Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior guard Jess Unick scored a game-high 16 points, including four big free throws in the final 28 seconds, and No. 11 Messiah College won the first women's basketball game ever in the new LVC Gymnasium, as the Falcons came from behind to defeat Lebanon Valley 54-52 in Commonwealth Conference action Saturday afternoon.

Messiah (6-0, 2-0 CC) stayed undefeated while LVC (5-1, 1-1 CC) lost for the first time this season.

Ironically, Messiah was also Lebanon Valley's opponent last February when LVC played the final basketball game ever in Lynch Gymnasium, the team's home court from 1950-2003.

Lebanon Valley was led by junior center Jennifer Northcott (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), who recorded her fourth straight double-double despite playing just 30 minutes due to foul trouble. Northcott tossed in a team-high 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the fourth game in a row.

Sophomore forward Eli Cook added 14 points for Messiah. Junior guard Erin Eaby (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) recorded 12 points and four steals for LVC while junior forward Tamika Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Milford Academy) finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Lebanon Valley held a seven-point lead (41-34) with 9:13 left after a layup from Rogers. But that's when Messiah tightened things up defensively. The Falcons held LVC to without a field goal over the next 5:57, and Messiah outscored the Valley 9-2 during the stretch to tie the game at 43-43 with 3:19 remaining. Rogers ended LVC's dry spell when she knocked a jumper with 2:56 left to put her team ahead 45-43.

Messiah took the lead for good after junior guard Marita Rydell dropped in a fastbreak layup with 2:14 to go, putting the Falcons up 47-46. LVC still trailed by one with 1:02 left after

Northcott converted a layup before Unick hit a pair of free throws with 28 seconds left to put Messiah ahead 51-48.

Lebanon Valley missed a pair of shots with just under 20 seconds left, and LVC was forced to foul Unick with 13 ticks on the clock. Unick sunk two more free throws as the Falcons pushed their lead to 53-48.

A driving layup from junior guard Crystal Gibson (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown) cut it to 53-50, but junior guard Kristin Sassaman's foul shot made it a two-possession game (54-50) with seven seconds left. Eaby dropped in a layup just before the buzzer to set the final score.

The Falcons led 13-12 with 7:02 left in the opening half, but the Valley outscored Messiah 18-6 to close the stanza and take a 30-19 lead into the locker room.

Northcott scored 11 of her points in the first half to lead all scorers. LVC held Messiah to 27.6% shooting in the period and the Falcons missed all nine of their three-point attempts in the half.

Lebanon Valley returns to action next Saturday when the teams hosts non-conference opponent Neumann College at 2 p.m. in the first game of a men's and women's doubleheader.

[Photo - Junior center Jennifer Northcott, who recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds against Messiah on Saturday for her fourth straight double-double]

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