ANNVILLE, Pa. – Junior Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) led the Lycoming College women's basketball team with 17 points and seven rebounds, but a late rally by Lebanon Valley helped lift it to a 69-63 MAC Commonwealth win on Tuesday night, Feb. 14, at Sorrentino Gymnasium.
 
The win gives the Flying Dutchmen (12-13 overall, 9-7 MAC Commonwealth) a half-game lead over Lycoming (14-9 overall, 8-7 MAC Commonwealth) for the fourth MAC Commonwealth Championship seed, which will be awarded a home game on Monday, Feb. 20, in the first round of the five-team tournament. The Warriors can clinch the No. 4 seed with a win in its last game against No. 3 Stevenson on Saturday.
 
Mueller led the Warriors with 17 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two assists and junior Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) added 10 points and four rebounds. Senior Nicole Calella (Sandyston, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) added nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals and freshman Kayla Kline (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) notched eight points and three rebounds. Freshman Hailey Dayton (Reisterstown, Md./St. Timothy's) finished with six points and three rebounds.
 
As the teams rolled through three ties and eight lead changes in the game, sophomore Jenn Grove (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg Area) gave Lycoming a 59-58 lead with a layup inside with 2:32 remaining, but it was Lycoming's final lead. Hilary Yoh gave the Dutchmen the lead back with 2:12 left on a jumper and a Lexie Lantz layup with 1:29 left ensured the lead.
 
Calella got inside for a layup with 1:08 left to make it 59-58, but Jasmine Copeland hit a 15-footer to respond and the Dutchmen hit five free throws in the final minute to ensure the win.
 
In the first quarter, the team's worked back and forth to a tie at nine before the Dutchmen scored seven of the next eight points in order to take an 18-12 lead into the second quarter. The Dutchmen got the lead to eight points at 28-16 with 7:40 left after a pair of free throws from Anne lehr, but the Warriors responded with eight of the next 10 points to close the gap to a pair at 28-26 with 5:05 left.
 
After a 3-pointer from Morgan Bamberger, the Warriors continued to attack scoring eight of the next 10 points again, as a layup by Mueller with 32 seconds left gave Lycoming a 34-33 lead heading into the locker room.
 
In the third quarter, the Warriors came out hot, scoring nine of the first 11 points, with a layup from Calella giving Lycoming a 43-35 lead with 6:52 left. Lycoming continued to control the game, taking a nine-point lead with 5:47 left before a run of eight straight points from Lebanon Valley cut the Warriors' advantage to 46-45 with 3:07 left.
 
Lycoming ended the quarter, though, with five of the last seven points to take a 51-47 lead into the final quarter.
 
The Dutchmen scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to tie the game and the teams stayed within one possession from there until the final minute of the game during Lebanon Valley's final run.
 
Hillary Yoh led the Dutchmen with 22 points and six rebounds, Becky Evans added 13 points and five assists and Lexie Lantz finished with 12 points, four rebounds and three blocks.
 
The Dutchmen shot 50 percent (27-of-54) from the field while Lycoming shot just 36 percent (21-of-59). The Warriors were able to keep the game close by hitting 10 more free throws and by posting 16 offensive rebounds while also forcing 17 Lebanon Valley turnovers.
 
The Warriors wrap up the regular season when it hosts Stevenson University in a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18. The women will tip at 1 p.m. before the men play at 3 p.m.