Box Score
By Bryn Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Glenside, PA — Early foul trouble and subsequent difficulties shooting the basketball weren't enough to prevent Messiah from getting back to winning Saturday, as perseverance and a second-half run helped the team to a 53-38 win at Commonwealth Conference foe Arcadia University.
Fresh off a Wednesday loss to Lebanon Valley College that saw the Falcons score just 11 first-half points on 25 percent shooting, Saturday's game at Arcadia's Kuch Center didn't start much better. Sophomores Dori Gyori and Kira Maier picked up their second fouls within the first eight minutes of action, while freshman Taylor Miller was saddled with her second infraction just four minutes later.
With three starters on the bench — and three of the team's top four scorers — Messiah (11-6, 5-2) shot just 31 percent from the floor (nine of 29) and couldn't gain traction against the Knights, entering the locker room tied at the half 21-21.
The Falcons could have easily ended up losing their second straight, which would have put a blow in their conference rankings. They could have, but they didn't.
Messiah scored the first six points of the second half and utilized a 13-3 run midway through the period to coast to the eventual 15-point road win, keeping the squad tied for second-place in the Commonwealth standings.
"We played very well," said Mike Miller, Messiah head coach. "We got into some major foul trouble early in the first half with two of our starters so we had to get them out of there. We played almost the entire first half without them. Then another one of our starters picked up two fouls and we had to get her out of there. Besides that though, I was impressed. We executed very well. Our offensive rebounding was remarkable and we did a great job at holding back turnovers. I was very pleased with our effort and energy and the way we stayed positive and worked through some adversity."
The Falcons held a 12-8 lead 10 minutes into the game before Arcadia (6-11, 1-6) took advantage of a team sans Gyori, Maier and Miller, scoring seven in a row to take a 15-12 lead.
But a free throw from sophomore Becca Albus and a layup from classmate Nicky Hess tied the game at 15. Sophomore Julia Groves hit a jumper and Hess added another layup to give the Falcons a 19-15 lead.
The Falcons didn't score in the final 2:52 of the half, missing their final three shots from the field, plus five free throws.
"Arcadia is an up and coming program," Miller said. "They're better every year. I just told my girls that we were okay. They played a good half and I expected a tough game. I wasn't upset or down at them and we kept a positive attitude going out of the locker room. We missed a bunch of two- and four-footers so we needed to make those shots in the second half."
Make them they did, as the Falcons started off the second half strong, scoring the first six points on two foul shots and a layup by sophomore Maier, and a jumper by Gyori.
But Arcadia rallied, cutting a 27-21 deficit into a 30-28 deficit.
The Falcons then pulled away, scoring the next nine on two free throws and a three pointer by Hess, a layup by Maier, and a layup by Gyori. It was part of a 13-3 spurt that gave Messiah a 43-31 lead with just under six minutes to play, and it proved to be the difference in the game: From that point on, Arcadia never came closer than 10 points, and Miller's group held on for the commanding, 53-38 victory.
Gyori led the Falcons by recording her fourth career double-double in just 22 foul-plagued minutes, scoring 14 points while grabbing 11 boards. Hess scored 11 and nabbed five steals, while junior Tremaine Simmons was also a monster presence, scoring 12 points on five of eight shooting while pulling in five caroms.
“Our energy on the offensive glass was tremendous,” Miller said. “We played extremely hard on both ends of the floor and stayed committed. This was a good win for us.”
Messiah will utilize the midweek league layoff to travel to the University of Scranton Wednesday, as the second round of Commonwealth action is slated to begin this weekend. The Falcons will take on the Royals at 7 p.m.
