ANNVILLE, Pa. – A quick start at the beginning of each half was enough to lift the Lycoming College women's basketball team to a critical 64-57 win over Lebanon Valley in Commonwealth Conference action at LVC Gymnasium on Wednesday night, Jan. 14. It was Lycoming's first win over Lebanon Valley on the road since 2006.
 
Senior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) led the Warriors (10-5 overall, 3-4 Commonwealth) with 15 points, as she paced a team that finished shooting 41.1 percent (23-of-56) from the field, helping the team improve to 10-2 when shooting better than 30 percent. Senior Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) added 11 points and five assists and junior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) added eight points and three steals. Sophomore Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) posted seven points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
 
The Flying Dutchmen (10-4 overall, 2-4 Commonwealth) held a 44-35 advantage on the glass, but the Warriors forced eight more turnovers, which led to 25 points off turnover. Lycoming also posted a 20-10 advantage in the paint, as Lebanon Valley was forced to shoot nearly 40 percent of his shots from 3-point range, hitting just 6-of-21.
 
The Dutchmen capped a comeback from down 16 early in the second half, with Lexie Lantz tying the game at 31 with 18:44 left on a jumper. The Warriors regained control, though, scoring the next nine points over the next 5:42, with the Warriors going inside for three buckets in the post during the run and a 3-pointer coming from Manges.
 
After that, the Warriors never let the Dutchmen back within six points. After the Dutchmen cut the lead to six points with 7:25 left, Lycoming scored the next five points, with sophomore Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) completing a traditional 3-point play with 5:41 to make it 49-38. The Dutchmen forced Lycoming to keep the game separated at the foul line in the final two minutes, which ultimately helped them close within seven points in the final five seconds.
 
Lycoming started the game with one of their best starts of the season, going on a 17-1 run in the game's first 6:21. The run was paced by Ziminski, who scored 10 points during the run and hit the penultimate 3-pointer to cap the run with 13:39 left.
 
Lycoming held onto a double figure lead for the next eight minutes before a 3-pointer from Alyssa Cirucci hit a 3-pointer with 4:41 left to close within seven points and start an 11-3 Lebanon Valley run that closed the half and helped them close within two points at 31-29 at the break.
 
Freshman Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) posted six points and nine rebounds, which tied a career-high, and Henderson notched seven points and three steals. Freshman Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) also added six points and two rebounds.
 
Peyton Carper led the Dutchmen with 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals and Taylor Umbrell finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two steals. Cirucci posted nine points and three assists.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they end the first half of the Commonwealth Conference season by facing first-place Stevenson as part of an afternoon doubleheader. The women tip at 1 p.m. before the men tip at 3 p.m.