Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. - #17 Messiah College combined outstanding defense with balanced scoring as it rolled by Lebanon Valley, 69-47, in a match-up of the  Commonwealth Conference's two first-place teams on Saturday.

The Falcons (13-2, 3-0 CC) shot a blistering 59.3 percent in the first half to work a 16-point halftime lead, then held LVC to 21 points in the second half. The Dutchmen (10-4, 3-1 CC) were dealt their first conference loss after a 3-0 start.

After shooting 52.4 percent in the first half, LVC was held to just 25.9 percent in the second, including 0-for-9 from three-point range.

Eryn Schultz led LVC with 11 points, while Andrea Hoover had eight points and seven assists. Lori Lidlow and Suzie Noyes each had eight points.

Four Falcons scored in double digits, led by Julie Henninger's 14 and Katie Kalb's 13.

After Messiah led from the start, LVC kept it close and briefly took the lead on Caitlin Murphy's bankshot six minutes in. Unfortunately, that would be LVC's final bucket for nearly four minutes, and Messiah slowly built up their lead. Sal Shani's layup at the end of the half gave Messiah their largest lead of the game at 16 heading into the break.

Things didn't get better for LVC from there, and the Falcons extended their lead further, including a 9-0 run midway through the second that all but ended LVC"s hopes of a comeback.

The Dutchmen will visit Elizabethtown Wednesday night at 6 p.m.