ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior Shelby Mueller (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) connected on two free throws with 27.6 seconds left to lift the Lycoming College women's basketball team to a come-from-behind 57-56 win over Lebanon Valley in MAC Commonwealth action on Wednesday night, Jan. 3, at Sorrentino Gymnasium.
 
Driving to the hoop down by a point after getting the ball down low, Mueller drew contact as she launched the ball towards the net and drew the whistle. After a second's pause, the baseline official signaled block and Mueller swished through both attempts at the charity stripe, giving Lycoming a 57-56 lead with 27 seconds left. On Lebanon Valley's ensuing possession, it began to start the play with 10 seconds left, getting the ball down low, where a pass across the lane was tipped and three Warriors caused got a piece of the ball and drew a jump ball to get possession.
 
After a timeout, the Warriors inbounded the ball twice, drawing a foul once, to outlast the Flying Dutchmen (8-6 overall, 3-2 MAC Commonwealth) for the win, as they took a game lead on second-place in the MAC Commonwealth, improving to 9-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
 
Lebanon Valley cut a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to a single-point halfway through the fourth after an old-fashioned 3-point play by Caroline Scarff made it 50-49. The Dutchmen took the lead at 51-50 after a pair of free throws from Becky Evans with 4:10 left, but sophomore Hailey Dayton (Reisterstown, Md./St. Timothy's) responded with a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a two-point lead with 3:47 left. A minute later, a pick-and-roll layup from Mueller on a pass from Dayton helped Lycoming take a 55-52 lead.
 
The Dutchmen used a pair of free throws to close within a point and took the lead with 39.7 seconds left after a driving layup from Anne Lehr.
 
Down by six at halftime, the Warriors came out flying in the second half, opening the third quarter on a 22-7 run to take a 44-35 lead after a free throw from Dayton with 1:28 left. Mueller led the team with 10 points as Lycoming hit 10-of-16 shots and forced three turnovers in the run.
 
The hot start helped Lycoming finish the half by shooting 58 percent (15-of-26) from the floor, while holding Lebanon Valley to 40 percent (10-of-25).
 
After the team's each traded six points to start the game, Lebanon Valley took over with a 12-2 run that occupied 6:53 between the first and second quarters, with Becky Evans hitting a 3-pointer with 9:32 left in the second quarter. The Warriors kept the Dutchmen's lead in single figures after that and a 3-pointer from sophomore Morgan Mader (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) cut the deficit to 26-22 with 45 seconds left, but Emily Mealey hit a layup as the shot clock wound down in response to give the Dutchmen a 28-22 lead at the break.
 
After going 2-for-10 from the floor in the first half, Mueller went 8-of-8 in the second, finishing with a game-high 24 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Akilah McFadden (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) added 10 points, four rebounds and three steals and Mader added nine points off the bench. Senior Hailey Fricke (Denver, Pa./Garden Spot) added eight rebounds and senior Haley Sipple (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) also posted seven boards. Dayton posted four assists and four points.
 
Mealey led the Dutchmen with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Anne Lehr posted 13 points and two steals and Evans notched 10 points and three assists. Scarff finished with eight points and six rebounds.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Jan. 6, when they host Stevenson in a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader. The women tip at 3 p.m. after the men play at 1 p.m.