GRANTHAM, Pa. – On Tuesday evening, the Messiah University women's basketball team fell in an overtime thriller against the twenty-second ranked Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College, 80-77. The Falcons opened the game with an 11-3 run, but the Blue Jays battled back in the first quarter ending with a 17-4 run to take a 20-15 lead at the end of the first. The Blue Jays then outscored the Falcons by four in the second to take a 38-29 lead at the half. The Falcons battled back in the third, outscoring the Blue Jays by five points to reduce the Elizabethtown lead to 56-52 heading into the final quarter. The Falcons opened the fourth with a 12-2 run to take a six-point lead midway through the fourth. The Blue Jays battled back, but Ainsley Bell hit a jumper with just under a minute to go to tie the game at 68 to head to overtime. The Blue Jays made a couple of key buckets in overtime and held onto an 80-77 win. Liv Monturo led the Falcons with a career-high 36 points. Charlotte Milanesi totaled 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. EmmyFaith Wood added 13 points and three assists.
 
Up next, the Falcons host the Bullets of Gettysburg College on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

First Quarter
The Falcons opened the game strong with an 11-3 run in the first four minutes of the game. Liv Monturo started the run for the Falcons with two-straight baskets and Charlotte Milanesi ended the run with a three. The Blue Jays, however, ended the first quarter with a 17-4 run to give Elizabethtown a 20-15 lead at the end of the first. Brooke Fenchel and Monturo each scored a basket for the Falcons during the Blue Jays' run.
 
Second Quarter
The Blue Jays opened the second quarter with a quick 7-0 to extend their lead to 27-15 with eight minutes remaining in the half. The Falcons then responded with a 10-4 run to reduce the Blue Jays lead to six with three minutes remaining in the second. Liv Monturo scored all 10 points for the Falcons during the run. The Blue Jays then outscored the Falcons 7-4 to close out the half with a 38-29 lead. EmmyFaith Wood scored the final basketball of the half for the Falcons and Monturo added two free throws during the stretch.
 
Third Quarter
The Blue Jays opened the third with a 7-2 run before EmmyFaith Wood broke the run with a three to put the Blue Jays up 45-34 with just eight minutes remaining in the third. For the next five minutes, the two teams went back-and-forth answering each other's baskets. Wood led the Falcons with four points during the stretch, and Brooke Fenchel, Charlotte Milanesi, and Liv Monturo each added a basket. The Falcons ended the third strong with an 8-0 run to reduce their deficit to 56-52 headed into the final quarter. Monturo dominated during the final run with all eight points for the Falcons.
 
Fourth Quarter
The Falcons continued their momentum into the fourth with a 12-2 run in the four minutes of the final quarter to take a 64-58 lead. Liv Monturo led the Falcons with six points, and Charlotte Milanesi added four points during the run. The Blue jays then rattled off a 6-0 run to tie the game with four minutes remaining. The two teams then scored four points the rest of the way with Ainsley Bell hitting the tying basket with just under a minute remaining to send the game to overtime.
 
Overtime
The Falcons opened overtime with a three from Charlotte Milanesi to take an early lead. The Blue Jays answered back with a 9-2 run to take a 77-73 lead with 42 seconds remaining in the game. The Falcons added baskets from Brooke Fenchel and Charlotte Milanesi, but the Blue Jays hit a couple of clutch free throws to prevent a late comeback from the Falcons to earn the 80-77 win.
 
Stats
Liv Monturo led the Falcons with a career-high 36 points. Charlotte Milanesi totaled 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. EmmyFaith Wood added 13 points and three assists. Brooke Fenchel did a little of everything with six points, four rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals. The Falcons shot 52.5 percent from the field and 20 percent from three. The Blue Jays shot 51.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three.
 
Next
The Falcons host the Bullets of Gettysburg College on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.