WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – With a drive, a spin and a flip for a layup, sophomore Akilah McFadden (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) gave the Lycoming College women's basketball team an eight-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, helping the team get some separation to outlast Hood College, 69-60, in MAC Commonwealth action at Lamade Gym on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 20.
 
McFadden's layup with 5:50 left capped a run of seven straight points for Lycoming, which improved to 13-4 overall for just the second time in school history and the first time in 30 years. Hood (5-11 overall, 1-8 MAC Commonwealth) was able to close within six just twice more, but each time, Lycoming answered with at least three points, leading by as many as 11 at 69-58 with five seconds left before Hood closed the game with a layup.
 
Four Warriors finished in double figures for Lycoming, led by 22 points and 13 rebounds from senior Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford), who became the fourth player in school history to reach 20 career double-doubles. Sophomore Morgan Mader (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) notched 15 points and three assists and junior Becca Painter (Elverson, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) added 14 points, four 3-pointers and three rebounds. Senior Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) also added 10 points, four assists and three blocks and McFadden added seven points, eight assists and six rebounds.
 
Lycoming shot 37 percent (21-of-63) in the game and 39 percent (7-of-18) from 3-point range to thwart a good-shooting performance from Hood (33 percent, 21-of-63), which benefitted from 17 points off turnover.
 
The Warriors jumped out to a 15-7 lead in the first quarter after a 3-pointer from Mader with 4:48 left, but Hood responded with 11 straight points to take an 18-15 lead before Lycoming used three free throws to tie the score at 18 at the end of the period. The Blazers led by as many as four in the second quarter at 22-18 before Lycoming began to control the period, holding the lead for the last seven minutes and leading by five with 1:13 left after a free throw from McFadden before Tamiya Ford hit two free throws for Hood to make it 35-32 at the break.
 
In the third quarter, Sipple hit the first bucket to make it a five-point game, but the Blazers responded with six of the next eight to make it 41-39 before Painter hit a huge 3-pointer that put Lycoming ahead for good with 6:33 left. Hood challenged again, though, closing within a point four more times, including three times in the fourth before Painter hit a 3-poointer with 7:37 left to start the run that ended with McFadden's theatrical layup.
 
Hood was led by 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists by Ebony Pitt, 16 points and four rebounds from Lauren Keeney and 10 points and five rebounds from Mia Savoy.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Jan. 24, when they head to 24^th-ranked Messiah for a 6 p.m. MAC Commonwealth game.