WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Senior Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) was on the ground, trying to recover the ball after Arcadia University had swiped it away. She dove, turned, got a pass away and then senior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) found junior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) for the first reverse layup of her career.
 
It was that kind of night for the Lycoming College women's basketball team, as it shot 46 percent from the field and outlasted Arcadia, 77-67, in a key Commonwealth Conference matchup at Lamade Gym on Wednesday night, Feb. 11.
 
The Warriors (15-8 overall, 7-7 Commonwealth) moved a half-game ahead of Lebanon Valley for the fifth and final conference playoff spot with two games left to play, including a head-to-head match with the Flying Dutchmen on Saturday. The win also put the Warriors a half-game behind Arcadia (11-11 overall, 7-6 Commonwealth) for the fourth spot in the league.
 
The reverse by Manges gave Lycoming a four-point lead with 7:47 left after Arcadia had twice closed within two points. The Knights closed within two once more, with 5:54 left after a 3-pointer from Megan Fox, but the Warriors responded with a 14-4 run over the next five minutes to take a 76-64 lead with 42 seconds left. Derr, who scored 22 points – one shy of her career high, spurred the run with eight points.
 
The Knights tied the game at 37 early in the second half, but Lycoming responded when Manges hit her fourth 3-pointer of the game and Lycoming never lost the lead again. A 3-point play by freshman Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) followed with 16:05 left. The Warriors extended the lead to nine at 48-39 with 14:54 left, but Arcadia worked back into the game with a 12-5 run to make it 53-51 with 9:15 left. The Knights couldn't get closer than that, though.
 
After an opening bucket by the Knights, the Warriors took the lead with four straight points and didn't let go of it for the rest of the half. After the Knights closed within two points at 10-8 with 13:40 left, the Warriors responded with an 11-4 run to take a 21-12 lead with 7:32 left after the second of two straight 3-pointers from junior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York).
 
The Knights responded with seven straight points to cut the lead to two points, but Lycoming responded with a 10-3 run to get the lead back to nine points after a 3-pointer by freshman Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) made it 31-22 with 3:18 left. The Knights closed the half on a 10-4 run to cut the lead to four at the break, however.
 
Derr added eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks and Manges finished with 17 points and four assists. Mueller posted 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists and sophomore Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Ziminski added seven points and three rebounds and Sipple posted five points as Lycoming shot a season-best 58 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point land.
 
Valerie DiMuro led the Knights with 17 points and 12 rebounds and Addy Crenny added 11 points and 14 rebounds. Fox notched 16 points and two steals and Dominique Hassinger contributed 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, but the Knights shot just 36 percent (24-of-67) from the field and 21 percent from 3-point range (3-of-14).
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Feb. 14, with another critically important Commonwealth Conference doubleheader against Lebanon Valley. The women tip at 1 p.m. before the men tip at 3 p.m. Before each game, the teams will honor their graduating seniors.