Box Score
Frederick, MD - Messiah College went up 25-6 to start their game with Hood College on Wednesday, as
Dori Gyori collected a season-high 24 points to lead the Falcons to a 72-39 win.
Chelsea Danel chipped in with 10 points as 10 different Falcons scored at least two points in the victory.
“Our defense was really special tonight—for long stretches,” head coach
Mike Miller said of his Falcons team. “We were really focused.”
Focused might be an understatement. Miller's squad took an immediate 8-2 lead after exactly four minutes of play, as Gyori scored six of the team's first eight points. Another 8-2 run put Messiah up 16-4 as they forced the Blazers to shoot just 2-11 from the field with seven turnovers in the game's first 10 minutes of play.
With less than four minutes to play before halftime, a free-throw from
Emily Martz put Messiah up 25-6 as they would eventually take a 29-11 into halftime. Gyori had 11 points to match Hood at the break.
“Dori had a great night,” Miller said of the senior forward. “This was one of the best nights she's had in a Messiah uniform.”
At the start of the second half, the Falcons continued their impressive play. Gyori and Danel each scored five points to help Messiah score the first 12 points of the frame to take a 41-11 lead.
A three-pointer by
Taylor Miller gave Messiah their first 34-point lead with 7:05 remaining, an advantage they would match a few more times before the game would end.
Gyori finished with game-highs in points (24) and rebounds (12) to capture her second-straight double-double and third overall this season. Danel's 10 points were impressively backed up by seven assists and zero turnovers.
“We did a great job of handling the ball tonight,” Miller said, reflecting on the team's 13 turnovers. “We're really happy with our low turnovers, especially considering the physical play by both teams.”
Gyori's classmate and teammate at forward,
Kira Maier, added nine points and five rebounds. Miller and
Nicky Hess each scored seven points, with each hitting a single three-pointer. Danel went 2-4 from downtown.
Dyanna Prater led the Blazers with 11 points as Hood shot just 25% from the field on the evening. The loss dropped the Commonwealth-newcomer to 3-3 and 2-1 in the conference.
Messiah shot 43% from the field in the win, as they moved to 3-0 in the Commonwealth. Ranked No. 8 in the most recent ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll, Messiah also moves to 6-0 overall.
