WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – A hot-shooting effort by the Lycoming College women's basketball team in the third quarter and a double-double of 10 points and 11 assists from junior Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) helped lift the squad to a 69-61 win over the defending MAC Commonwealth champions, Stevenson University, on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 5, at Lamade Gym.
 
The Warriors (5-3 overall, 2-0 MAC Commonwealth) shot a solid 44 percent (28-of-63) in the game, including a healthy 53 percent (9-of-17) in the aforementioned third quarter, and Calella helped feed several Warriors to solid performances. Senior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) posted a season-high 19 points and eight rebounds, as she canned five 3-pointers and sophomore Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Springford) added 10 points and nine rebounds.
 
Manges got the Warriors going in the second half, hitting a 3-pointer just 98 seconds into the third quarter before senior Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) hit a layup in transition off a dish from Calella. After a Stevenson free throw, Manges hit another 3-pointer before freshman Jenn Grove (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg Area) scored in transition to make it 42-34.
 
The Mustangs cut the lead to four by the midpoint of the half before the Warriors went on a 12-3 run, with Manges hitting a three in transition before Calella added a fastbreak layup to cap the run and make it 54-41 with 1:31 left.
 
The Warriors started the fourth quarter with two more buckets by Manges, a 3-pointer and a jumper to expand the lead to a game-high 16 points at 59-43 with 8:20 left, but the Mustangs worked back into the game, cutting the margin to six points with a 12-2 run that was finished with 2:20 left. However, the Warriors scored the next four points and never let the Mustangs within five points in the remaining time thanks to two huge layups from Mueller in the game's final minutes.
 
After falling behind 9-1 in the first three minutes of the first quarter, the Warriors rallied by shooting 9-of-12 the rest of the quarter helping it on a 16-3 run that helped Lycoming take a 17-12 lead at the end of the quarter, as freshman Becca Painter (Elverson, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) hit a jumper with 1:10 left to make up the five-point margin.
 
With its inside game leading to crisp outside shooting, the Warriors fought off two ties before a run of seven straight points gave the team a 28-21 lead with 3:24 left in the first half after a 3-pointer in transition by Manges. The Mustangs fought back with nine straight points, but a jumper by sophomore Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) with 18 seconds sent the teams to the locker room tied at 30.
 
Sipple finished with nine points, seven rebounds and a block and Grove posted eight points and five rebounds. Painter also added eight points and Henderson notched four points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
Sara Tarbert had a tremendous game for the Mustangs, posting 34 points and 20 rebounds and Stephanie Martinez posted 11 points, five assists and three blocks. Caitlin Roy also added eight rebounds.
 
The Mustangs notched 38 points in the paint, 23 off turnover and added 23 second-chance points, but shot just 30 percent (24-of-79) from the field.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Dec. 12, when they host Arcadia in a 1 p.m. MAC Commonwealth match.