GRANTHAM, Pa. - No. 11 Messiah College women's basketball won the Hampton Inn Tip-Off Tournament after they defeated Saint Vincent 60-42 on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons are now 4-1 overall, while the Bearcats moved to 2-2. Alecia Rohrer was named Tournament MVP and she led the Falcons with another double-double, 21 rebounds and 13 points. Maci Thornton added 12 points, Kristen Smoluk posted ten, and Becca Isaac added nine for Messiah. The Falcons shot 41.1% (23-of-56) from the field, 46.2% (6-of-13) from the three-point range, however they struggled from the line shooting only 53.3%.

Strong First Half
Saint Vincent had a strong start in the first quarter and held an early 7-4 lead, however the Falcons were just getting warmed up. Maci Thornton knocked in back-to-back three pointers which sparked the Falcons on an 18-to-2 run to close out the quarter. Thornton collected nine of her total 12 points in the initial quarter and as a team, Messiah held the Bearcats to only seven points and gathered three steals in the first ten minutes of play.
 
The Falcons continued to build upon their lead in the second quarter and outscored the Bearcats 18-10. Both teams exchanged baskets early in the quarter but a jumper from Becca Isaac and a three-pointer from Trinity Sumrall led Messiah to a nine-point scoring run to take a 21-point lead (34-13) midway through the quarter. Both teams battled throughout the second half of the quarter, but Messiah was able to hold on with a 21-point advantage going into halftime after a pair of free-throws from Eleana Eckley (40-19).

Bearcats Begin to Chip Away
Saint Vincent came out of the break with a lot more energy and made some adjustments on the defensive end to protect the paint. The Bearcats opened the quarter on a 11-to-2 run and brought Messiah's lead down to 12 points (42-30). However, Alecia Rohrer and Kristen Smoluk responded midway through the quarter and led their team to eight consecutive points to pull ahead 50-30. The Bearcats finished the quarter by knocking in two free-throws and outscoring the Falcons 13-10, however Messiah still had a 50-38 advantage going into the final quarter of play.
 
Falcons Hold On
The fourth quarter was low scoring for both teams and the overall play was a little undisciplined. Although the Falcons were able to secure a 60-42 victory, they had trouble taking care of the ball and turned it over eight times in the final ten minutes. Most of these turnovers were due to the full-court defensive pressure that the Bearcats presented.
 
Overall the Falcons had a dominant game, especially with their offensive performance in the first two quarters. Nine different Falcons posted points on the score sheet in their win over Saint Vincent and Alecia Rohrer led the way in the paint with 21 rebounds and three blocks. Becca Isaac and Maci Thornton played exceptional defense and they each collected three steals for Messiah. Kristen Smoluk did a great job sharing the basketball; finishing with a team-high of five assists.
 
Next Up
The Falcons will host the Eastern Eagles on Tuesday, Nov. 20th at 6:00 p.m. on Jordan Court. Following Thanksgiving, Messiah will travel to Widener University for their first MAC Commonwealth match-up on Wednesday, Nov. 28th at 8:00 p.m.