GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah women's basketball team captured the Tip-Off Tournament championship title after they defeated the Christopher Newport Captains, 74-50 on Saturday afternoon. Megan Zimmerman was named Most Valuable Player after she collected her first double-double of the weekend which led her team to a 24-point victory over the Captains. She scored a career high of 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Saturday's contest.

Leah Springer had another big game for Messiah, she contributed 16 points, seven boards, and was a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Jayneisha Davis and Eleana Eckley also scored double-figures for the Falcons with 12 and 11, respectively. 

Despite a strong offensive showing in the first quarter, Messiah's defense held Christopher Newport to just a 25% (18-for-72) shooting performance from the field. The Falcons on the other hand found their rhythm in the second quarter and didn't look back, shooting 43.6% (17-of-39) from the field, 40% (4-of-10) from three-point range, and an impressive 36-of-40 (90%) from the free-throw line. 

Captains' Full Court Pressure
Christopher Newport opened up the first quarter with high intensity on the defensive end, picking up Messiah with a full-court press. The Falcons struggled handling the ball amidst the Captains' tight pressure and turned it over 12 times in the first ten minutes. The Captains capitalized on these turnovers and scored 18 points of their 21 first quarter points off of the Falcons' turnovers. Despite the Falcons' sluggish start, Messiah did a great job scoring at the free throw line by going 8-for-10. With Falcons' success from the free throw line, they were only trailing seven points going into the second quarter (21-14).

Dominant Second Quarter
The Falcons came out hot in the second quarter and outscored the Captains 22-7. Messiah opened with an 18-2 run which included three three-point field goals from Eleana Eckley and five points from Megan Zimmerman. The Captains tried to generate some momentum after going on a short five-point run, however the Falcons continued to keep their foot on the gas pedal and closed out the quarter with a 36-28 lead going into the break.

Falcons Continued To Soar
The two teams traded baskets early in the third quarter but then the Captains began to chip away at the Falcons' lead. Christopher Newport pieced together a 9-to-2 run to bring Messiah's lead to just one point. However, the Falcons responded and finished the quarter with a 13-to-1 push of their own and regained a 53-40 lead going into the final quarter. Leah Springer and Megan Zimmerman led the Falcons in the third quarter with six points each.

The Falcons finished the fourth quarter outscoring the Captains 21-10. Messiah continued to apply high defensive pressure, collecting four steals and two blocks in the final ten minutes of play. The Falcons also took 12 trips to the free-throw line and were successful on every attempt.

Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 13 when they host Gettysburg College at 7:00 p.m. It will be exactly one year (Nov. 13, 2018) since the two teams have played each other; Messiah was victorious in the previous battle, 74-69.