OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The No. 25 Messiah women's basketball team won their tenth game on Wednesday night when they defeated the Stevenson Mustangs 65-49 in Owings Mills, Md. Senior Leah Springer scored her 1,000th career point midway through the second quarter to become the 24th player in program history to reach the milestone. Springer finished with a game-high 28 points while going 11-15 from the field. Eleana Eckley and Jayneisha Davis both finished the game with 13 points for Messiah.
 
The Falcons trailed 15-10 after the first quarter, but used a strong second quarter to take a 26-19 lead at the half. Messiah would lead for the entirety of the second half en route to the 65-49 win.
 
As mentioned, the Falcons won their 10th-straight game with Wednesday's victory and will be back in action on Tuesday night for senior night on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena where they take on Lebanon Valley at 8:00 p.m.
 
Early Hole
Less than six minutes into Wednesday's game, the Falcons had already fallen into a 10-point hole. The Mustangs built an early 12-2 lead with 4:22 left in the opening quarter, following back-to-back layups by Laila Abdul-Rahman. Eleana Eckley countered for Messiah with a jumper and the Falcons started to close the gap.
 
Despite Messiah's push over the final four mintues of the period, Stevenson held a 15-10 lead heading to the second quarter. During the opening period, Eckley and Leah Springer combined for all 10 of the Falcons' points.
 
Defense Brings Falcons Back
Messiah's defense has been their calling card all season long. The Falcons are the seventh stingiest defense in the country, allowing just 49.3 points per game this season. That defense was on display in the second quarter against the Mustangs. Messiah allowed just four points in the 10-minute period to take a 26-19 lead at the half.
 
The Falcons scored 16 points in the period to take a lead they would not give back. Leah Springer was the catalyst for Messiah's offense, dropping nine points in the period.
 
The Falcons scored the first 11 points in the period to take a 21-15 lead following a jumper from Jayneisha Davis. Messiah's lead grew to as many as nine at 26-17 with just under three minutes remaining in the half after a pair of free throws from Springer, but the Mustangs connected on the final bucket of the half and the Falcons took a 26-19 lead into the break.
 
Extending the Lead
Over the course of the second half, Messiah steadily built on their lead. The Falcons' advantage never slipped below five points and extended to as many as 22 midway through the fourth quarter. The strong second half allowed the Falcons to cruise to the 16-point, 65-49 victory.
 
Springer Hits Milestone
With 6:45 remaining in the second quarter Leah Springer used the window with her right hand to score her 12th point of the night. In the process, Springer became just the 24th player in Messiah women's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She becomes the fifth women's basketball player to hit 1,000 points in the last four seasons, joining former teammates Gillian Glackin (1,403 points), Alecia Rohrer (1,307), Maci Thornton (1,280), and Kaitlyn Hoff (1,103) in the exclusive club.
 
Springer reached the lofty plateau, despite missing all of the 2018-19 season due to injury. The Camp Hill native needed just 81 career games to reach 1,000 points, averaging 12.5 points per game en route to the mark. In her career, Springer is a .479 shooter from the floor and her 28 points on Wednesday tied a career-high for points in a single game.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action when they host the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen at 8:00 p.m. on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena. Messiah traveled to Annville earlier this season and defeated the Dutchmen 80-48 on Jan. 22. In that game, both Leah Springer (25 points) and Eleana Eckley (22 points) went for 20-plus points. Springer also grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds for the impressive double-double.
 
Messiah's win improved the Falcons to 13-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Falcons are one win away from locking up the top seed in the upcoming Conference Tournament.