Grantham, PA — After winning seven straight MAC Commonwealth Conference games and seemingly playing its best basketball of the season, it was uncertain if the Messiah College women's basketball team could get any better.
Following a 78-29 win Saturday afternoon against Widener University, all bets are now off.
Messiah (21-2, 8-0) held Widener to just nine made field goals and a shooting percentage of just 17 percent, both season-best marks for the Falcons' defense. On the other side of the ball, Messiah made 33 buckets and collected 23 steals, both season-highs.
Those numbers equated to Messiah's most lopsided win of the year, as the Falcons recorded their 39th consecutive regular-season conference home game win in the most convincing of fashions.
“We are causing disruptions on the defensive end of the floor and we are getting better,” said Mike Miller, Messiah head coach. “We did a great job of disrupting Widener's offense tonight and our energy was very good. I have been very pleased with the way we've been playing over the last two and a half weeks, and today was no exception.”
It did not take long for the rout to begin Saturday, as Messiah — ranked seventh in both of the nation's most recent top 25 polls — held Widener (10-13, 2-6) to just four first-half baskets. The visiting Pride did not get on the scoreboard until nearly eight minutes had elapsed in the first half, trailing by a 12-2 score with 12:11 remaining.
Messiah opened up a 33-7 lead with 3:05 to play, but Widener was able to convert two of its four baskets from the field in the final 2:06, pulling to within a 37-13 difference at the intermission.
Naturally, Miller was not pleased.
“I challenged them at halftime,” he said. “Even though we were in control of the game, Widener's guards were able to penetrate on us and get into gaps. We were fortunate that we had some good defensive play from (senior) Gwen Avery and (junior) Silalei Shani. They stepped in and made some plays in help where our guards didn't contain the ball as well as we would like.”
Following a layup from junior Ashley Brooks to open the second half, Widener scored just two minutes in to pull within a 39-15 difference. A 12 to nothing Falcons' run over the game's next two minutes made the contest a 51-15 affair, however, and the blowout was on. Messiah led 64-18 with 11:10 to play, and continued to increase the lead as the score table became a revolving door for Falcon substitutions: All dressed Messiah players entered the game, with all but sophomore Amanda Naeher — who played five minutes — logging nine minutes or more. Miller's team led by as many 51 points in the waning moments, but five turnovers in the game's last 3:52 subdued the final tally.
Shani led the team with 14 points and seven boards off the bench, while senior Nikki Lobach added 11 points in just 18 minutes of action. Brooks and Avery each scored nine points, while freshman Angie Rapchinksi grabbed seven rebounds.
The Falcons' 23 takeaways were six more than the team's previous high, while the squad's 44 rebounds were just three off its season-best mark. Widener's output of 29 total points was 35.5 points below its season average and the lowest amount of points Messiah has allowed by an opponent this year.
“I was very pleased with the minutes that Gwen Avery gave us today, and she is playing the best basketball of her career,” Miller said. “It's great to see a senior finish strong. As a team, that's really the goal; to be playing our best basketball at this time of year and regardless of what the scoreboard says. If everyone is striving for excellence, the wins will take care of themselves.”
Messiah will look to remain unbeaten in league play when the team travels to Lebanon Valley College on Tuesday, a squad in the middle of the MAC Commonwealth standings. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at LVC Gymnasium.
