ITHACA, N. Y. – The No. 13 Messiah women's basketball team dropped its NCAA First Round matchup against No. 24 Springfield College, 73-68, Friday evening in Ben Light Gymnasium at Ithaca College. Eleana Eckley notched a team-high 18 points in the defeat as the Falcons nearly overcame a nine-point deficit with just two minutes remaining in the contest.
 
Messiah, in addition to Eckley's strong performance, had three other players record double-digits scoring. Reese Harden (14 points), Sidney Stutzman (13 points) and Leah Springer (10 points) all were notable contributors.
 
The opening quarter was a back-and-forth battle between the two sides as Messiah narrowly outscored the Pride, 18-16. The Falcons shot an impressive 9-for-17 (52.9%) from the floor, holding Springfield to just a 35.0% (7-for-20) shooting clip. The Falcons got off to a slow start, trailing 7-2 just over two minutes into the contest. Springer brought Messiah back into the game, scoring on three-straight possessions to give the Falcons their first lead (8-7) at the 4:33 mark.
 
Messiah ended the quarter strong, converting 5-of-6 shots to take an 18-16 lead into the second period of play. Reese Harden and Springer each recorded four points in the final four minutes of the first quarter.
 
The Pride had a momentous second quarter, using a 10-4 scoring run in the final five minutes of the half to take a 36-29 lead into the break. Sidney Stutzman had a big quarter for the Falcons, contributing a team-leading seven points. Eleana Eckley and Harden each tallied two points in the half as Messiah had a seven-point deficit to overcome in the second half.
 
The Falcons shot just 3-of-12 (25.0%) from the field in the second quarter as Springfield took advantage of Messiah's shooting woes, taking a firm halftime lead behind a 56.3% (9-for-16) second quarter of shooting. At the break, Springer had a team-high 10 points.
 
The two sides traded buckets in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Megan Zimmerman recorded her first field goal of the game with 7:27 on the clock, a jump shot to pull the Falcons within a 43-35 deficit. The Zimmerman basket sparked an 8-0 Messiah run. The Falcons trailed by just two points, 43-41, behind two successful trips to the free throw line from Eckley as the senior guard drained all four attempts.
 
The Pride outscored Messiah, 8-4, in the final four minutes of the third quarter. Entering the final quarter of play, the Falcons had a six-point deficit (51-45). Harden and Eckley were big offensive contributors in the third quarter, each scoring six points.
 
The Falcons had just 10 minutes to erase their deficit. Stutzman continued to shoot well from beyond the arc, draining a triple with 5:49 remaining to pull Messiah back within a four-point deficit (54-50). The Pride answered with a three-pointer of their own, restoring their seven-point lead, 57-50. Springfield continued its offensive momentum, building its lead to as big as nine points (65-56) with just 2:12 remaining in the game.
 
Messiah looked down and out, but showed life. The Pride converted from the free throw line when they had the opportunity, but three-pointers from Stutzman and Eckley brought the Falcons back within just three points of Springfield, 68-65, with only 44 ticks left. The Pride continued to convert from the free throw line, ultimately keeping the Falcons out of reach. Messiah showed great fight in nearly overcoming a nine-point deficit with only two minutes remaining, but fell short, 73-68.
 
The 13th-ranked Falcons end the 2021-22 campaign with an impressive overall record of 23-4.