GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 14 Messiah women's basketball team earned a 58-42 victory over the visiting Albright Lions on Tuesday night on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena. The Flacons pulled away with an 11-1 run in the middle of the second quarter before claiming the 16-point victory. The victory improves Messiah to 5-1 on the young season while starting the MAC Commonwealth campaign 1-0.
 
Leah Springer led all scorers with 19 points in the contest. Reese Harden dropped nine points while Megan Zimmerman grabbed six rebounds. Eleana Eckley dished out four assists, Morgan Adams picked up three steals, and Madison Eich rejected two shots to fill out the box score for the Falcons.
 
Messiah will take the rest of the week off from competition for the Thanksgiving holiday and will be back on the floor Dec. 4 when they travel to St. Davids, Pa. for a MAC Commonwealth contest with the Eastern Eagles.
 
Tight First Quarter
In the first 10 minutes of play on Tuesday, neither team held a lead of more three points. The Lions jumped out to an early advantage, with a quick layup on their opening possession by Brady Wassel. Messiah countered with the first of seven first-quarter lead changes with a three by Chole Milanesi.
 
After trading buckets for the majority of the period, Messiah held a three-point advantage at 14-11 with 2:12 remaining after a layup from Morgan Adams. Albright closed out the period with a layup to pull within one at 14-13 as the quarter came to a close.
 
Second-Quarter Run Creates Lead
The contest remained close for the first few minutes of the second period, but a Reese Harden three with 6:18 remaining in the half, sparked an 11-1 Messiah run that saw the Falcons take a 27-17 lead late in the second quarter. Fueling the run was Reese Harden and Leah Springer, who picked up five points each during the four-minute stretch.
 
Albright halted the run with a three from Brady Wassel, but Elena Eckley responded on the next trip down the floor with a three of her own. Another three from Albright pulled the Lions within seven at 30-23, but Springer finished a layup through traffic to end the half and give Messiah a 32-23 cushion at the break.
 
Opening it Up
Messiah outscored the Lions 18-8 in the third quarter, allowing just two field goals in the period. As a result, Messiah opened a 50-31 lead with just 10 remaining in the contest. In the quarter, Messiah shot 8-16 from the floor while forcing nine Albright turnovers.
 
Amber High and Leah Springer combined for 14 total points in the period. High dropped eight in the period while Springer finished the quarter with six.
 
Early in the fourth, Messiah took a 21-point lead following a layup from Morgan Zimmerman. Later in the quarter, Albright cut Messiah's lead to as few as 15, but the Falcons quickly got the game back to 20 with a three by Sidney Stutzman and a jumper by Morgan Adams.
 
Messiah cruised down the stretch to the 58-42 victory to improve to 5-1 on the young season and pick up their first MAC Commonwealth victory of the season.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will have an extended break for the Thanksgiving holiday. Messiah will not be back on the floor until they travel to Eastern to take on the Eagles in a MAC Commonwealth game on Dec. 4. That game will get underway at 1:00 p.m. in St. Davids, Pa.