Lycoming 77, Lebanon Valley 68

LVC Starters
Chaklos, Cirucci, Kelly, Rothert, Umbrell

Lyco Starters
Sipple, Calella, Mueller, Henderson, Manges

How It Happened
Lycoming outscored Lebanon Valley 23-7 in the fourth quarter en route to a 77-68 win in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon.

The teams will turn around and meet again at Sorrentino Gymnasium on Monday night in the MAC Commonwealth Championship Tournament Play-In Game at 7 p.m. LVC (16-9, 10-6 MAC Commonwealth) earned the tourney's no. 4 seed and Lyco (14-11, 9-7 MAC Commonwealth) is the no. 5 seed.

The Dutchmen led by as many as seven points in the final period but Jenn Grove's layup with 1:45 remaining gave Lyco a lead it wouldn't relinquish at 70-68. LVC struggled shooting the ball down the stretch and failed to score another point the rest of the way.

A Lexie Lantz layup gave Lebanon Valley a 63-56 advantage with 7:18 left to play but the Warriors kept the deficit manageable, never falling behind by more than four points in the final six minutes. Following a Bridget Rothert free throw with 2:38 remaining, LVC committed three turnovers and missed five field goals, while Lycoming scored the game's final 12 points to seal the win.

The Dutchmen extended their halftime lead when Peyton Carper buried a jumper to make it 42-34 moments after the break and a layup by Anne Lehr gave LVC a seven-point advantage at the end of the third quarter.

A Hilary Yoh free throw made it 40-34 heading into halftime after Lebanon Valley led by as much as 10 following a Carper jump shot at the 4:45 mark of the second period.

Taylor Umbrell was lights out from 3-point territory to begin the game as she knocked down back-to-back triples to put LVC ahead 11-3 less than three minutes into the contest. Carper drained a 3-ball of her own to give the Dutchmen their largest lead of the game two possessions later.

Turning Point
The Dutchmen looked poised for a tight finish in the game's closing moments but the team went cold from the floor, missing its last five field goal attempts. Jenn Grove's driving layup with 1:45 remaining gave Lycoming its first lead of the game. The Warriors converted their free throws down the stretch and never trailed again.

Senior Day
Prior to Saturday's contest, LVC graduate students Kiely Chaklos and Rachel Kelly, as well as seniors Peyton Carper, Alyssa Cirucci, Bridget Rothert, and Taylor Umbrell were honored as part of the program's Senior Day festivities.

Inside the Numbers
- Both teams shot well from the field, with Lycoming posting a 56.8 field goal percentage and the Dutchmen shooting 47.4 percent from the floor.
- LVC managed just eight free throws on the day compared to 33 by the Warriors, including 25 in the second half.
- Lebanon Valley's reserves outscored the Lyco bench 27-7.
- The Dutchmen were deadly from 3-point land in the early going, burying eight in the first half. Unfortunately, they managed just one triple after the break.
- Kiely Chaklos led the way with a team-high 14 points, and added five assists and a pair of steals.
- Taylor Umbrell was stout from distance, going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. She also dished out four assists.
- Alyssa Cirucci just missed the double-digit scoring mark with nine tallies. She added five assists and two swipes.
- Peyton Carper netted seven on 50 percent shooting from the field to go along with her four boards and four assists.
- Rachel Kelly and Lexie Lantz each grabbed a team-high five rebounds, Bridget Rothert recorded three assists and two steals, and Hilary Yoh netted three to go along with three boards.  
- Underclassmen Alex Lehman, Anne Lehr, and Jennifer Eck saw playing time down the stretch, with Lehr scoring four points and Eck adding a pair of free throws.
- All five Lyco starters reached the double-digit scoring mark, with Haley Sipple leading the way with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Welcome to the Postseason
With the playoff field for the upcoming MAC Commonwealth Postseason Tournament set, it won't be long until the Dutchmen and Lyco go at it one more time. LVC earned the tourney's no. 4 seed, and the Warriors clinched the no. 5 spot. The squads will meet at Sorrentino Gymnasium on Monday night with the winner heading to Albright to face the tourney's top seed on Wednesday night.

Who's Next?
The two teams get 48 hours to rest up before going at it once more. No. 4 LVC hosts no. 5 Lycoming at Sorrentino Gymnasium in the MAC Commonwealth Play-In Game on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.