Chester, PA — Senior Sal Shani hit a turnaround jumper in the paint and classmate Ashley Brooks followed with a three ball, as Messiah raced out to a 5-0 lead just a minute into play and never looked back in a 68-51 MAC Commonwealth Conference win at Widener University Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons — ranked 14th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll and 15th in the most recent D3hoops.com rating — ripped off its 10th straight win and 17th consecutive league win with the decision, the latter streak dating back to the 2006-2007 season. A defense that limited Widener (11-7, 2-3) to just 25 percent shooting in the first half led to a 36-18 advantage at halftime, as Messiah (15-2, 5-0) would lead by as many as 26 points before rolling to the victory.
“We're continuing to play really well right now,” said Mike Miller, Messiah head coach. “Our first half today was absolutely wonderful. Defensively, we were really good. I'm not sure people can simulate what we bring defensively, especially in the first halves of games. Today, our effort was really special over the first 20 minutes.”
Miller's team jumped on the host Pride from the outset, using a 22-11 run over the first period's final 9:40 to turn a 14-7 advantage into the 18-point, double-up score at the intermission. Most of that push was done without the services of junior defensive stalwart Julie Henninger, who was saddled with two fouls early.
Nevertheless, the Falcons gobbled up nearly all of their defensive possessions. Widener connected on just seven of 28 first-half attempts from the field, including just a one of 11 performance (9.1percent) from beyond the arc. Couple in a 25-14 Messiah advantage in first-half rebounds, and the recipe was there for a blowout.
Midway through the second half, it was completed. Another Falcons' push turned a 40-26 lead at the 16:01 mark into a 56-30 discrepancy with 8:47 to go, and the end result was pure arithmetic. Widener closed the gap by making eight of 11 free throws in the final 6:53, but Messiah had accomplished its goals: Widener entered the game averaging 16.8 offensive boards per contest and outrebounding its opponents by an average of six caroms. The Falcons limited the Pride to just nine second-chance opportunities, outrebounding the hosts by a 40-28 count.
The latter statistic provided Messiah with a rebounding advantage for the ninth straight game, while 19 of the team's rebounds came on the offensive end. Additionally, the Falcons held Widener leading scorer Barbara Fleming to just two points, keeping the skilled shooter scoreless from the floor.
“Widener may be the team to beat (in our conference),” Miller said. “They are a skilled team with a very good post player. They do a good job of leaking out and getting buckets in transition. Today, we were able to crash the offensive boards and get back in transition defensively.”
Brooks paced Messiah in scoring, charting a game-high 16 points on a six of eight shooting performance. It was her seventh consecutive game in double figures, while the 6-0 forward grabbed eight rebounds as well. Shani finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while senior Katie Kalb tacked on 13 points. Sophomore Michele Schleich scored 11 points to go with a game-high five assists, giving Messiah at least four double-figure scorers for the eighth time in the last 10 games.
“We take really good shots,” Miller said regarding his team's incredible offensive balance. “We continue to find the open person, and every person is getting good looks. No one individual gets a ton of them, but when we do, we're making them. We're making good decisions with the ball, and that kind of feeds on itself.
“Ashley and Sal were special the whole day today,” he continued. “Sal changed the game with her defense and rebounding, and Ashley was a coach on the floor during the 36 minutes she was out there.”
Messiah will next take a one-game hiatus from league play, as the team welcomes Baptist Bible College to Brubaker Auditorium Monday evening. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
