WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – After being down by as many as 16 points, senior Morgan Mader (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) and junior Erica Lutz (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) delivered one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of the Lycoming College women's basketball program, leading for only the final 27 seconds of a 71-68 MAC Commonwealth win over Hood College on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 1, at Lamade Gym.
 
Mader tied the game by canning her fifth 3-pointer of the game with 1:32 left. Hood was fouled on its ensuing possession, with Morgan Anderson hitting one of her free throws to make it 68-67 with 1:14 left. The Warriors (13-7 overall, 6-5 MAC Commonwealth) missed a layup on their next possession, but forced Hood (4-15 overall, 0-10 MAC Commonwealth) into a turnover, as Lutz picked the pass on one end, then got a pass on the left baseline from a driving senior Akilah McFadden (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) and swished through a 12-footer with 27 seconds left.
 
The Warriors, who moved into sole possession of fourth in the league with the win, forced another turnover on Hood's next possession and Mader hit two more free throws to make it a 3-point game. Hood could only manage an off-balance 3-point attempt, though, and Lutz got the rebound as the clock went to zero.
 
Mader led the Warriors with a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds, as she moved into second in program history with 55 3-pointers made this year. Lutz added 18 points and 14 rebounds to become the seventh player in program history to post 10 double-doubles in a season, as she also added four blocks and three steals.
 
Freshman Kenzie Reed (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) posted 11 points and seven rebounds and McFadden posted eight points and eight assists for the Warriors.
 
Hood led 58-44 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter when the McFadden hit an old-fashioned 3-point play and Mader dropped a 3-pointer in transition, helping Lycoming cut the deficit to 63-51 at the end of the quarter.
 
The Blazers got the lead to 10 to start the fourth quarter, but the Warriors began to work back into the game as Hood hit just one field goal in the quarter, with McFadden hitting a jumper to make it a five-point game with 6:53 left and a free throw from Reed with 5:30 left making it 65-62 with 5:30 left. Lutz hit a layup inside to make it a one-point deficit with 4:44 left and over the course of the next three minutes, only two free throws from Mia Savoy's registered on the scoreboard.
 
Finally, after a Hood turnover, sophomore Kelly Vuz (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren Regional) sent a bounce pass into the right corner where Mader swished through a 3-pointer to tie the game, setting up the dramatic ending.
 
Lycoming led, 5-4, after Reed hit a pair of free throws, but Lycoming made just three field goals in the first quarter to fall behind 22-16 by the end of the period. That grew to 34-18 with 6:40 left in the second and Hood maintained a two-possession lead all the way until McFadden's jumper as the clock ticked under seven minutes left in the game.
 
Mia Savoy led the Blazers with 21 points and seven rebounds and Morgan Anderson added nine points and 12 rebounds. Lauren Keeney and Marlise Newson each had 12 points.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. when they head to Lebanon Valley for a key MAC Commonwealth matchup.