locker room with the five-point lead.
 
Lycoming scored the first seven points of the second half to take the lead back, as Ziminski canned a jumper and a 3-pointer to finish the run. Jenna Wolff answered with a 3-pointer for the Crusaders and the teams fought through one more lead change and a tie before another jumper by Ziminski tied the game at 45.
 
Ziminski and sophomore Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) each posted nine points, with Manges also adding five rebounds. Junior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) added eight points and nine rebounds and Henderson notched six points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Yoh led the Crusaders with 13 points and five assists and Tyra Roberts notched 14 points and 11 rebounds. Wolff also posted nine points thanks to three 3-pointers.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Dec. 7, when they head to Commonwealth Conference foe Hood for a 1 p.m. game.