GRANTHAM, Pa. – Top-seeded Messiah women's basketball (21-2, 14-2 MAC Commonwealth) topped visiting eighth-seeded Alvernia University last night, 74-60, to advance to its 25th-straight conference semifinals. The Falcons are slated to host fifth-seeded Albright College (13-10, 7-9 MAC Commonwealth) tomorrow night on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena at 7:00 p.m.
The two sides have clashed twice this season as the Falcons topped the Lions at home on Nov. 23, 58-42, completing the regular-season sweep on Jan. 26 at Albright, 61-49.
Morgan Adams led Messiah in scoring in last night's victory, tallying 20 points behind a 9-for-14 shooting performance. The sophomore forward scored six of her 20 points in the final quarter of play, a high-scoring period as Messiah outscored Alvernia, 27-21, to seal the win.
Leah Springer grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, setting a new program record for all-time rebounds in the process (1,006).
Eleana Eckley (17) and
Reese Harden (14) each recorded double-digits scoring in the victory.
No. 5 Albright defeated No. 4 Stevenson University in the MAC Commonwealth Quarterfinals, edging the Mustangs on the road by just one point (66-65). First-year Mackenzie Dover notched the game-winning free throws with less than a second remaining on the clock to lift the Lions to the playoff victory. The victory was a team performance as Gabby Boggs registered her 17th double-double of the season as Brady Wassel tallied ten 10 points and 15 rebounds.
When Messiah and Albright met this season, the Falcons earned double-figures victories in both contests. Springer led the way for the Falcons in the first meeting (Nov. 23), tallying a game-high 19 points. Messiah had nine different players contribute points as
Reese Harden scored nine points, converting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. The first meeting was the conference-opener for both sides, the first time the two sides clashed since the 2019-20 MAC Commonwealth Championship game on Feb. 29, 2020. The Falcons prevailed again in the second meeting (Jan. 26) as Springer was dominant once again, recording a career-high 32 points, totaling more than half of Messiah's total points (61). Boggs scored double-digit points in both contests for the Lions, scoring 11 points in the first meeting while tallying 12 points in the second meeting. Maggie O'Hare registered a strong offensive performance in the January contest, scoring a team-high 17 points.
Boggs is ranked second in the MAC Commonwealth in average scoring (16.8), trailing only Springer (17.7). In addition to being a frequent scorer, Boggs leads the conference in average rebounds, reeling in 12.7 rebounds per game. With both players scoring double-digit figures in each of their two contests opposing each other, this MAC Commonwealth Semifinals matchup offers high promise for an offensive battle.
The other MAC Commonwealth Semifinals matchup is No. 3 York College (Pa.) traveling to No. 2 Widener University tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. The winner of both sides will play each other in the MAC Commonwealth Championship Game this Sunday, Feb. 27, at a time to be determined with the higher seed hosting.
