Grantham, PA - Messiah College forward Gillian Glackin posted 30 points, 23 rebounds, and five blocks in a dominant performance to lead the Falcons past Stevenson University in the MAC Commonwealth Semifinal on Wednesday night. The 73-66 win moved Messiah into the Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon at Albright College.

The 30 points and 23 rebounds were both career-best marks for Glackin.

After facing Stevenson (14-10, 11-5) twice throughout the regular season and losing both times, 63-49 (Dec. 2) and 60-46 (Jan. 27), the Falcons had a lot to prove in the semi-final contest.
 
Despite a slow start, the Falcons put together a strong second quarter that gave them a solid lead and enough momentum to carry through until the final buzzer.
 
Neither team was able to find a rhythm in the first quarter, however, barely reaching double digit scoring. Stevenson shot only 25.3% as compared to the Falcons' 33.3%, but carried a 12-11 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.

Following the slow start the Falcons (19-7, 12-4) were able to settle into their offense and turned things up in the second quarter. Messiah used a 12-1 run to eventually outscore Stevenson 18-4 and pull ahead by 13 points (29-16) at the half.
 
Glackin played a pivotal role in the turnaround, scoring 10 second-quarter points while bringing down 10 rebounds. By halftime, Glackin already held a double-double after gathering 14 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Another factor that led to Messiah's advantage was the fact that the Mustangs' Sara Tarbert was ice cold from the field. After posting six points in the first quarter, Stevenson's leading scorer was limited to just one point in the second quarter.
 
Throughout the first half, the Falcons shot above average in most categories. They were 11-27 (40.7%) from the field, only 1-4 (25%) from three, but held strong from the free throw line going 6-6 from the charity stripe.

The Mustangs struggled from the field in the first half, shooting a season low 18.2% (6-33) and were 2-6 (33.3%) from three and the free throw line.
 
Despite the lackluster first half performance, the third quarter proved to be a breakout frame for the Mustangs as they outscored the Falcons 27-21. Full-court pressure and solid shooting from three gave them the slight edge. 
 
Throughout the third, the Mustangs outshot the Falcons 10-18 (55.6%) from the field and were 3-4 (75%) from three as compared to Messiah's 5-20 (25%) from the field and 1-1 from three.
 
Even though the Mustangs all but cut their double-digit deficit in half after three quarters, the Falcons still held a seven-point (50-43) advantage going into the final frame.
 
The Falcons quickly extended their lead, scoring six unanswered points to open the fourth, which resulted in a timeout by Stevenson.
 
Following the brief pause in action, the Mustangs went on their own run, outscoring the Falcons 16-4. The offensive push brought them within one point of the lead at 59-60 with 3:26 to play.
 
The Falcons responded in force, posting six unanswered points yet again, extending their lead to 66-59.  During the two-minute run, the Falcons out-rebounded the Mustangs 6-1 resulting in just three scoring opportunities for Stevenson, all of which came up empty.
 
Messiah held onto their lead through the final minute of the game, despite giving up seven points to the Mustangs. Solid free throw shooting played a significant role in the waning moments, as the Falcons shot 5-8 from the charity stripe to seal the victory.
 
On the night, the Falcons shot 35.9% (23-64) from the field, 33.3% (2-6) from three, and were an impressive 25-28 (89.3%) from the free throw line. Through more than 39 minutes of play, the Falcons were a perfect 24-24 for free throws before missing three in the final 30 seconds of play. 
 
As mentioned, Glackin had a stellar night on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. She finished with 12 offensive rebounds and 11 defensive rebounds. Offensively she contributed 23 points, eight of which came from the free throw line. She was perfect (8-8) from the charity stripe and was 11-18 ( 61.1%)from the field.

Jen Fairbanks and Kaitlyn Hoff each contributed 10 points, while Alecia Rohrer added eight points and eight rebounds.

The Mustangs were led by Tarbert, who scored 20 points and added 11 rebounds. Stephanie Martinez also scored 20 points, while Caitlin Roy added 11.
 
The No.2 Falcons now move onto the MAC Commonwealth Championship game on Saturday against No. 1 Albright College. The 2:00 p.m. contest will take place in Reading, Pa.