Williamsport, PA - Despite leading by as many as 12 in the first half then shooting 50 percent from the field in the second half, the Falcons fended off a late surge from the Warriors of Lycoming College, narrowly escaping with a too-close-for-comfort 69-66 victory.

The Falcons (14-6, 8-3) took control early, using a 14-0 run to take an 18-6 lead with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. Gillian Glackin and Libby Timmer combined to score 10 points during the scoring blitz with Glackin leading the charge (11 points) in the first quarter alone.

Full-court defensive pressure by the Falcons also contributed to their 20-12 first quarter lead. The Warriors (12-9, 7-5) struggled to handle the pressure, resulting in nine turnovers in the early moments.

In the second quarter the flow of the game took a turn in Lycoming's direction as the Falcons committed a multitude of inopportune fouls.

Just two minutes in Glackin picked up two quick fouls, which brought the team total to five and sent her to the bench. With the Warriors in the bonus and the Falcons in foul trouble, Lycoming dropped in 18 points compared to Messiah's 11 to pull within three. Eight of those points came from the charity stripe, resulting in a 33-30 score at the half.
 
It was anyone's game through the third quarter as the lead changed seven different times with neither team leading by more than three points at any given time. In the final minute, Dominique Seamon hit a three from downtown to put the Falcons up by two, but it was a buzzer-beater from Lycoming's Nicole Calella that gave the Warriors a 49-50 advantage.

Despite being outscored 16-20 in the third quarter, the Falcons turned things around early in the fourth.

Strong play in the paint and clutch outside shooting from Jen Fairbanks helped the Falcons reclaim the lead and extend it to eight points with less than five minutes to play.

Both Fairbanks and Glackin posted eight points in the final stanza, combining for 16 of the Falcons' 20 fourth quarter points.

Their efforts were quickly overshadowed, however, as the Warriors mounted a comeback. After outscoring the Falcons 10-5, Lycoming pulled within one (65-64) with 1:18 left to play.

Timmer extended the Falcons' lead to three when she grabbed her own offensive rebound and the put back following two missed free throws.

Moments later, Timmer fouled the Warriors' Shelby Mueller who went 2-2 from the line.

With the 67-66 lead and 45 seconds to play, the Falcons needed to score on what would likely be their final possession. After inbounding the ball from the sideline, Kaitlyn Hoff drove to her left and laid in a virtually undefended layup for the 69-66 advantage.

Once the Warriors got the ball across midcourt, they quickly found Shelby Shoonover behind the arc but her shot came up short, falling into the hands of Seamon. Seamon was immediately fouled by Lycoming and went to the line to shoot two and seal the victory.
 
Seamon - a 58.3% free throw shooter - missed both shots, giving the Warriors one more chance.

That chance was quickly spoiled by a very aggressive Falcon defense. The man-to-man matchup never allowed the Warriors to get a good look at the basket before the final buzzer sounded, resulting in a 69-66 victory for the Falcons.

Gillian Glackin led all players with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Libby Timmer (13 points) and Jen Fairbanks (11 points) each contributed double-figures. Kaitlyn Hoff added eight points and five assists to effort.
 
Lycoming had three players in double-digits with Nicole Calella leading the way with 16 points.
 
With the win the Falcons move to 8-3 in the conference, sharing second place with Stevenson University. They return to action on Saturday when they travel to No. 15 Albright College for a 2:00 start.