Box Score

GLENSIDE, Pa. – A nine-minute stretch in the second half where the Lycoming College women's basketball team held Arcadia University without a field goal helped lift the team to its third straight Commonwealth Conference win, 55-45, on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 4, at Alumni Gym.
 
The Warriors improved to 6-4 overall, the squad's best start since the 2008-09 team started the year 8-2, and also improved to 3-1 in the Commonwealth Conference, tied with the 2011-12 squad for the best since joining the league in 2007-08.
 
After a layup by Maureen Fiocca helped the Knights (6-5 overall, 0-4 Commonwealth) draw within one with 13:06 left at 33-32, the Warriors' defense clamped down, allowing just four free throws in the next nine minutes before Valerie DiMura hit a jumper to help the Knights draw within 10 points at 48-38.
 
The 15-4 run featured buckets from five Warriors with junior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) leading the way with six points. By the time the run ended, the Warriors never let the Knights back within single digits, even as Arcadia hit the final four free throws in the game to even out the 55-45 scoring.
 
Senior Julia Antonelli (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) led the Warriors with 15 points and 11 rebounds, reaching a pair of milestones along the way. She moved into ninth on the school's career scoring list, finishing the game with 972 career points, moving past Kristin Friel (1986-90), who finished her career with 968. She also became the fifth player in school history to reach 600 career rebounds with her second of the 11 rebounds.
 
Derr added 14 points and six rebounds and sophomore Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) added 10 points and three assists. Freshman Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) notched a career-high six steals to go with five points, as she helped the Warriors score 23 points off turnovers, while the Knights were held to two. Junior Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) added six points, six rebounds and three assists.
 
The Knights started the game with a layup eight seconds in, but Lycoming responded with a jumper from Derr and a 3-pointer from Calella and despite three more ties in the half, never trailed again. Lycoming expanded the lead to five points three times in the first half, with the last time coming off a 3-pointer from Manges with 2:44 left in the half. The Knights closed the half on a 6-2 run to close within 25-24 at the break.
 
Arcadia finally got the lead back with a pair of free throws to start the second half, but after two more lead changes, a layup from Calella with 17:22 left helped Lycoming take the lead for good at 29-28.
 
Victoria Roukas added 17 points and seven rebounds and Fiocca added eight points and five rebounds. Mary Badeen also added eight points, six rebounds and three assists.
 
The Warriors shot 36 percent (23-of-64) in the game, overcoming a 30 percent first half by shooting 42 percent in the second while holding Arcadia to just six field goals and 27 percent (6-of-22) from the field in the last 20 minutes.
 
The Warriors, who are now tied for third in the Commonwealth Conference, get back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, when they head to perennial league contender Messiah for a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday, Jan. 8.