GRANTHAM, Pa. – No. 13 Messiah women's basketball defeated Albright College to claim the MAC Commonwealth title for the second-straight year on Saturday afternoon. The two conference powerhouses competed in a hard fought battle for the third year in a row and the Falcons came out on top 62-54. Although Messiah had a slow start to the game and trailed 17-10 after the first quarter, they did not give up and eventually found their rhythm in the second quarter. The Falcons moved to 25-2 overall and remained undefeated on Jordan Court (13-0) with their win over the Lions.

Messiah shot 21-of-63 (33.3%) from the field, 3-of-10 (30%) from three-point range, and 17-of-19 (89.5%) from the line. Albright went 19-of-51 (37.3%) from the field, 4-of-12 (33.3%) from deep, and were 12-of-13 (92.3%) from the stripe. Both teams did their job on the glass, Messiah collected 38 rebounds and Albright grabbed 36, however the Lions struggled taking care of the ball at times and had 23 turnovers. 

Three Falcons scored double-figures in the conference championship. Alecia Rohrer led Messiah with a double-double, 14 points and 14 rebounds, Kaitlyn Hoff added 13 points, and Leah Springer contributed 12. Maci Thornton had a scrappy game for the Falcons, she collected nine points, three steals, and three rebounds. Alecia Rohrer was named MAC Commonwealth Tournament MVP after her outstanding performance in the entire tournament. Albright's Alysha Lofton led all scorers with 20 points and both Devan Horka and Nina Mazzarelli added 10.

Falcons Trail Early
Alecia Rohrer opened up the game with her first three-pointer of the season, but then Albright took off on a 7-to-0 run. Kaitlyn Hoff attempted to cut down Albright's lead by knocking in a pair of free-throws but the Lions continued to step on the gas and held a 17-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Messiah had a poor offensive performance in the first quarter, shooting just 3-of-17 (17.6%) from the field. Albright on the other-hand had an impressive showing, shooting 6-of-14 (42.9%) from the field in the first ten minutes. Needless to say, the Falcons had their work cut out for them.

The Turning Point
The second quarter was the turning point for Messiah. They shot 9-of-13 (69.2%) from the field and outscored the Lions 19-to-9.

Albright opened up the quarter on a 4-0 scoring run, however Leah Springer and Alecia Rohrer broke the Falcons' silence with back-to-back baskets on back-to-back possessions. Maci Thornton completed a tough layup and Kristen Smoluk hit a jumper outside the paint to complete an 8-to-0 run for Messiah and bring the lead down to three (21-18). Albright hadn't scored since the 7:30 mark, but they knocked down a three with just under four minutes to play in the second quarter to bring their lead back up to six (24-18). Leah Springer completed two consecutive layups to chip away at the Lions' advantage. The next possession, Jen Fairbanks spotted up for a three and drained it to give Messiah a 25-24 lead, which energized the Falcon's fans. The momentum began to shift toward Messiah and the very next play Maci Thornton picked up a steal at midcourt and completed the fastbreak layup on the other end to extend their lead to three. Leah Springer fihished the 11-to-0 run by knocking down a jumper to collect her eighth point of the game. Messiah went into the halftime break with a 29-26 lead over the Lions.

Battle of the Squads
The third quarter was by far the most competitive ten minutes of the entire game and Albright just outscored Messiah 14-13.

Messiah opened the quarter on a 4-to-0 run, but then MAC Commonwealth player of the year Alysha Lofton began to turn things around for the Lions. Lofton knocked in four free-throws on back-to-back possessions to begin a 6-to-0 scoring spree for Albright.

Midway through the quarter, both teams battled back and forth and exchanged baskets. At the 4:25 mark, Albright regained the lead when Mikayla Lea cashed in a three-pointer at the top of the arc (38-37). The lead changed two more times in the quarter, but Messiah regained the lead at the end of the quarter when Leah Springer knocked in a jumper and Maci Thornton hit one-of-two free throws to give the Falcons a two-point lead going into the fourth and final quarter.

No Let-Up for Lions
Albright opened the quarter with an early bucket to tie the game at 42-42 but Alecia Rohrer answered for Messiah and pulled ahead two points. Devan Horka responded for the Lions by making a move in the post and finishing the layup and once again the score was tied. However, senior Kaitlyn Hoff drove to the basket and completed an and-one play to give the Falcons a three-point advantage. The very next possession, Jane Joyce finished a tough lay-in and cut Messiah's lead down to one, but that would be as close as the Lions would get.

Back-to-Back Champs
The Falcons finished the rest of fourth quarter outscoring the Lions 15-8. Messiah extended their lead to eight points when Hannah Brown knocked down a wide-open three-pointer at the 3:36 minute mark (56-48). Lofton then scored back-to-back layups for the Lions, but it wouldn't be enough to keep her team in the game. Albright began fouling at the end to stop the clock and regain possession, however Messiah was perfect from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and soared to victory.

NCAA Bound
Messiah will now await their draw in the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons will be making their 18th appearance to the big dance in program history. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for Monday at 2:30 p.m. Continue to check GoMessiah.com for upcoming schedules and results.