GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Falcons outscored the knights 23-9 in the fourth quarter to secure the win over SUNY Geneseo. Messiah remains undefeated by beating the Knights 63-51 and move to 3-0 on the season.

Maci Thornton had a huge offensive showing for Messiah. Thornton contributed 23 points and shot 80% from three-point range. Leah Springer was the other Falcon in double-figures with 16 points. Kaitlyn Hoff took care of business running the point and on the glass. Hoff grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists, and also collected four steals for the Falcons.

As a team, Messiah shot 39.7% from the field and 58.5% from the free throw line. Messiah struggled from deep range, only shooting 29.2% (7-24). SUNY Geneseo also struggled from behind the arc shooting 26.3% (5-19) and shot 35% from the field and were 10 for 16 from the free throw line.

Close First Half
The first two quarters were neck-and-neck for Messiah and SUNY Geneseo. Both squads finished the first quarter with 12 points and Messiah had a small three point advantage going into the half-time break.
Right off the bat, SUNY Geneseo set up a three-quarter court press that Messiah was easily able to handle. However, it did slow the Falcons offense down and limit their fast break opportunities. Maci Thornton led Messiah's offense in the first half by scoring 15 of her 23 points. Kaitlyn Hoff picked up two steals in the first half and Messiah's aggressive defense caused 14 first-half turnovers for the Knights.

Third Quarter Slump
Messiah fell into a slump offensively in the third quarter and only scored nine points in 10 minutes. The Knights opened the quarter with an early 6-0 run until Maci Thornton finished a lay-up in the paint to regain the lead, 35-34. Messiah then went on a 7-0 run of their own but then hit a wall.  The Falcons remained scoreless from the 4:20 minute mark and on and the Knights took the lead 42-40 going into the final quarter of play.

Falcons Fly in the Fourth
After trailing by a bucket and the end of the third, Messiah took matters into their own hands in the fourth quarter and outscored the Knights 23-9. Becca Isaac started things off by hitting a three pointer off of Hannah Brown's delivery. Isaac's bucket ignited a 13-0 run for the Falcons and SUNY Geneseo had no answers. Messiah's largest lead of the game, came from Leah Springer knocking down a pair of free-throws to give the Falcons a 14 point advantage (63-49) over the Knights. The Falcons went on to win the game 63-51 and continue their success on the court.

Next Up
The Falcons will be back in action on Tuesday, November 21 when they travel to Eastern University. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m.