CHESTER, Pa. – Junior Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) scored nine points in each half and the Lycoming College women's basketball team separated itself from Widener University in the game's final minute from the free throw line en route to a key 64-54 Commonwealth Conference win on Wednesday night, Feb. 4, at the Schwartz Athletic Center.
 
Henderson posted her career-high 18 points thanks to a perfect 6-for-6 night from the field. She also went 6-for-9 from the free throw line, added six rebounds and posted three steals, as the Warriors (14-7 overall, 6-6 Commonwealth) won at Widener (9-12 overall, 3-9 Commonwealth) for the first time in program history.
 
The Pride held a 53-33 advantage on the glass, but Lycoming's stellar defense and aggressive offense was able to make up for that deficit, as it hit 22-of-34 from the free throw line and 20-of-46 from the field (44 percent), while Widener shot just 30 percent (19-of-64) from the field and 48 percent from the free throw line (12-of-25).
 
Widener closed within five points at 59-54 with 47 seconds left, but the Warriors were able to close the game at the line, as senior Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) hit a pair of free throws. After a missed shot, senior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) added another free throw and then with 30 seconds left, Ziminski came up with a  steal  at the Widener 3-point line and zoomed in for a coast-to-coast layup. Henderson followed with another steal to help the Warriors run out the clock.
 
The Pride opened the second half with a 7-2 run to cut the lead to two points at 33-31 after a layup by Brianna Wylie before the Warriors responded with a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to make it 46-33 with 9:45 left after a pair of free throws from Henderson. From there, the Warriors kept at least a two-possession lead until there were five minutes left, when a 3-pointer by Kristina Reiter made it 53-47. They got to within four points with 3:02 left after a free throw, but the Warriors were able to close the game at the free throw line, hitting 9-of-12 in the game's final minutes.
 
The Warriors jumped out to a 10-4 lead through the first six minutes of the game after senior Ali Derr (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) hit a jumper, which the team extended to a 16-9 lead 11 minutes into the game after a jumper by Henderson.
 
The Pride responded with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 18 with 4:56 left in the half. The Warriors responded as sophomore Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) hit a jumper to start a half-closing 13-6 run, with Henderson posting back-to-back layups as the clock ticked under a minute to give Lycoming a 30-20 lead before Widener ended the half with four of the last five points.
 
Ziminski finished with nine points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists and Derr posted eight points and three rebounds. Freshman Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) also added eight points and four rebounds and Calella notched seven points and two steals.
 
Brianna Wylie led the Pride with 12 points and seven rebounds and Allison Gallagher added 12 points and three steals. Julia Venturelli also added 11 points.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Feb. 7, when they head to Albright for another Commonwealth Conference doubleheader. The women play at 2 p.m. before the men tip at 4 p.m.