GLENSIDE, Pa. – Senior Chelsea Henderson (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) led the Lycoming College women's basketball team with 13 points, including the game-winning free throw with 3.1 seconds left, as the women came from behind late to beat Arcadia, 50-49, in MAC Commonwealth action on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 6, at Alumni Gymnasium.
The win improves the Warriors to 13-9 overall with an 8-5 MAC Commonwealth record while the Knights fall to 8-13 overall and 3-9 in conference. The win not only clinches the Warriors' third straight winning season but, with Widener losing today to Stevenson, the Warriors have officially clinched a spot in the conference tournament.
With 32 seconds left, sophomore Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) hit a layup to cut the deficit to 47-45. After Olivia Roseman hit two free throws for the Knights, Mueller hit another layup to keep the deficit at two. With the Warriors forced to foul, Roseman missed both of her free throws and the Warriors were able to get the ball into the hands of sophomore Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) who hit a tough runner with 9.5 seconds left to tie the game. On the next possession, junior Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) stole the ball and passed it off to Henderson who was fouled at the other end under the basket. After Henderson put in the go-ahead free throw, the Warriors forced the Knights into a tough shot as the buzzer sounded.
Both teams struggled to score for most of the fourth as they were both held to just four points through nearly nine and a half minutes.
Henderson shot 6-for-14 (.429) from the field with her only made free throw coming in the final seconds while also pulling in five rebounds, dishing out three assists, and coming away with two steals. Mueller finished with 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, a block, and a steal while senior Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) finished with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
The Warriors and the Knights played a very competitive first five minutes with the Knights taking the slight edge, 7-6. The Knights then scored eight straight points before Mueller and Sipple each hit a shot to reduce the deficit to 15-10 after the first.
The Warriors scored the first seven points of the second quarter to take a 17-15 lead. After the Knights battled back, Manges hit her second three of the quarter which moved her past Jennifer Shuler (1995-99) for second place in school history in made three's (127) and gave the Warriors a 24-20 lead. The Knights came back with seven straight points to take a three-point lead and, after three points by the Warriors to tie it up, Roseman hit a three for the Knights with under a minute left to close the first half scoring with Arcadia holding a 30-27 advantage.
The Warriors committed fewer turnovers in the first half (10-5) and scored six points off turnovers.
The Warriors came out of the break looking very sharp on defense as they held the Knights without a field goal for the first 4:21 of the quarter while scoring eight points themselves to take a 35-33 lead. The Knights came back as they outscored the Warriors 10-4 for the rest of the quarter to take a 43-39 lead into the fourth.
The Warriors forced 21 turnovers and outscored the Knights 6-0 on fastbreak points. The Warriors trailed by as many as 11 points in the first quarter with their largest lead of the game being just four points and led for just 6:27 in the game.
Senior Addy Crenny finished with a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling in 19 rebounds, while Roseman was the only other Knight to score in double-figures, finishing with 11 points. Senior Valerie DiMuro finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 10, as they host Albright at 6 p.m. in a tough MAC Commonwealth matchup in Lamade Gym.
