Box Score

CHESTER, Pa.  –  Junior guard Carrie Lathrop (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) hit a game-tying three-pointer with six seconds left in regulation, and junior forward Tamika Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Milford Academy) blocked a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer in overtime as Lebanon Valley rallied to defeat Widener 68-67 in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action Tuesday evening at the Schwartz Athletic Center.

With the win, Lebanon Valley (19-4, 9-4 CC) remained tied with Moravian for second place in the conference standings and clinched its third straight berth in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs. Moravian defeated Albright 70-47 on Tuesday.

Widener fell to 16-8 and 7-6 in conference play.

Lathrop finished with a team and season-high 14 points to lead LVC while sophomore guard Chelsea Luhta led Widener with a game-high 21 points to go with 16 rebounds.

Luhta gave Widener an 11-point lead (49-38) with 8:05 left but LVC stormed back to outscore the Pioneers 23-12 the rest of the way to force the extra session. Following Luhta's foul shots, LVC put together a 8-2 run to cut the gap to five (51-46) with 5:46 to go following a three-pointer from freshman guard Allie Butler (Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge).

Lathrop made it a one-possession game (53-50) when she canned a trey with 4:39 remaining, and she nailed a pair of free throws 14 seconds later to cut the gap to one.

Widener took a five-point lead (59-54) after a three-pointer from junior guard Nicole Stanley with 2:04 to go, but LVC refused to go away. Junior guard Erin Eaby (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) dropped in a pair of free throws with 1:16 on the clock to cut it to 59-56, but senior forward Nikkie Carden answered for Widener with a steal and layup to push the Pioneers' lead back to five (61-56). But a baseline jumper from junior center Jennifer Northcott (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) with 45 seconds left made it a 61-58 ball game, setting up Lathrop's game-tying shot from the left elbow outside the arc.

In overtime, Lebanon Valley took its first lead of the game when Northcott popped in another jumper 20 seconds into the stanza, and LVC would not trail the rest of the way. Widener tied the game twice, the last coming on a jumper from senior guard Kate Smyth with 3:57 to go, but the Valley went ahead to stay on a three-pointer by junior guard Crystal Gibson (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown).

A pair of free throws from Luhta cut the lead to 68-67 with 35 seconds left, and after Gibson missed a pair of foul shots with six seconds remaining, Widener had one last chance to win it. But Rogers saved the game for LVC by blocking a jumper by sophomore guard Linette Babiarz from the right elbow just inside the three-point line.

Widener opened the game on a 12-1 run, and Eaby gave Lebanon Valley its first field goal on a layup with 10:15 left in the first half. Eaby's bucket started an 11-0 LVC run, and a pair of Eaby free throws tied the game at 12 with 7:13 left in the stanza.

The Flying Dutchmen trailed 17-14 with 3:59 left in the half, but the Pioneers closed the half on a 14-4 run and took a 31-18 lead into the locker room.

LVC cut the gap to five (43-38) after a Northcott jumper with 9:45 left in the game, but a 6-0 Pioneer spurt gave Widener its 11-point advantage with 8:05 to go.

Five Dutchmen hit double digits in scoring. Gibson finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. She also handed out three assists and is 11 shy of tying the LVC career record of 379 held by Chrissy Henise '98. Rogers, Eaby and Northcott all finished with 11 points, while Northcott hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds. She is now 46 boards away from tying the Lebanon Valley all-time record held by Carla Myers '91.

Rogers also had seven rebounds while Eaby handed out a team-high four assists.

Widener out-rebounded LVC 62-40, thanks in large part to a game-high 23-rebound performance from senior forward Erin Nemshick.

Both sides struggled with their shooting at times, as LVC shot 32.9% and Widener finished up with a 32.8% mark. The Valley shot just 20.7% in the opening half but rebounded to shoot 41.5% in the second stanza.

Lebanon Valley concludes its Commonwealth Conference regular season schedule when it visits Juniata at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

[Photo - Junior guard Carrie Lathrop, who scored 14 points and hit a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation against Widener on Tuesday]

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