Arlington, VA – Messiah College scored 10 of the game's first 12 points and never looked back as they defeated Averett University 69-37 to open the Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament at Marymount University.
 
Gillian Glackin led the Falcons with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jen Fairbanks added 15 points and three boards. Alecia Rohrer also had a big night for Messiah as she totaled 12 points and 11 rebounds to mark her third double-double in as many games this season. She's the first Falcon to collect double-doubles in each of the team's first three games since Eli Cook in 2004-05.

Glackin, Fairbanks, and Rohrer combined to shoot 13-21 from the field and 18-23 from the free-throw line.
 
Dominque Seamon hit two jumpers—one of them a long three-pointer—to help Messiah to that early 10-2 lead, and it was a balanced attack that pushed the Falcons' lead to 26-12 at the end of the first quarter. Glackin and Fairbanks combined for 12 of those 26 points while eight different players picked up a point.
 
In the second quarter the Falcons pushed their advantage to 21 points (35-14) on a layup by Glackin and, moments later, Fairbanks scored four-straight points to make it 39-14. A jumper from the left elbow by Alecia Rohrer then gave them a 26-point advantage and they went up by as many as 34 points (48-14) before the break.
 
Messiah took a 48-15 lead into the intermission, with Glackin and Fairbanks combining for 22 points.

In the final two quarters Messiah led by as many as 41 points and they won by 32 points overall.

Nine different players scored at least two points and both Kaitlyn Hoff and Hannah Brown scored seven points apiece. Messiah's bench outscored the Cougars 25-14 and the Falcons also had a 24-11 edge in points off turnovers.

The Falcons will now move into the Tournament Championship at 7:30 on Saturday night when they play the winner of Marymount and Brooklyn.