WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) led the Lycoming College women's basketball team with 16 points and 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season, but first-place Albright College used a solid-shooting performance to post an 80-68 MAC Commonwealth win at Lamade Gym on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 11.
 
Mueller was one of four Warriors (14-8 overall, 8-6 MAC Commonwealth) to finish in double figures, as freshman Akilah McFadden (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) posted 16 points, three steals and two assists and both junior Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) and freshman Kayla Kline (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) each finished with 12 points. Kline had six rebounds and Sipple had five.
 
The Lions (20-4 overall, 15-0 MAC Commonwealth) closed within a win of a perfect conference season, as it also had four players finish in double figures, while shooting 48 percent (33-of-69) from the floor and 53 percent (8-of-15) from three. Nina Mazzarelli led the team with 23 points and Devan Horka finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Shannon Thomas added 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Alysha Lofton finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
 
The Warriors jumped out to an early lead late in the first quarter, using a run of seven straight points in between the quarters to get the lead to a 25-16 after Sipple hit a quick-release 3-pointer to start the second quarter. Lycoming led for the last 5:47 in the first quarter and led until the 6:36 mark of the second, as Albright began a 16-2 run right after Sipple's 3-pointer.
 
Lycoming fought back to tie the game at 32 with 4:43 left off a transition trey from McFadden, but Albright finished the half on a 13-2 run to take a 45-34 lead into the break.
 
In the third quarter, the Lions maintained their double-digit lead, pushing it to 18 points before a late fastbreak bucket by McFadden made it 63-47 heading into the fourth. The Warriors continued to pressure early in the fourth, cutting the lead to nine after a backcourt steal and layup from freshman Morgan Mader (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) with 8:24 left.
 
The Warriors cut the lead to nine points twice more, the last time with a coast-to-coast layup from McFadden making it 70-61 with 4:33 left. However, the Lions scored the next eight points to seal the win before Lycoming closed out the contest with the seven of the last eight points.
 
The Lions held a 47-38 advantage on the glass, which led to 48 points in the paint. Lycoming didn't back down, though, despite shooting 37 percent (27-of-73), the Warriors had 42 points in the paint and held a 15-14 advantage in second-chance points.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Tuesday, Feb. 14, when they head to Lebanon Valley for another important MAC Commonwealth doubleheader, with the women tipping at 6 p.m. before the men at 8 p.m.