WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Using 23 turnovers to score 22 points, the Lycoming College women's basketball team heated up from the floor in the second half and soared past Alvernia University in an important 75-69 win to open the second half of the squad's Commonwealth Conference season on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 24, at Lamade Gym.
 
Junior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) posted a season-high 22 points thanks to six 3-pointers , adding five assists and three steals for the Warriors (12-6 overall, 4-5 Commonwealth). Senior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) added 14 points and five rebounds and freshman Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Junior Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) added 11 points and three rebounds.
 
The Warriors were forced to score from the outside, thanks to the presence of 6-2 Tyra Roberts in the paint for Alvernia (6-11 overall, 2-7 Commonwealth). Lycoming scored just 20 points inside, but hit eight 3-pointers, including dropping in 5-of-8 in the second half.
 
After an Alvernia bucket started the second half, senior Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) gave Lycoming a preview of its 3-point shooting, hitting a 3-pointer. Alvernia got the lead to five points twice more, but a 3-pointer from Manges was followed by a steal at the 3-point line by Henderson, who drove in for a layup. On the next possession, Manges came up with a steal at the elbow and found Henderson on the break to give Lycoming the lead.
 
A 3-pointer gave Alvernia the lead at 44-43, but Manges fired back with 12:24 left to give Lycoming the lead for good during what ultimately was a 19-6 run that gave Lycoming a 55-47 lead with 8:33 left. Alvernia cut the lead to two points with 6:20 left, but the Warriors fired back with an 11-4 run to get the lead to nine points with 3:58 left.
 
The Crusaders fought back within two points again, hitting 7-of-8 at the free throw line to make it 67-65 with 1:39 left. Both teams fell silent for the next minute, but with the shot clock rolling down, Manges found Derr in the paint for a jumper with 26 seconds left to make it 69-65. Alvernia hit a pair of layups after that, but were forced to foul each time and the Warriors hit all six of their free throws in the last 30 seconds to seal the win.
 
The teams fought through an evenly matched first half, complete with 10 lead changes and five ties. The Warriors ground through a solid shooting performance from the Crusaders, who hit 12-of-27 (44 percent) in the half, and were able to stay close thanks to an 11-2 advantage in turnovers. The posts dominated the period, with Tyra Roberts posting 15 points and nine rebounds for Alvernia and the combination of Derr and Mueller adding 14 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors.
 
Late in the period, Alvernia used a 9-2 run to take a 32-25 lead, but Lycoming was able to score the last four points of the period to cut the Alvernia lead to 34-31 at the break, with Mueller scoring the last two points on free throws with 2.6 seconds left.
 
Ziminski finished with seven points, three assists and two steals to move into seventh in school history in career thefts.
 
Roberts led the Crusaders with 21 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks and Kaitlyn Yoh added 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a block. Four players finished with eight points – Mya Lobb, Katie Schickling, Jenna Wolff and Chelsea Ebersole.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Jan. 28, when they head to Messiah for a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader. The women tip at 6 p.m. before the men play at 8 p.m.