WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior Akilah McFadden (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) posted 20 points to lead three Lycoming College women's basketball players in double figures, but three free throws from Faith Ashby in the game's final 40 seconds helped Rutgers-Newark come-from-behind for a 72-69 win in the opening game of the Hoops for Hounds Tournament on Saturday night, Dec. 29, in Lamade Gym.
 
The Warriors (8-4 overall) will face off with Hunter, who fell to Rosemont, 69-59, in the other opening round game, in the consolation game of the tournament at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30. Rutgers-Newark (7-5 overall) will face Rosemont in the championship at 2 p.m. in Lamade Gym.
 
McFadden finished 9-of-21 from the field, also posting six rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocks, as she factored across the box score for the Warriors (8-4 overall). Sophomore Erica Lutz (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks and junior Kayla Kline (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) added 11 points and six rebounds.
 
McFadden got a rebound with 3:37 left and raced the length of the court, putting in a layup to give Lycoming a 68-66 lead, but Ashby hit a step-back 3-pointer in response with 2:26 left to give the Scarlet Raiders a one-point lead. The Warriors tied the game with 1:45 left after freshman Kelly Vuz (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren Regional) hit the front end of two free throws, but after that, Ashby's free throws were the only points scored.
 
The Warriors led 28-13 with 7:13 left in the second quarter, as Lycoming scored the first eight points of the quarter, with a second-chance layup by senior Becca Painter (Elverson, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) ending the run. The Raiders fought back with a 19-6 run to make it 34-32 with 1:31 left in the half, but a 3-pointer from McFadden ended the run, as Lycoming went into the break with a 37-33 lead.
 
Lycoming held the lead, increasing it to five at 47-42 off a 3-pointer from junior Megan Helminiak (Williamsport, Pa./St. John Neumann), but late in the period, a jumper by Ashby swished through to give Rutgers-Newark a 55-54 lead, which it increased to four at the end of the quarter. Lycoming scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to retake the lead off a jumper by Lutz with 6:52 left. A fastbreak layup by McFadden a minute later gave Lycoming a 64-61 lead, but Rutgers-Newark responded with five points before a layup in transition by Kline tied it at 66 with 3:54 left, setting up the end.
 
Painter finished with nine points, two assists and two steals, Helminiak added six points off two 3-pointers and Vuz posted five points, two assists and two steals.
 
Lycoming shot 43 percent (23-of-54) from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range (7-of-18), but fell victim to Rutgers-Newark's 20 second-chance points.
 
Ashby led the Scarlet Raiders, who shot 44 percent (28-of-64) from the field, with 25 points, six rebounds and three steals. Both Elisha India Cross and Hannah Ashby had 16 points and Dorian Capurso added 12 rebounds and three steals.