Box Score
GRANTHAM, Pa. – In a rematch of last season’s Commonwealth Conference championship game, Messiah College beat Lebanon Valley College 57-42 Saturday evening.
Senior forward Christina Vouriotis scored a game-high 18 points for Messiah (15-2, 6-0 CC), which won its fifth game in a row and its second straight against LVC after last season’s 54-43 win in the conference title match.
Lebanon Valley (11-3, 4-2 CC) received 15 points, four assists and three steals from sophomore guard Crystal Gibson (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown). Senior forward Stephanie Tighe (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) added 11 points while sophomore center Jennifer Northcott (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) had eight points and 11 rebounds.
The Falcons out-rebounded Lebanon Valley 37-29.
The Valley trailed 34-21 at the half and fell behind by 15 (36-21) 2:19 into the second period. But LVC scored eight straight points in 49 seconds, with Gibson scoring six straight during the stretch, to cut the gap to seven (36-29) with 15:45 to go. A lay-up from sophomore forward Tamika Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Milford Academy) with 8:57 left brought LVC to within seven once again, but that’s as close as the Valley would get the rest of the way, as Messiah gradually pulled away.
Messiah took the lead for good after a 7-0 run early in the second half. Following a three-pointer from Tighe, the Falcons scored seven unanswered to take an 11-7 lead. But LVC fought back and Rogers sparked a 6-0 Valley spurt. Rogers scored four points during the stretch, and a leaner from Tighe tied the game at 15 with 8:00 to go in the half.
The Falcons answered with a 9-0 run over a 4:44 span to forge a 24-15 lead with 2:51 left in the stanza. Gibson ended LVC’s drought with a jumper in the lane with 2:41 left but Messiah ended the half on a 10-4 run.
Vouriotis scored 12 points in the opening half. Tighe led the Valley with seven first-half points.
LVC picks up its schedule on Monday when it visits Alvernia College in a non-conference battle starting at 7 p.m.
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