READING, Pa. – Sophomore Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) led the Lycoming College women's basketball team with 20 points and the team made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, but was unable to overcome a strong second quarter effort by 20^th-ranked Albright College, falling 63-59, in an exciting MAC Commonwealth battle on Wednesday night, Jan. 13, at the Bollman Center.
 
The loss drops the Warriors to 9-6 overall with a 4-3 MAC Commonwealth record to leave the team in fourth place while the win improves the Lions to 13-2 and 5-1 MAC Commonwealth record, which is tied for first with Messiah.
 
The first quarter was a battle in the post as Mueller and Albright senior Kelecia Harris exchanged bucket after bucket. Mueller hit her first three shots of the quarter and scored six of her team's 11 points in the first while Harris hit her first five shots in the quarter for 10 of her team's 14 first-quarter points. Mueller also recorded a block in the first making her the 18^th player in school history with 30 blocks in a career. Senior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) hit a three in the first which moved her ahead of Jessica Zerbee '10 for fourth in school history with 107 career treys.
 
In the second, Manges made history once again when she came up with a steal making her the 26^th player in school history to reach 100 career thefts. Junior Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) assisted sophomore Hailey Fricke (Denver, Pa./Garden Spot) on a layup making her just the second player in school history to record 80 or more assists in three different seasons in her career. Senior Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) hit three free throws late in the second to keep the Warriors close, but the Lions pulled away at the end of the quarter to take a 32-23 lead into halftime.
 
The Warriors scored the first six points of the third quarter to cut the deficit to, 32-29. Albright responded by gaining a 10-point lead before Mueller hit a tough layup and got fouled in the process before completing the old-fashioned three-point play. However, the Warriors still trailed, 49-42, heading into the fourth quarter.
 
After Lions' sophomore Devan Horka hit a layup to begin the fourth, the Warriors reeled off nine straight points to tie the game at 51. The Lions fought back and were able to get the lead to 60-55 after a Harris layup and two Horka free throws. Then, after Calella hit a free throw, Manges hit a huge three with 1:03 remaining to get the Warriors within one point at 60-59. In the final minute, though, sophomores Jane Joyce and Nina Mazzarelli combined for three free throws while Lycoming's last attempt to tie the game, a 3-pointer with four seconds left, fell off the rim.
 
Mueller finished the game shooting 9-for-11 (.818), to go along with eight rebounds, an assist and two blocks, as she finished with her second career 20-point game. Calella finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists and Manges added 10 points, including 2-for-4 (.500) on 3-pointers.
 
Harris made her first eight shots of the game and finished with a game-high 28 points on 14-for-18 (.778) shooting in addition to a game-high 12 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Joyce finished with nine points and five assists and Mazzarelli finished with 11 points and four rebounds.
 
The Warriors finished the game shooting 23-for-56 (.411), 11-for-13 (.846) on free throws and only committed 10 turnovers. Albright shot just 1-for-9 (.111) on 3-pointers, but finished 25-of-63 (.397) from the field and posted a 43-33 advantage in rebounding.
 
The Warriors will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 16 when they host Lebanon Valley College in a 1 p.m. MAC Commonwealth matchup.