GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Messiah College women's basketball team fell in their home opener to the York College Spartans 69-66 on Thursday evening. The Falcons battled back in the fourth quarter and had a look from behind the arc at the buzzer, however they were unable to connect. The Falcons shot 35.7% (25-of-70) from the field and were 66.7% (12-of-18) from the free throw line. York was slightly more effective from the field, shooting 40.3% (25-of-62), and on the glass, out-rebounding Messiah 46-43. Both teams struggled taking care of the ball in the season-opener. Messiah turned the ball over 18 times, while York had 26 turnovers.

Alecia Rohrer and Maci Thornton each collected double-doubles for the Falcons. Rohrer led all scorers with 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots, while Thornton cashed in 16 points, 11 rebounds and delivered two assists. Becca Isaac produced both offensively and defensively for the Falcons. Isaac added 12 points, six assists and five steals, and teammate Kristen Smoluk contributed nine points and five assists.

Slow Start
Messiah had a slow start to their season-opener on Jordan Court and found themselves trailing 7-2 early in the game. However midway through the quarter, Maci Thornton got in a rhythm offensively and connected on back-to-back threes to bring the Falcons within one point of the lead (9-8). The Spartans responded with an eight-point run and began to pull ahead, but Messiah was able to piece together a 6-to-0 run of their own at the end of the quarter to bring York's lead down to three (17-14).

Steady Play
The Falcons and Spartans battled well in the second quarter of play and each team put 16 points on the scoreboard before heading into the halftime break. Becca Isaac gave the Falcons their first lead of the game after knocking down a free-throw in the first minute of the quarter. The next five minutes consisted of back-and-forth action between the two squads, but York went on a 6-to-0 scoring run after three consecutive turnovers by the Falcons. Once again Messiah turned up the urgency and finished the quarter with four-straight points to head into the break trailing 33-30.

Close Battle, Spartans Hold On
The last two quarters of play had the fans on the edge of their seats. Both teams scored 36 points in the last 20 minutes of the game and York held on for a 69-66 victory. The Falcons found themselves trailing by seven points (53-46) at the end of the third quarter and needed to find a way to narrow the scoring margin. Messiah was ready for the challenge and went to work in the fourth quarter. At the 1:52 mark, Trinity Sumrall drove through the lane and finished a tough lay-in to bring York's lead down to one (65-64), but the Spartans responded with two free-throws and pulled ahead 67-64. Alecia Rohrer hit a jumper late in the quarter to put the Falcons within one-point of the lead but once again, York responded at the free-throw line. Messiah had an opportunity to draw up a play with only a few seconds left on the clock but the Falcons were unable to connect from deep at the buzzer.  

What's Up Next
The Falcons will look to bounce back as they host Juniata College on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m. The game will take place on Jordan Court following the men's basketball TownePlace Suites Tip-Off tournament.