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READING, Pa. -
Andrea Hoover went off for 19 points - all in the second half - to carry Lebanon Valley past a resilient Albright team, 62-54, for LVC's eighth consecutive victory.
The Dutchmen (16-1, 7-0 CC) remain perfect in league play after one swing through the Commonwealth Conference, staying a game ahead of Messiah for first place. LVC beat the Lions (6-10, 2-5 CC) for the fifth straight meeting.
After playing just five minutes in the first half with foul trouble, Hoover exploded for all 19 of her points in the second half, including a pair of three pointers. With Albright's defense containing LVC leading scorers
Eryn Schultz and
Suzie Noyes, who had just four apiece, Hoover and freshman Liz Borgia (14 points) carried the scoring load.
Jessica McGinness led all scorers with 24 points for Albright, which committed 26 turnovers under LVC's heavy defensive pressure;
Caitlin Murphy wound up with five steals, and Hoover added four to her line.
An early LVC surge gave them a quick six-point lead, but the Lions responded with a 10-point swing to take a four-point lead into the halftime break.
Things quickly fell apart for Albright after the half, however. A Hoover three-pointer and
Sarah Colton's layup grabbed the lead right back, and after Mallory Olsheski hit a jumper to go up 36-32, the Lions wouldn't score again for more than seven minutes as the Dutchmen built a nine-point lead.
Albright pulled back as close as two points, but LVC immediately took the momentum back as Hoover's second trey capped a 5-0 spurt to cement the lead for good with 5:52 to go.
LVC will take a break from CC play when they visit Manhattanville Wednesday night.