Reading, PA - Big buckets, clutch free-throws, and a defensive stop in the season's biggest moment-- that's the recipe for a championship win.

The Falcons defeated the Lions of Albright College in a gritty, competitive game 53-50 in the MAC Commonwealth Championship. Kristen Smoluk led the team with 15 points, shooting 6-9 from the field. Gillian Glackin scored 10 points and collected nine rebounds, and Kaitlyn Hoff added 11 points, going 6-6 from the free throw line. No. 22 Messiah went on a 9-2 run in the final three minutes to support the thrilling win. They received big-time offensive plays down the stretch and tough defense at the end.

With the win Messiah also moved to 25-2 on the season, and they simultaneously ended a four game losing streak to the Lions that included both of their losses from this year's regular-season.

Glackin was named tournament MVP after scoring 33 points, collecting 20 rebounds, and shooting 12-23 (52.2%) from the field across the two MAC Commonwealth Tournament games.

Both teams struggled in the first half to find an offensive rhythm but Messiah found the back of the net first at the 7:29 mark with Kaitlyn Hoff scoring a layup on an assist from Maci Thornton. Just over a minute later Kristen Smoluk knocked down a three giving the Falcons an early 5-0 lead. Albright got on the board with a free throw from Alysha Lofton, but the Falcons answered with a jumper by Alecia Rohrer to push the lead 7-1.
 
With the score 8-5 in favor of Messiah, Kaitlyn Hoff knocked down two free throws and 10-5 was the score at the end of the first quarter. Both teams were cold in shooting, Messiah (20%) and Albright (14.3%) from the field. The second quarter proved to be similar to the first with both teams missing opportunities, the Falcons were 4-12 from the field shooting just 33.3%.
 
Messiah held a slight edge, 13-12, when Gillian Glackin knocked down a big three from the top of the key at the 4:40 mark to increase the lead. The Lions answered back, however, as on the next play Nina Mazzarelli hit a three to cut the lead back to one. At the 2:04 mark, Albright took their first lead of the game as Mazzarelli knocked down a pair of free throws to go up 17-16.
 
Kristen Smoluk responded for Messiah with a jumper off the dribble to regain the lead 18-16. With less than a minute to play in the second quarter, the Falcons were down 19-18 but Alecia Rohrer pounded home a bucket off an assist from Kaitlyn Hoff to go up 20-19 and that would be the score heading into halftime.
 
Messiah was 7-31 (22.5%) in the first half, 4-8 (50%) from the free throw line, and committed seven turnovers.
 
The third quarter got off to a slow start with both teams struggling to find the back of the net. The Lions took a 21-20 lead at the 7:42 mark when Devan Horka knocked down a jumper. The Falcons answered at the other end with Kristen Smoluk hitting a jumper inside the lane to regain control 22-21.
 
Albright went on a 4-0 scoring run to gain their biggest lead of the game 25-22. Messiah didn't take long to respond and scored four-straight points off a layup by Maci Thornton and a put back by Gillian Glackin in the paint to lead 26-25. There was a lot of back-and-forth scoring for the remainder of the quarter as both teams stayed on the attack. With under a minute to go in the third, a layup by Leah Springer cut Albright's lead down to two 34-32, and that was the score going into the fourth and final quarter.
 
The Falcons shot 5-14 (35.7%) in the third quarter and committed five turnovers.
 
Tensions were high heading into the fourth quarter, as the final 10 minutes of play would decide the MAC Commonwealth Champion and earn the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. Messiah got things started right away when Kaitlyn Hoff finished a layup and not long after, Leah Springer made a layup to take the lead 36-34 at the 9:19 mark. Later in the game with the scored knotted at 40, Maci Thornton knocked down a huge three with the defense in her face giving the Falcons a 43-40 lead.
 
However, Albright went on a 6-0 run started by two free throws by Lofton. At the 4:58 mark Jane Joyce stole the ball from Smoluk and finished the layup giving the Lions a 44-43 edge, and moments later, Joyce recorded another steal and scored a basket to increase the lead 46-43.
 
With less than three minutes to play the Falcons found themselves trailing 48-43, but that didn't deter them. Gillian Glackin grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled at the 2:48 mark; she made the first free throw but just missed the second one. Lea Mikayla collected the board for Albright off the miss, but there was Kristen Smoluk to steal the ball away right under the basket, put up the shot, which was good, and she got fouled on the play. Smoluk headed to the line to complete the old fashioned three-point-play and she did just that, sinking the free throw and cutting Albright's lead 48-47.
 
The Lions went down on offense and Mikayla scored a layup to go up by three 50-47, but Kaitlyn Hoff answered for the Falcons taking it one-on-one to the basket and putting in the nice scoop shot in the lane for the bucket and the foul. She sank her free throw to tie the game at 50-50.
 
Albright turned it over at the 1:49 mark and moments later Maci Thornton was fouled on a drive to the basket. She made both from the charity stripe, increasing the lead 52-50 with 1:21 left to play. After the teams traded possessions, Albright took the ball with 44 seconds left to play. Messiah needed a big stop and they got just that as they forced the Lions to throw up desperate attempt as the shot clock expired. The ball hit off the rim and then the shot clock itself, giving Messiah possession with just four seconds to play.

Jen Fairbanks was fouled on the ensuing inbound pass, and she went 1-2 from the line to increase the lead. Albright used a timeout to advance the ball over the halfcourt line, and Shannon Thomas had one last chance to tie the game, but her running three-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer and Messiah rushed the court to celebrate.

Messiah will now await their draw in the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons will be making their 17th appearance in the Big Dance.

The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday at 2:30 p.m.