Annville, PA — By main event standards, Saturday's MAC Commonwealth women's basketball showdown between Messiah and host Lebanon Valley College simply didn't live up to the hype.
True, Saturday's 2 p.m. men's game served as an under card of sorts and true, the Falcons and the Dutchmen were picked to finish one-two in the league's pre-season coaches' poll, but yet another dominating performance from Messiah left hometown fans at LVC Gymnasium yearning for a re-do: A 21-5 Falcons' run late in the first half blew things open, as the visitors cruised to a 69-47 win, the team's fifth straight victory by at least 14 points.
“We had some fight in us today,” said Mike Miller, Messiah head coach. “I know I was fired up, personally, and I think the kids fed off that. We're playing well right now, to be honest. LVC has a talented team. We came here wanting to put forth a good effort, and I thought we did that on all fronts this afternoon.”
Defense continued to be the staple for Messiah (13-2, 3-0), as the Falcons held LVC 18 points under its scoring average on the season, limiting the Dutchmen to just an 18 of 48 shooting performance from the floor (37.5 percent). Conversely, the Falcons connected on 25 of 53 total shots, generating a 47.2 percent shooting clip. Through 15 games, Messiah has yet to allow an opponent to shoot better than a 45.1 percent rate from the field.
“We've always hung our hat on our defense,” Miller said. “We've just been blessed to have some really good scorers, so people don't notice it quite as much.”
Lebanon Valley (10-4, 3-1) took notice over the final six minutes of the first half, as Messiah — Ranked 15th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll and 17th in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25 ballot — held the Dutchmen to just two baskets while forcing five turnovers during the span. That defensive prowess (coupled with a six of nine shooting clip on the offensive end) turned a 25-21 lead into a 42-26 advantage at the halftime buzzer, a run that would permanently change the game. After keeping things within seven points and actually taking a short lead — a bucket from LVC's Caitlin Murphy gave the hosts a 14-13 advantage at the 13:44 mark — the Dutchmen would get no closer than 14 points in the second period, falling behind by as many as 26 points before closing the final gap to 22.
“We're in a rhythm right now,” said senior Sal Shani. “There's a lot of confidence going through this entire team, and I think we're getting better each time out.”
Senior Katie Kalb opened Saturday's contest with a long three pointer 52 seconds in, and followed with another after a Michele Schleich (sophomore) free throw to help the Falcons to an early 7-3 lead. A jumper from junior Julie Henninger made it a 9-3 ballgame, and the Falcons had control early.
LVC responded with three straight buckets to pull within one (10-11) at the 15:24 mark, and when Murphy hit the aforementioned jumper with 13:44 to go in the half, it was the Dutchmen that led 14-13.
A traditional three-point play from sophomore Angie Rapchinski would permanently change things at the 10:51 mark, however, as the Dutchmen would never lead again following that sequence. A basket from LVC's Megan Bish cut things to 26-21 with six minutes to play before halftime, but a series of gorgeous offensive basketball — combined with a stifling defense — put Messiah well ahead for good. Shani hit a post-and-pop jumper which was followed by a driving layup from Kalb, while Henninger made two free throws on the Falcons' ensuing trip. Messiah then missed two shots on its next possession, but two offensive boards led to a Rapchinski three pointer, extending the lead to 35-23 with 3:05 to go in the initial period.
Rapchinski followed with another long ball following a pair of missed free throws from the hosts, and senior Kristen Groff silenced a made three from the Dutchmen's Eryn Schultz with a baseline jumper. Shani closed the half with a layup off a nice feed from Henninger, and things had gotten out of hand for an LVC upset.
Lebanon Valley's best chance to make a comeback came seven minutes into the second half, when the Dutchmen pulled within a 32-47 difference. Messiah responded with a super-quick 9-0 run, however, reclaiming a 56-32 lead and never looking back.
Henninger led four Falcons in double-figure scoring, charting 14 points on a six of nine effort from the floor. Kalb added 13, while Rapchinski scored 11 and senior Ashley Brooks 10. Both Shani and Schleich added nine points apiece, with Schleich grabbing a team-leading nine rebounds.
Collectively, Messiah outrebounded an opponent for the seventh straight game, securing 38 total boards to LVC's 25 — including a 12-7 difference on the offensive glass. Brooks notched her fifth straight game of double-figure scoring, while Messiah placed at least four players in double-digit point totals for the sixth time in its last eight games.
The win was the Falcons 16th straight over Lebanon Valley, a streak dating back to the 2002-2003 season.
“This group is really, really fun to coach,” Miller said. “They want to be coached. They want to get better. It seems like every time out, we learn a little bit more about ourselves. I was certainly proud of the way we fought today.”
Messiah will return to home conference action Tuesday, as the team will host Albright College. The Falcons will be searching for their 42nd consecutive regular-season league win in Brubaker Auditorium. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
